Red Bull came into this race weekend with a huge spotlight on the team. It was largely on the second seat and the driver change that had taken place, but it very much captured Max Verstappen in its glare, too.
Verstappen had clearly not been happy with the decision to drop Liam Lawson after just two races. The Dutchman got on well with Lawson, had seen what he was capable of in the Racing Bulls car, and was certain that the issue was not with the driver alongside him, it was with the car.
That was an extension of the feeling from Verstappen when Sergio Perez was replaced at the end of last season, too, and with Red Bull still appearing to lag behind McLaren, it could easily have been interpreted that he was frustrated with the situation.
But far from letting that become his overall demeanor, he had already made very clear that how he feels on a personal level and how tough his RB21 is to drive do not have a direct correlation.
“I hear this all the time but for me nothing changes,” Verstappen told Sky Sports in China of whether he has patience with the team. “I’m actually very relaxed — I’m very positive in my mind. I’m enjoying life.
“So every time I jump in the car I just try to do the best I can, and I’m not thinking about anything else, to be honest, because I feel good in life in general — if that’s in the car, outside the car — and that’s actually what matters the most.”
Verstappen lets others worry about the political pressures of the moment and just focuses on driving. And it’s working out pretty well. Sam Bagnall/Getty Images
What also matters to Verstappen, though, is winning. On Saturday in Suzuka he pulled out a stunning qualifying lap that gave him a chance to do some more of that, and on Sunday he took that opportunity with both hands.
Decisively retaining his lead off the line, Verstappen always had enough of an answer for the lurking McLarens behind him, navigating the pit stop phase and then pulling out the extra few tenths of a second he needed whenever Lando Norris threatened to come within DRS range.
The superlatives were flowing, with his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase calling it “perfection,” team principal Christian Horner saying it was “one of Max’s best weekends that he’s had.” And while those words do mean something to the four-time world champion, it’s also what his actions to earn that acclaim represent.
“It also means that I really care, even though of course it’s not been the easiest start to the year for us,” he said. “We are not where we want to be in terms of performance. I think that’s no secret.
“But this weekend has been really, really nice. Sometimes you have those kind of moments where you get some really great laps out of it. And luckily also the balance got a bit more together throughout that qualifying.
“So we just have to keep on working. I mean it’s nice, but I’m a person who doesn’t listen to the positives and the negatives. I’m just in the middle. I just focus on my own performances and just keep working, keep grinding.”
His qualifying upset of the McLarens gave Verstappen a leg up, and he made the most of it to give the Red Bull/Honda partnership a perfect final appearance in Japan. Clive Mason/Getty Images
Through that approach, Verstappen was able to deliver a result that went a long way to moving the focus away from the potentially negative aspects of Red Bull’s handling of drivers, and the far more positive celebration of the final Japanese Grand Prix of the Honda partnership.
The 27-year-old was already a legend in Honda’s eyes due to the four drivers’ championship he has won with its power units, but to win at Suzuka in a tribute livery when it never looked on the cards only cements its adulation for him.
“It means a lot to me,” Verstappen said of the significance of the result. “It was in the back of my mind as well. On those last few laps, I was like, ‘Well, I need to try and stay ahead – it would be a great story.’ Our final kind of farewell race together with Honda here in Japan. I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved over all those years together. And I think this is like a perfect send-off.
“Already yesterday was a very beautiful day for us. And then of course to follow it up with a win is just fantastic. Honestly, the relationship that we’ve had with Honda has been amazing. I’ve really enjoyed my time with them — how they also work, how professional they are and how dedicated they are.
“They’ve given me so much. Together we’ve won four drivers’ championships and two constructors’. It’s been unbelievable and also, of course, something you’ll never forget.
“I said it would be insane to win here today, also for Honda on their track as well. So maybe it gave that extra motivation to try to stay ahead. But it’s a proper send-off. I mean, we couldn’t have wished for a better weekend, to be honest.”
Perhaps having Tsunoda on the podium too would have been the only way to top the last 24 hours from a Honda perspective, but from a Red Bull one its main priority is Verstappen’s pursuit of a fifth consecutive title.
Closing the gap to Norris to just a solitary point after three races provides a clear indication that the team and car can be a threat even while not operating at its best. But the team is surely going to be grateful to Verstappen, who made the difference behind the wheel to ensure he’s firmly in that spotlight for sporting reasons heading to Bahrain.
