Race results for the 2019 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix. Contains full classification. Full race report will follow

Photo: Motorsport Images

Valtteri Bottas took the lead of the Japanese Grand Prix from the start, holding on to win the race and the 2019 Constructors’ Championship for Mercedes.

Ferrari had looked on course to sweep to victory in Suzuka after securing a front-row lockout in Sunday morning’s typhoon-delayed qualifying session.

But the team’s domination evaporated before the lights even went out, when Sebastian Vettel rolled forward from his pole position grid spot during the race start sequence. He stopped himself, avoiding a penalty for a false start, but the error compromised his getaway, and Valtteri Bottas stormed through into the lead.

Worse was to come for Ferrari, just seconds later, in Turns One and Two, when Charles Leclerc touched Max Verstappen, who was alongside on the outside, fighting for third place. Verstappen span and recovered at the back of the field while Leclerc continued with a damaged front wing, spraying debris across the track.

Leclerc joined the Red Bull at the back a few laps later, after pitting to recover the damage, and fought back to finish in sixth place, but was later hit with a 15-second penalty for the collision and for staying out with a damaged car, dropping him to seventh; Verstappen retired.

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At the front, Bottas stretched out a lead from second-placed Vettel, with Lewis Hamilton stuck behind the Ferrari in third.

This continued after the first round of pitstops, where an aggrieved Hamilton was left 20 seconds adrift of the lead.

A late second stop pitted Hamilton on fresh soft tyres against Vettel on older mediums, as they carved through backmarkers. The duel was tight, but Vettel clung on for second place.

Crucially, Hamilton set the fastest lap of the race, earning the additional point that secured the constructors’ title for Mercedes.

Behind them, Alex Albon was fourth and Carlos Sainz fifth. Daniel Ricciardo recovered from starting 16th after a disappointing qualifying session to finish seventh, and was then promoted to sixth after Leclerc’s penalty.

Read the full story in Mark Hughes’ race report, coming later.

The full race results are below.

 

2019 Japanese Grand Prix provisional results

Position	Driver	Team	Time	Points
1	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1hr 21min 46.755sec	25
2	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	+13.343sec	18
3	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+13.858sec	16*
4	Alex Albon	Red Bull	+59.537sec	12
5	Carlos Sainz	McLaren	+1min 9.101sec	10
6	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault	+1 lap	8
7	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+1 lap**	6
8	Pierre Gasly	Toro Rosso	+1 lap	4
9	Sergio Perez	Racing Point	+1 lap	2
10	Nico Hülkenberg	Renault	+1 lap	1
11	Lance Stroll	Racing Point	+1 lap
12	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso	+1 lap
13	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1 lap
14	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo	+1 lap
15	Romain Grosjean	Haas	+1 lap
16	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo	+1 lap
17	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	+1 lap
18	George Russell	Williams	+2 laps
19	Robert Kubica	Renault	+2 laps
20	Max Verstappen	Haas	DNF

*Fastest lap
** Includes 15sec penalty

 

F1 Drivers’ Championship after Race 17 (Japan)

Position	Driver	Team	Points
1	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	338
2	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	274
3	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	223
4	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	212
5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	212
6	Carlos Sainz	McLaren	76
7	Pierre Gasly	Toro Rosso	73
8	Alexander Albon	Red Bull	64
9	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault	40
10	Nico Hülkenberg	Renault	35
11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point	35
12	Lando Norris	McLaren	35
13	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso	33
14	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo	31
15	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	20
16	Lance Stroll	Racing Point	19
17	Romain Grosjean	Haas	8
18	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo	4
19	Robert Kubica	Williams	1
20	George Russell	Williams	0

 

F1 Constructors’ Championship after Race 16 (Japan)

Position	Team	Points
1	Mercedes	612
2	Ferrari	435
3	Red Bull	323
4	McLaren	111
5	Renault	76
6	Toro Rosso	59
7	Racing Point	53
8	Alfa Romeo	35
9	Haas	28
10	Williams	1