Max Verstappen won the 2023 Japan Grand Prix, registering his 13th victory of the season and going one step closer to winning the F1 title for the third straight season. Red Bull, on the other hand, claimed the Constructors Championship for the second year in a row and their sixth title overall.Â
The Dutchman secured a lead of 19.4 seconds ahead of second-placed Lando Norris of McLaren, while his teammate Oscar Piastri finished third, 36 seconds further behind to claim his first podium finish.
2023 Japan Grand Prix: Verstappen inches closer to world titleÂ
Verstappen came out determined to win after being unable to secure a podium finish at the Singapore Grand Prix and seeing his 10-race winning streak ended. He achieved pole position in the qualifying round and was dominant in the race to blaze ahead of his competitors.
The fate of the world title could be sealed at the Qatar Grand Prix, to be held over the weekend of October 6. Verstappen currently leads the Driver’s Championship standings by 177 points. His Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez is second with 223 points.
Perez had a race to forget after being given a penalty for hitting Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, and retired from the race after it. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished 4th and 6th while Lewis Hamilton finished 5th in the 2023 Japan Grand Prix.
