Again, very fine overtaking race and points for Verstappen, Hamilton wins in Japan – nrc.nl

Max Verstappen at Suzuka. Photo Reuters / Frank Robichon

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Max Verstappen drove today in Japan like last week in an extraordinary Singapore grand prix. Forced starting from the rear, he grabbed for the fourth time in the last five races points for the World Cup.

Lewis Hamilton arrived at the Suzuka circuit, a classic on the F1 calendar in 1962 designed by the Dutchman John Hugenholtz, first across the finish line. He strengthens his lead in the standings for the World Cup compared to closest rival and team-mate Nico Rosberg. The Mercedes duo clinched a 1-2, although it was Rosberg who was allowed to start from pole position.

The German was already on the way into the first corner outwitted by reigning world champion Hamilton, who directs the race no longer ceded. Behind him fought Rosberg after a miserable start back from fourth to second place, the winner of last week in Singapore Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) behind them.

Verstappen won eight places

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen experienced a much more exciting race. He started as seventeenth and fought their way steadily to overtake team-mate Carlos Sainz eventually the crown appeared at work. The Spaniard had to re-acknowledge the superiority of Verstappen who, like last week from a much worse starting position still managed to finish in front of him.

Verstappen eventually took ninth place, good for two championship points. For Hamilton it was his 41st Grand Prix victory of his career and today he equals the total number of victories in Formula 1 icon Ayrton Senna. Only Vettel (42), Alain Prost (51) and Michael Schumacher (91) won more often in the premier class of motor racing.

Fans who after the Grand Prix in Singapore last week hoping for a continuation of the lesser form of Mercedes and thus return of tension in the World Championship, today came out disappointed. Mercedes dominated as it has for a half season which Ferrari after winning last week again had to settle for the title best of the rest. Also unchanged: the nearly 18-year-old Verstappen continues to cause a stir with its mature and faultless drive in his first F1 season.

The race in bullets, videos and tweets

The Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka has 53 rounds. Nico Rosberg will start from pole position, his Mercedes team-mate and World Championship leader Lewis Hamilton in the stands beside him on the front row. Max Verstappen starts 17th.

• Start Hamilton is a better way of his starting place and take the long first corner in the end the lead from Rosberg who soon gets off the track and dropped to place 4. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) tries between the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen Williams Felipe Massa, wring and hits latter: both flat tire. Also Sergio Perez drives leakage and his Force India team-mate also through the gravel. Verstappen thus takes the 14th spot.
  
  

• After the first five rounds Hamilton laces fastest lap after fastest lap succession: his gap to the Ferrari Sebastian Vettel, winner last week in Singapore, is already 4.3 sec. Behind it Valtteri Bottas (Williams), Rosberg and Raikkonen. Max is now on the tail of Felipe Nasr (Sauber) for P12.
• Verstappen does not pass Nasr who with his Mercedes-powered Sauber at Suzuka has more power than the Renault back of the Toro Rosso. The nearly 18 year old Dutchman goes in for his first pit stop a lap later and follows Nasr. That extra lap on worn rubber cost the Brazilian a lot of time and come after Max back on the job.
• almost a third of the race Verstappen stuck behind Daniil Kvyat mother team Red Bull, which in turn does not pass on Fernando Alonso’s McLaren-Honda. The shortage of Renault’s capital on this track is a march last week (provisional) in the way. Max on P13. Hamilton is now the last of the front runners making his first pitstop
• Round. 22: Rosberg after Raikkonen also Bottas passed through a fine uitrem action. The Finn was third just after the pit stops. The direction follows now long laps the battle for P11 and then choose Kvyat, who yesterday witnessed an enormous crash, eggs for his money and dives into the pits. Max is now on the tail of Alonso.
• He is doing Halfway through the race Verstappen knocks the double world champion in the first corner!.
  
  

  
  Honda ran all the laps faster on the straights, but Max leverages of slipstream behind the McLaren and scoring world championship points is close now.
  

• With only 24 laps was Hamilton at first by more than 13 seconds ahead of Vettel, who Rosberg very close come see. But that last dive earlier in the pit and Vettel follows a lap later but coming just behind Rosberg back on the track. Mercedes 1-2 now. Behind the top three are the Finns Bottas and Raikkonen fighting for P4.
• Second pit stop for Verstappen and he comes back to P12, again behind Kvyat (4.5 sec). Before then it is Carlos Sainz, teammate Max, on P10: the place which entitles championship points.
• Max smells points now. Kvyat again in the pit and P11 in hands. For him Sainz but Verstappen runs per lap some 1.5 seconds on the Spaniard. The hole has to deal with 15 laps remaining 4 sec
• Another 10 laps to go and Rosberg suffers when overtaking cars behind:. Vettel comes in two seconds from his countryman. Hamilton (-12 sec) still unthreatened in the lead while Verstappen on one sec came from Sainz. Max has a gap of 10 seconds densely driven ten laps.
• Max passed Sainz! The Spaniard seems to him not to expect and pouf : Verstappen pricks his Toro Rosso next. It is now P9 for the Dutchman Perez has dropped out of the top 10.
  And again surely painful for Sainz, who like last week outwitted by his teammate while far had to start from the back. Max immediately strikes a gap of two seconds but then warned by his team:
• Meanwhile, experiencing Will Stevens of rearguard team Manor for a moment in the fastest (around 300km / h) bend the job:
  
  

• The finish flag brandished : Lewis Hamilton wins the Grand Prix of Japan. Rosberg is second at Suzuka, Hamilton
  
  
  

  Results Grand Prix of Japan:.

  1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 53 laps
  2. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) +18.9 secs
  3. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) + 20,8s
  4. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) + 33s
  5. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) + 36s
  6. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) + 55s
  7. Romain Grosjean (Lotus) + 1m12s
  8. Pastor Maldonado (Lotus) + 1m13s
  9. Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso) + 1m35s
  10. Carlos Sainz (Toro Rosso) +1 lap

  Stand in the World Cup after 14 of 19 races:

  1. Lewis Hamilton 277 points (+25)
  2. Nico Rosberg 228 (+17) 3
  . Sebastian Vettel 215 (+12)
  …
  11. MAX VERSTAPPEN 32 (+2)

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