Bottas WINS the Japanese Grand Prix as Mercedes take the constructor’s title

Valtteri Bottas wins the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix and, with Lewis Hamilton in third, clinches the constructor’s title for Mercedes for 2019.

The imminent arrival of Typhoon Hagisis saw normal qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix cancelled on Saturday, but it was run before the race this morning with Ferrari locking out the front row and Vettel on pole, followed by Bottas and Hamilton in the Mercedes, and Verstappen and Albon in fourth and fifth.

But the promising front row for Ferrari evaporated as Vettel made a poor start and Bottas took him, with Leclerc slow away too allowing Verstappen to sit alongside him through the first two corners before Leclerc slid in to him, ultimately leading to Verstappen’s retirement and damaging the Ferrari’s front wing.

That forced Leclerc to pit, and effectively ended his chances of taking a win, although Vettel was still running in second but not really holding on to Bottas at the front.

Ferrari pitted Vettel first, but Mercedes responded with a pit stop for Vettel putting them both on a two stop, with Hamilton also going the same route but with a later stop.

But despite Hamilton’s fresher tyres the Mercedes didn’t have enough to pass Vettel for second, so Lewis Hamilton finished third behind Bottas and Vettel, and Leclerc gathered penalties for his collision with Verstappen and being slow to pit for his damaged front wing, ending up placed seventh behind the McLarens of Albon and Sainz in fourth and fifth and  Renault’s Ricciardo in sixth.

The final points places went to Gasly in the Toro Rosso, Perez in the Racing Point and Hulkenberg in the Renault.

The result gives Mercedes the constructor’s title, with four races to go, and breaks the record run set by Ferrari and Schumacher between 2000 and 2004.