McLaren extends lead over Red Bull despite Verstappen’s victory in Japan

Despite Max Verstappen’s win at the Japanese Grand Prix, McLaren extended its lead in the constructors’ championship.

Contrary to all expectations, Verstappen secured pole position on Saturday, beating out Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri with a stunning lap time in the RB21.

The Dutchman managed to convert this P1 grid slot into his first win of the season, keeping the papaya-coloured cars behind for all 53 laps around Suzuka.

While Verstappen maximized his points, his teammate Yuki Tsunoda could not, with the Japanese driver finishing outside the points in P12, meaning the points haul for the Austrian team was not too high.

McLaren held on to finish in P2 and P3, with Norris just ahead of his teammate Piastri, earning many points for the British team.

The Mercedes team also have two drivers consistently scoring points. George Russell finished in P5 in Japan, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli took a fine P6 to finish as the highest rookie on the timing sheets.

As a result of their P2 and P3, McLaren extended its lead in the constructors’ championship after this Grand Prix, with Mercedes also having a good performance. Red Bull Racing sit in third place despite Verstappen’s fine win.

This is the standings in the constructors’ championship after the GP of Japan

This article was written in collaboration with Sandy van Wijngaarden