Verstappen beat team-mate Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, in a race that was red flagged following an opening lap crash between RB’s Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon of Williams.

2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix results

2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix report

Polesitter Verstappen led the charge to Turn 1, ahead of Perez, Lando Norris (McLaren), Sainz and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin).

Further back, Ricciardo and Albon touched wheels on the approach to Turn 2 and both cars slammed into the tyrewall, causing a red flag. “He just squeezed me, nowhere to go,” rued Albon on the radio.

After a lengthy delay for barrier repairs, teams were able to change tyres in the pits with the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell switching to the hard compound, while fifth placed Fernando Alonso remained on his choice of softs.

Verstappen again led away from the 18-car standing restart, leading Perez, Norris, Sainz and Alonso once more. The Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon touched on the run to Turn 1, while Russell lost a spot to Yuki Tsunoda’s RB when he locked up and ran wide, but he was able to regain the spot a lap later.

Verstappen’s leading margin was aided when the chasing Perez ran wide at Degner 2 on lap six.

Norris was the first of the frontrunners to pit, giving up third place on lap 12, while McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri stopped from fifth a lap later. Alonso, who rose to fourth, got rid of his softs on lap 14.

The Mercedes duo swapped places on lap 14, with Hamilton allowing the faster Russell ahead.

Verstappen was over 5s clear of Perez when the latter pitted on lap 16, and he was followed in by third placed Sainz.

Verstappen went to lap 17 before making his stop, rejoining just ahead of early stopper Norris, who passed the yet-to-pit Hamilton around the outside of Turn 1, while Perez – who’d lost his runner-up spot to Norris – braved it down the inside of Hamilton at 130R.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc ran very long to lead for a couple of laps, until Verstappen caught at passed him at the start of lap 21 to regain his top spot. Sainz then lost time passing the Mercedes duo, dropping 7s behind Perez.

Second placed Leclerc, who was hanging on with well-worn medium tyres, briefly went off at Degner 2 just before half distance, allowing Perez back into second – but Sergio was already over 10s behind Verstappen.

Leclerc pitted for the first time on lap 27, the same tour as Norris for his second stop, the pair split by Russell as they rejoined. Norris zapped around the outside of Russell at Turn 1 a lap later.

Perez made his final stop on lap 34, rejoining behind Norris, while Verstappen ran a lap longer before doing likewise. Perez was able to chase down and DRS past Norris on the run to Turn 1 on lap 35 and mirrored the move on Leclerc on the next tour.

Australian GP winner Sainz now led but locked up and straightlined the chicane on his old rubber, pitting a lap later and handing the lead back to Verstappen. This dropped Sainz all the way back to seventh but with the freshest rubber of all the frontrunners and he went on a charge.

Sainz quickly passed Hamilton, as Russell pitted ahead of them, and chased down Norris – passing him for fourth with nine laps remaining. He snatched third from one-stopping team-mate Leclerc a couple of laps later, DRS-ing past on the run to Turn 1 for the final spot on the podium.

Verstappen cruised to another victory by 12s over Perez, with Sainz heading him Leclerc for another podium finish. Norris finished fifth from a raging battle for sixth between Alonso, Piastri and Russell.

Piastri and Russell clashed at the chicane with five laps to go, but Piastri made a crucial error there ahead of the last tour, which allowed Russell to snatch seventh on the run to Turn 1.

Hamilton was ninth, while home hero Tsunoda claimed the final point.

2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix fastest laps