Although there were plenty of different strategies on show at the Japanese Grand Prix, the final result was what many people expected.
Max Verstappen returned to winning ways followed by teammate Sergio Perez, with Carlos Sainz continuing his strong run of form to finish on the podium once again.
Covering the Grand Prix for The Race, Valentin Khorounzhiy wanted to highlight the efforts of a driver further down the grid.
Charles Leclerc was widely praised for making a one-stop strategy work after starting on the medium compound tyres.
Mercedes couldn’t pull off the same trick on the hard tyres and ultimately that cost George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, with the seven-time world champion once again only competing at the bottom end of the top ten.
However, it was the fight for the final points-paying position that was one of the most intriguing on Sunday.
After a disastrous qualifying from Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, there was a spot in the top ten available to the chasing pack.
Yuki Tsunoda was the man who capitalised in Japan and the hometown hero and his Visa Cash App RB team played a blinder in Suzuka.
RB star Yuki Tsunoda showcases his talent in Japan
V-CARB team principal Laurent Mekies will be able to take plenty of positives from Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Before his crash on lap one, Daniel Ricciardo looked much more comfortable in the car, which is particularly impressive considering he gave up his seat to Ayumu Iwasa in FP1 and virtually no running was done in FP2.
His clash with Alex Albon went down as a racing incident but the Australian will be frustrated that he didn’t check his right-hand mirror before making marginal contact with the Williams.
That meant the pressure was on Tsunoda to deliver for RB at his home race in Japan and he executed their plan to perfection.
Damon Hill commented after the race that he ‘delivered everything’ at Suzuka and appears to have taken a big step forward from last season.
Commenting on his performance during the race, Khorounzhiy said: “Tsunoda is running rapid pace on absolutely geriatric hards there.
“He and RB have played an absolute blinder in terms of strategy and pace management because normally I don’t think this point should be up for grabs given Aston’s pace, but he’s just set his best lap of the race.”
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Sebastian Vettel’s recent comments on Yuki Tsunoda continue to ring true
After three seasons with the RB team in its various guises, Tsunoda showed in Japan that he’s ready to be the best of the rest in the chasing pack this season.
The second pit stop was the key moment in the race and thanks to the Japanese driver hitting his marks perfectly and the team nailing their jobs, he leapfrogged two of his rivals in the space of seconds.
Going into the race Sebastian Vettel was very complimentary about the 23-year-old and his recent progression.
He said on The Fast and The Curious Podcast, “Yuki also had a strong tendency and growth in the last one and a half years, which is great to see.”
Whether the driver has done enough in the latest of his 70 Formula 1 races to earn a new contract is yet to be seen.
His current RB deal only runs until the end of the season, but he’s been touted as a potential option for another team on the grid…
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