The Red Bull team, which has become the Formula One equivalent of the Death Star, recovered from the disappointment of conceding victory to Ferrari in Australia by utterly dominating the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix by securing a 1-2 finish. Saturday’s close run qualifying masked the Red Bull RB20’s fundamental race pace a pattern of performance that is likely to be repeated throughout the year. The RB20 is a fast car, with Verstappen behind the wheel it is extracted to its maximum becoming the dominant car of its era.

Impressive as the combination of Verstappen and the RB20 is, no one can deny the utter lack of excitement Formula One has become. Fans yearn for a repeat of the thrilling moments of 2021, but those days have long faded and become a distant memory.

The race did spark some interest at the start when Alex Albon collided with Daniel Ricciardo on lap one, resulting in a crash that took out both drivers. Even the red flag that halted the session was more captivating than the eventual race that unfolded. Plenty of battles ensued up and down the field but not where it mattered most.

Yes Verstappen has likely broken another record, and more will surely follow. Not even Perez had an answer, 12 seconds behind his teammate. Behind the Red Bulls, it was a battle for the final podium position, which went to Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. His teammate, Leclerc, secured 4th.

Mercedes opted to start the race on hard tires while every other team decided against it. This decision penalized Mercedes during the race, with Hamilton finishing a distant 9th, behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. George Russell finished 7th behind Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, and Norris claimed a 5th place finish.

Yuki Tsunoda finished 10th in his home Grand Prix, a victory of sorts for the excitable Japanese home crowd. Nevertheless, what is becoming increasingly evident is that the 2024 F1 season is turning into another walkover for Max Verstappen.

Verstappen cannot be blamed for consistently delivering these results, as he must show up at each race weekend and perform. This requires immense focus and mental fortitude, although he currently makes it appear effortless.

The equation here is simple: the best drivers invariably end up in the best cars, but 2024 is quickly turning into a very mundane season.

2024 Japanese Grand Prix Results:

1 Max VERSTAPPEN winner

2 Sergio PEREZ +12.535

3 Carlos SAINZ +20.866

4 Charles LECLERC +26.522

5 Lando NORRIS +29.700

6 Fernando ALONSO +44.272

7 George RUSSELL +45.951

8 Oscar PIASTRI +47.525

9 Lewis HAMILTON +48.626

10 Yuki TSUNODA +1 lap

11 Nico HULKENBERG +1 lap

12 Lance STROLL +1 lap

13 Kevin MAGNUSSEN +1 lap

14 Valtteri BOTTAS +1 lap

15 Esteban OCON +1 lap

16 Pierre GASLY +1 lap

17 Logan SARGEANT +1 lap

Did not finish

Zhou Guanyu – engine – lap 13

Daniel Ricciardo – crash – lap

Alex Albon – crash – lap 1