Postcards from... Suzuka

If there had ever been any doubts as to the destiny of the titles, following the first races of the season, they were erased definitively at Suzuka. Red Bull is the constructors' world champion for 2023, and only a Red Bull drivers can take the drivers' title. The sixth title in the history of the Milton Keynes squad is the result of overwhelming dominance: 15 victories from 16 grands prix, plus three Sprint race successes. What we are seeing from

Christian Horner's team is history in the making: something close to absolute perfection.

Other numbers make the superiority demonstrated by Red Bull even more striking. The 623 points scored so far are more than double the total of the second-placed contender (Mercedes on 305 points), but also more points than the Brackley team and the current third-placed team place, Ferrari (on 285 points so far) combined.

When Red Bull took back to back constructors' wins last time (in 2010 and 2011) it went to on to extend its winning streak to four titles in a row. It took a regulations change in 2014, when hybrid power units made their debut, to interrupt what was then an increasingly clear dominance. There's another two years still to go before the introduction of another set of new technical rules, and in Milton Keynes everybody is obviously hoping that history repeats itself. It's down to their opponents to make sure that doesn't happen.

At Suzuka, Red Bull sealed not only the constructors' title but also the certainty that one of its stars will win the drivers' title. Here too, there's little doubt about who will be world champion, given that Max Verstappen now needs only to score three points more than his team mate Sergio Perez in Qatar (which also features a sprint race) to win his third title and join Nelson Piquet – who happens to be the father of his partner Kelly – in the ranking of multiple champions.

Max was irritated by the blot on his copybook in Singapore and wanted to make his mark on the Japanese Grand Prix weekend from the first free practice session on Friday.  As it was, the Dutchman topped all five sessions: by 0.626s in FP1, 0.320s in FP2, 0.240s in FP3, 0.591s in qualifying and a decisive 19.387s in the race. The only time he was beaten was in Q2 by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc – but only because Max didn't want to waste a set of new softs to get through. What was even more impressive was his fastest lap in the race: 1.064s quicker than anyone else. He was the only driver to get below the 1m35s benchmark, setting a 1m34.183s on lap 39. It was all done with consummate ease, thanks to a fantastic car and a team that didn't miss a beat. On his side of the garage at least. On the other side, Sergio Perez experienced probably his worst weekend of the season in Suzuka. Humiliated in qualifying, Perez achieved the unflattering distinction of having to retire twice during the same race. There was little for him to celebrate on Sunday afternoon: Verstappen's 400 points on their own would have been enough for the team be leading the constructors' standings by a wide margin anyway.

Marina Bay and Suzuka are two very technically different tracks, leading to one of the biggest flips in the form book we have seen so far. But the team with most consistency over the last two weeks has been McLaren: second both the Singapore night race, and in Japan. The team led by Andrea Stella, in his first year as team principal, was the one that collected most points in Japan – 33 – thanks to a double podium with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri (who scored his first podium). For McLaren, Suzuka was the best result of the season: both in terms of points but also from a technical point of view, given that even in qualifying only Verstappen was able to beat the two papaya-coloured cars.

McLaren's leap in performance from mid-season onwards is impressive. In the first eight races just 17 points were scored. From Austria onwards that total became 155. And now the goal of fourth place in the constructors' standings no longer appears unattainable, with Aston Martin just 49 points away: absolutely achievable in the six races left on the calendar.

The Silverstone team's fortunes also seem to fading, with just 67 points scored in the second half of the season.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will be team mates for at least two more seasons at Mercedes, plus of course the rest of this one. It's an exciting prospect and not just because we are talking about two extraordinary drivers. Hamilton is already considered by many to be the GOAT, while Russell is predicted (above all by British media) to take up his legacy. There's also the prospect of fireworks, as seen clearly in the last two Asian race. In Singapore a confrontation took place via radio; at Suzuka it spilled over onto the track – with a few verbal punches thrown during and after the race as well, involving the pit wall. The flashpoint occurred after the two drivers had swapped positions, given that one was on tyres now at the limit, and the other was clearly faster. Hamilton was asked to slow down to give Russell the possibility of using the DRS to protect himself from the attacking Sainz; trying to beat the Spaniard at his own game so capably showcased in Singapore. Hamilton did it but clearly wasn't happy. In the absence of a recovering Toto Wolff, it was left to communications manager Bradley Lord to pick up the pieces. And this was just for the also-ran places: imagine if they were battling for a title…

At Brackley, they already have much experience of situations of this kind: think back to the rivalry between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Back then though, Mercedes enjoyed the sort of dominance that meant this was all they had to worry about. With more rivals on the scene now, it might not be so straightforward.

Where do you find the best fans? Is it the orange army of Zandvoort, or the sea of red under the Monza podium? Or the amassed knowledge and enthusiasm seen at Silverstone? When it comes to creativity and inspiration though, nowhere beats Japan. Suzuka delivered the usual display of banners, hats, outfits, and clothing inspired by all sorts of cars and drivers. And as usual, the drivers and teams were presented with a series of gifts and letters – especially from children – that were enough to move even the most heard-hearted individuals.

The Suzuka fans also win the prize for composure and perseverance, which comes as no surprise to those who know a little about Japanese culture and etiquette. You'll never find

such orderly queues to access the grandstands or fan zone elsewhere, and the fans show unremitting patience at the gate to watch their heroes enter the circuit. Come rain or shine, they are always there waiting: just for the chance to glimpse the stars for a few precious seconds. This may seem odd to some, but instead, it's an expression of respect for others that should be imitated by everyone. And not just in Formula 1.