World champion Max Verstappen returned to winning ways in style on Sunday when he dominated the Japanese Grand Prix ahead of Sergio Perez for a third Red Bull one-two finish from four Formula One season races.
Verstappen collected his 57th career victory in the home race of Red Bull's engine partners Honda that was red-flagged for half an hour after a first-lap collision between Visa-RB's Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon of Alpine.
Verstappen won 12 seconds from Perez Perez, and ahead of the Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc who had dominated two weeks ago in Austria where Verstappen had to retire with a brakes problem and Perez came fifth.
It was the third straight victory from pole in Suzuka for the triple world champion Verstappen who with it extended his championship lead again, with Perez in second 13 points adrift.
"Everything went well - pit stops, strategy. It couldn't have been any better," Verstappen said.
"The last race was a little hiccup but very happy we are here back on top.
"The critical bit was the start to stay ahead and after that the car got better and better for me throughout the race, I don't know if it had to do with the clouds coming in."
Perez said: "I think we are in a good momentum. If you remember here last year was probably my worst weekend. So I think if we are strong in places like this with a lot of high and medium-speed corners, I think we can be strong anywhere else."
Verstappen won the start but the race was red-flagged seconds later due to the collision between Albon and Ricciardo heading into turn three.
Slight contact sent Ricciardo spinning off, and Ocon ended up right next to him in the barriers. Ricciardo said he did not see Ocon on the inside in the event he named a racing accident.
Both escaped unharmed but the impact from the two cars damaged the barriers which needed to be repaired before the race could continue.
The action resumed around half an hour later with a standing start where Verstappen made no mistake again as he and Perez quickly pulled away from the rest.
Norris pitted early from third and emerged behind the two Mercedes in seventh, just as six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, in an extraordinary move, asked via radio whether to let team-mate George Russell past before Mercedes told them to swap positions.
Verstappen also got fresh rubbers but was soon back in the lead after passing Leclerc who had not pitted at the time.
The Red Bulls remained top once the second stops had been made but Leclerc had managed to work himself up to third after starting from eighth.
He eventually lost that place to team-mate Sainz who had to fight his way up after the pit stops.
"I had to overtake a lot of cars out there. Overtaking was tricky, like always at Suzuka. I could finish my moves but it was tough out there," Sainz said.
Mercedes had to be content with seventh from Russell and ninth from Hamilton as they struggled with tyre wear.
Lando Norris was fifth for McLaren, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso sixth, Oscar Piastri eighth in the second McLaren, and Visa-RB's Yuki Tsunoda delighting home fans with 10th place.
F1 now heads to Shanghai for the first Chinese GP - including the first sprint race of the season - since 2019, with all following editions cancelled owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s going to be quite hectic with the sprint weekend. We haven’t been there for a while, only one practice session to really get into it again. I think it will be quite interesting," said Verstappen, who will be seeking a first China victory.
