SUZUKA, Japan, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Red Bull's Max Verstappen returned to form to land a convincing win in Sunday's Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.
A brake issue had forced Verstappen out of the preceding Australian Grand Prix, but the Dutchman bounced back with a vengeance at Suzuka, holding off teammate Sergio Perez at the start to ease to his third win in four races so far in 2024.
"It was very nice. The critical bit was the start to stay ahead and after that the car got better and better for me throughout the race," said Verstappen, whose win came at the home circuit of Red Bull's engine supplier Honda.
"Everything went well - pit stops, strategy. It couldn't have been any better.
"The last race [in Australia] was a little hiccup, but very happy we are here back on top. Great fans and in front of Honda as well, it's fantastic to win here."
Behind the dominant Red Bulls, Carlos Sainz rounded out the podium for Ferrari, while teammate Charles Leclerc cleverly used a one-stop strategy to rise from eighth on the grid to fourth by the chequered flag.
Lando Norris took fifth for McLaren, while Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso finished sixth ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, who overtook Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri on the final lap after a fierce tussle between the two.
Lewis Hamilton finished ninth on a low-key weekend for Mercedes, with Yuki Tsunoda delighting the home fans by taking the final point for RB.
The race was red flagged on the opening lap after Tsunoda's teammate Daniel Ricciardo tangled with the Williams of Alex Albon, sending both into the barriers at Turn 2. With Williams already short of a spare chassis, the team faces a race against time to ready Albon's car for the next Grand Prix in China in a fortnight's time.
Zhou Guanyu was the only other driver to fail to see the chequered flag, with the Chinese driver pulling out on lap 14 with a gearbox issue.
Verstappen's win sees him extend his lead in the Drivers' Championship, and the Dutchman now has 77 points. Perez is second on 64, with Leclerc third on 59 points.
In the Constructors' Championship, leaders Red Bull move onto 141 points. Ferrari stay second with 120, and McLaren are third on 69 points.
The fifth round of the 2024 season sees the Chinese Grand Prix return for the first time since 2019, with the Shanghai International Circuit also set to play host to the first Sprint race of the year. ■
