“I was lucky” - Max Verstappen discusses the threat from McLaren duo at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix

Max Verstappen roared to victory at the Suzuka Circuit, sealing a resounding win for Red Bull and securing them the second Constructor's championship in a row with six races still in the season.

After a rare hiccup in Singapore, where Verstappen finished off the podium for the first time this year, the Dutchman was once again back to his best, reasserting his dominance on the track in Japan.

However, the Japanese GP was equally encouraging for the valiant McLaren. Ever since their drastic upgrade prior to the Austrian GP, the British outfit has been on a remarkable run, culminating in a spectacular double podium finish at the Japanese GP.

Lando Norris clinched an impressive second place, while rookie Oscar Piastri secured a career-defining third place finish, marking his first-ever podium appearance.

The start of the race saw Piastri make a blistering launch, momentarily outpacing Max Verstappen. Sensing the threat, Verstappen defended his position by hugging the inside line on the approach to Turn 1, allowing Norris to surge ahead around the outside. Verstappen recounted while speaking to F1:

“I saw in the right mirror that Oscar had a little bit of a jump on me, but at the same time I saw in the left mirror that Lando had a real jump on me."

He continued:

"And then I tried to of course close off Oscar, but he was still there, and I saw on the left side Lando coming with a lot more speed. He then moved a bit to the right, and I was like, I can’t go more to the right! So I was trying to get straight. Luckily of course, nothing happened."

However, Verstappen's strategic move paid off as he used the enhanced grip provided by the "normal line" through Turn 2 to maintain his lead against the charging McLaren duo.

Verstappen reflected:

“And then we had a good battle into Turn 1, into Turn 2. I was lucky I think there was a bit more grip in Turn 2 on the normal line instead of trying to go around the outside.”

Max Verstappen compares the Constructor's Championship win to last year

For the 25-year-old Verstappen, this season's success is sweeter than the previous year, owing to the sheer dominance of the 2023 Red Bull car.

“The car has been more dominant this year, apart from Singapore, but all the other races, we’ve had a really, really good car,” he emphasized.

Verstappen also took a moment to applaud the dedicated team behind the scenes, both at the track and at the factory. Giving credit to the unsung heroes responsible for the continuous development and fine-tuning of the Red Bull machine, he remarked:

“It’s just an incredible season for everyone involved within the team, and yeah, just very proud to be a part of it, and also very proud to be working with all these amazing people here at the track, but also especially back at the factory as well."

As the season hurtles towards its climax, Max Verstappen would now be aiming to close out the season at the earliest by clinching his third world title in a row, a feat that seems all but certain.