A moment of genius, we all called it on Saturday, after Max Verstappen snatched one of the great Thin Air qualification towers. But surely just a moment.
Especially when you have two rumbled mclarens, these papaya colored rockets, tattooed in your mirrors for 53 laps of a race.
But the largest driver of his generation does not make damage. Not even when his car is far from being the strongest in the grid. Not even when he has no teammate who leads in the same stratosphere for additional protection. No need anyway.
It was a maximum masterclass. Nerveless after starting forward. Vision from the tunnel to the checkered flag.
He was not mistaken to win the victory at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. His first victory of the 2025 season took charge of it between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the pilot ranking.
But more importantly, it looked like a warning shot was fired. All the speeches were around the domination of McLaren. The debate was which of their two pilots is best placed to put pressure for the title. Little chances were given to these rivals in the paddock.
However, Verstappen did what Verstappen does. Laugh at his skeptics. Leave them lying around in its wake.
Max Verstappen won the Japanese Grand Prix with a MasterClass performance in Suzuka
Lando Norris finished second and could not be ahead of Verstappen at any time
His racing engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, summed it up best. ‘Perfection. Just perfection, max, “he told his man.
Verstappen said: “The two McLarens pushed me very loudly; It was very fun there. I’m incredibly happy, it started quite hard this weekend but we did not give up, we improved the car.
The nearest Norris was really a brush in the Pitlan. It almost ended with a disaster for the Briton, who pointed out the blame finger towards Verstappen. It was like an act of despair. Norris simply lacked road.
He thought about: “It’s race. He was still in advance, he tightens in one and Max is the last guy to give me any space in the right direction, in a way of race, nothing more.
It was a day when Norris chose to play the waiting game. Biding its time during a 20 laps opening procession.
McLaren’s attempts to play cool have almost disentangled at the end of Tour 18 when Norris was informed by his team to go to go beyond Verstappen. A late change of heart ordered first of all to stay outside.
But, at the end of Tour 21, it was Verstappen who jumped first by coming for a new set of medium tires. Norris was breathtaking and also headed.
The stand output was only going to be wide enough for one of them. And after being released almost alongside Verstappen, whose nose was just at the front, Norris had to take evasive measures and hit the grass.
Norris protested. “He forced me to leave,” said the Briton. Verstappen defends. “He got into the grass,” said Red Bull Man.
The Dutchman is never shy to take out his elbows but, on this occasion, had the right to hold his ground. This left Norris forced to go beyond the track instead.
But it’s not easy around this famous old song. A favorite of drivers can be the case, but it is not one for those who seek to climb the grid. High -speed corners make it particularly difficult to jump on a rival. Norris is too aware of it.
Instead, as Verstappen was invited to push again, it was Piastri who was the fastest of the two McLarens. He asked why Norris was not close to Verstappen.
His team explained that everything Brit had to offer. “I think I have the pace to get Max,” replied the Australian.
But Piastri did not have enough to exceed Norris, finishing third. It was too little, too late when an impeccable Verstappen was walking around.