Max Verstappen Fends Off Flying McLarens To Win Thrilling Japanese Grand Prix

Max Verstappen delivered a masterclass in composure and speed on Sunday, holding off the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to win the Japanese Grand Prix in stunning style.

The Dutch driver’s flawless weekend began with a breathtaking pole position during Saturday’s chaotic qualifying session, narrowly edging out Norris by just 0.012 seconds. That performance set the stage for what Red Bull team principal Christian Horner called “one of the best weekends he’s had in Formula One.”

“The hard work was really done yesterday, but today again in the race, he was inch-perfect,” Horner told Sky Sports. “McLaren were quick, but we were just that little bit quicker to keep them behind.”

While Verstappen took the win, the race also saw history made by Mercedes’ rising star Andrea Kimi Antonelli. At just 18 years and 224 days old, he became the youngest driver ever to record the fastest lap in a Formula One race — and the youngest to lead a race, even if only briefly.

Despite damper conditions that prevented more grass fires like the five that had disrupted the weekend, the action on track was anything but calm. Verstappen quickly built a two-second lead after lights out, but McLaren never let him relax.

The most dramatic moment came when both Verstappen and Norris pitted simultaneously. Norris emerged nearly side-by-side with Verstappen in the pit lane, but was forced onto the grass as the Red Bull driver refused to yield an inch.

Initially, Norris suggested he had been pushed off, but later clarified: “He was still ahead. It kind of squeezes into one and Max is the last guy I expect to give me any space — in a good way, in a racing way. So, nothing more than that.”

Norris ultimately finished second, with Piastri securing third and completing a double podium for McLaren. Verstappen’s victory brings him within just one point of Norris at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings.

“I’m incredibly happy,” Verstappen said after the race. “It started off quite tough this weekend, but we didn’t give up. We kept improving the car and today it was in its best form. Starting on pole really made it possible to win this race.”

Elsewhere, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz endured a difficult day, finishing 14th after battling a stomach issue that saw him arrive late for the pre-race national anthem. As a result, the FIA fined him €20,000 ($22,000), half of which is suspended for one year. The penalty was reduced from the usual €60,000 after a doctor confirmed Sainz’s condition.