Tutti coloro che dopo il prematuro ritiro in terra australiana di Max Verstappen si fossero immaginati un campionato di Formula 1 riaperto, saranno rimasti delusi. L’olandese volante ha infatti rimesso tutti in fila vincendo il Gran Premio del Giappone davanti al compagno di scuderia Sergio Perez e all’alfiere della Ferrari Carlos Sainz. Sul circuito di Suzuka - dove una delle (poche) highlights odierne è stata la bandiera rossa causata dalla collisione nella prima partenza tra Alex Albon e Daniel Ricciardo - sono state le McLaren e le monoposto di Maranello ad interrompere la monotonia, sfidandosi a colpi di strategia. Allo sventolamento della bandiera a scacchi Charles Leclerc, ai piedi del podio dietro al compagno spagnolo, ha preceduto così Lando Norris (5o) e Oscar Piastri (8o).
Prestazione sottotono per entrambe le Mercedes, che a causa di scelte tattiche poco lungimiranti (e messe in discussione dagli stessi piloti) non sono riuscite a tagliare il traguardo oltre la 7a (George Russell) e 9a posizione (Lewis Hamilton). Ennesima giornata in chiaroscuro per la Sauber, obbligata a ritirare dalla gara la vettura di Guanyu Zhou per un problema al cambio e tornata in Svizzera con il solo 14o posto di Valtteri Bottas.
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