The Prague Post - Verstappen wins Japanese GP to close championship gap on Norris

The Dutch Red Bull driver crossed the finish line almost 1.5 seconds in front of Briton Norris, who held off his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri of Australia in third.

The win on a damp but drying track at Suzuka was Verstappen's fourth straight victory in Japan and closed the gap on Norris at the top of the drivers' championship to one point.

Norris now has 62 points after three races, with Verstappen on 61 and Piastri third on 49.

"It was tough. The McLarens were pushing me very hard," said Verstappen.

"It was a lot of fun but not easy pushing the tyres. I am incredibly happy.

"Starting on pole made it possible to win."

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished fourth ahead of the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was seventh, with RB's Isack Hadjar next ahead of Williams' Alex Albon and Haas's Oliver Bearman.

Yuki Tsunoda finished 12th in his first race for Red Bull since replacing Liam Lawson, having started from 14th on the grid in his home grand prix. Lawson was 17th for RB.

Norris said the race was won and lost in qualifying, where Verstappen pulled off a lap for the ages to claim his first pole of the season with a new lap record.

"Max drove a good race today, made no mistakes," said Norris, who started from second on the grid.

"A flat-out race from start to finish, so it was tough but there was nothing we could get Max on."

- 'Mr Motivator' -

Verstappen and Norris were involved in a flashpoint midway through the race as the two front-runners emerged from a pit stop.

Norris drew alongside Verstappen but the Dutchman refused to budge and Norris was forced onto the grass before sliding back onto the track.

Stewards reviewed the incident and decided not to investigate further and Norris admitted later it was just part of racing.

"Max is the last guy I expect to give me any space, in a good way, in a racing way," he said.

Verstappen has struggled to get to grips with his Red Bull this season, finishing second in Australia and fourth in China.

But he set a stunning pole lap and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hailed the way Verstappen has kept the team in the title race.

"There's no better tonic for motivation than winning," said Horner.

"Verstappen is like Mr Motivator. It was a flat-out race, there was no tyre saving.

"For us all priority is on the drivers' championship, for us the constructors' will be harder."

McLaren's double podium extended their lead in the constructors' title race to 36 points over Mercedes. McLaren have 111 points, Mercedes are second on 75 with Red Bull third on 61, all scored by Verstappen.

Eighteen-year-old rookie Antonelli briefly took the mid-race lead while Verstappen and Norris were in the pits, to become Formula One's youngest-ever race leader.

Verstappen, back in the lead after Antonelli's stop, was given the green light to push until the end of the race.

Piastri told his team "I have the pace to get Max" but Norris would not cede second and Verstappen could not be caught.

Conditions at Suzuka had been dry all week, with a series of small trackside fires halting practice several times but rain early on Sunday removed any chance of a repeat in the race.

R.Rous--TPP