Max Verstappen bounced back from his retirement in Australia with a commanding drive to victory in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, beating Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.
Verstappen led from start to finish, with warmer-than-expected weather, a variety of tyre strategies, and a first-lap accident involving RB's Daniel Ricciardo and Williams' Alex Albon all contributing to the action.
It was the Dutchman's third consecutive pole-to-victory conversion at Suzuka, as well as his third win in four races in 2024, boosting his lead in the drivers' championship, which had been dented by a brake-related retirement at Albert Park.
Sainz, the winner of the Australian Grand Prix, was the last of the front-runners to make their final pit stop, and he took advantage of fresher rubber to clear McLaren's Lando Norris and teammate Charles Leclerc in the final laps - the latter having completed one stop fewer on an alternate strategy.
Leclerc and Norris finished fourth and fifth, respectively, while Fernando Alonso led Aston Martin's charge to sixth place, just ahead of the squabbling Mercedes and McLaren machines of George Russell and Oscar Piastri.
Piastri, on aged hard tyres, and Russell, on newer medium tyres, came close to colliding near the end of the race when they went wheel-to-wheel at the final chicane.
Lewis Hamilton mirrored Russell’s strategy en route to ninth, having questioned Mercedes’ approach earlier in the race, with home hero Yuki Tsunoda taking the final point on offer for himself and RB as he battled his way to 10th via a series of fine overtakes.
The next race on the 2024 F1 calendar will be the Chinese Grand Prix, with the paddock returning to the Shanghai International Circuit for a Sprint weekend from April 19-21.