Verstappen’s Dominance Propels Oracle Red Bull Racing to Record Constructors’ Title

In a spectacular showcase of Formula One prowess, Max Verstappen secured his 13th victory of the 2023 season at the Japanese Grand Prix, solidifying Oracle Red Bull Racing’s place in the annals of motorsport history. This triumph marked not only a personal milestone for Verstappen but also the fastest-ever constructors’ title in Formula One history.

The Dutch sensation, a two-time drivers’ world champion, started from pole position at the iconic Suzuka circuit, where drama unfolded right from the first lap. McLaren’s dynamic duo of young talents attempted to pass Verstappen, setting the stage for an electrifying race. Despite encountering Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car periods, Verstappen skilfully navigated the challenges to lead Oracle Red Bull Racing to a historic achievement.

As Max Verstappen crossed the finish line, CEO and Team Principal Christian Horner conveyed the monumental news over the radio, “You were 19.4 seconds ahead of the rest of the field, and that wins our sixth constructors’ championship.” Verstappen responded with heartfelt appreciation, “What an unbelievable championship we are having. You can all be very proud back at the factory and here at the track. You’ve given me a rocket ship of a car.”

Although Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Pérez, faced a disappointing end to his race due to early collisions, his significant contribution of 223 points throughout the season played a vital role in the team’s success. Oracle Red Bull Racing’s previous constructors’ titles in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2022 now stand alongside their latest triumph.

Quotes from the Oracle Red Bull Racing Team:

Max Verstappen – 1st: “What an incredible weekend! It’s been a massive Team effort, there are a lot of people involved in getting us to where we are today. You only really see very few people here at track, there are lots of people working tirelessly at the factory to make sure we are always performing at our highest. What we are showing this year is pure dominance, we can all be extremely proud. It was an amazing feeling to see the Team celebrating in the garage on the track TVs during my in-lap. We’re definitely enjoying it but we won’t take anything for granted.”

Sergio Pérez – DNF: “It would have been nice to clinch the Championship in a different way but it has been an incredible year and I am so happy for the Team today. My race ended up not being straightforward at all; we had a poor start and everything went downhill from there unfortunately. The collisions caused too much damage so we brought the car in to assess. After fixing the car we then had a penalty to serve, which we did, and then brought the car in. Despite this, it has been a really great day for the whole team and to finally get that title is really special. I am proud of each and every single one of the team; they have done a really tremendous job.”

Christian Horner – CEO and Team Principal: “Once again it was a phenomenal performance from the team. I have been saying it all year, but really, this kind of season would be impossible without the hard work that goes on behind the scenes from all the different departments both back at Milton Keynes and here at track. From the crazy hours that they work through to the relentless pursuit for better, it is a true team effort and one to be immensely proud of. So that is six for us and an amazing moment for the team. We will take tonight to celebrate and regroup tomorrow as we look towards Qatar and a possible driver Championship. Only a Red Bull driver can win it now so there will be more celebrations to come in what can only be described as a monumental season in the team’s history. Ichiban Red Bull Racing. Arigato Japan!”

While Oracle Red Bull Racing basked in their glory, Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda faced a challenging day at the Suzuka circuit. Starting from 11th and 9th positions, respectively, the duo struggled to make significant progress in the race. Lawson finished 11th, acknowledging the tough competition and the need to constantly push for points. Tsunoda ended up in 12th place, expressing frustration about not capitalizing on the potential pace due to tire and strategy issues.

Quotes from Scuderia AlphaTauri:

Liam Lawson – 11th: “We didn’t have the performance in the long run today and didn’t quite have the speed of the Alpines ahead. The team and I worked hard this weekend to maximise the sessions, and we made steps in each one. The fight with Yuki was aggressive, but I think it was a fair race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, and I think neither of us had the pace to make the top 10. I’m still trying to score points for the team and prove myself every time I get in the car, and I think I did that today.”

Yuki Tsunoda – 12th: “It’s frustrating because there was pace today, but I didn’t have the opportunity to maximise it. On this track, it’s hard to follow because the tyres overheat very easily and I feel like we pitted for the hard compound too late, so I was behind everyone and had to catch up to the pack. I think there was no chance to catch P10 today. It’s a shame that I wasn’t able to perform well and get a good result in front of the Japanese fans, but I got a lot of energy from them so thank you to all the fans. In the end, it is what it is.”

Jonathan Eddolls – Chief Engineer (Scuderia AlphaTauri): “Having saved only one medium and one hard tyre set for the race, we knew that with these track temperatures, we would be at a slight disadvantage to those cars around who had two hard compound tyres left. Equally, we had expected the medium tyres to behave similarly to the hard compound. It was always going to be a race about tyres. We started both cars on the soft compound, and after the incidents at the start, both our cars emerged in P9 and P10. The stint on the soft tyres was short, and we reacted to Hulkenberg. With good in laps from the drivers and great pitstops, we kept both our cars ahead. Our main issue was the pace of the medium compound in the middle stint. We had high degradation, and this was where the damage was done. This will be the main focus of the post-race work, as other teams were able to make it work. Our pace on the hard compound at the end was competitive, but by this stage, we had already lost out to the two Alpines, ending up with both cars just outside the points. Although we lost some positions in the race, there are some positive signs from the weekend. The package is working as demonstrated by the good qualifying performance and the pace in the race, which has taken a step forward compared to before. We are continuing to develop the car, and we’re so close to being able to score points on merit, so we’ll keep fighting to the end of the

The post Verstappen’s Dominance Propels Oracle Red Bull Racing to Record Constructors’ Title first appeared on Fuelled.