Oscar Piastri celebrated his 24th birthday with a podium finish but it could have been so much more at the Japanese Grand Prix.

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The front three on the grid did not change from start to finish as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed his first victory of the year as driver’s championship leader Lando Norris finished second ahead of his McLaren teammate.

Piastri felt like he had the pace to challenge Verstappen, saying so to his engineer on the radio during the 43rd lap of the race.

“If Lando is still saving, I think we should go soon, I think I have the pace to get Max,” Piastri said.

Max fends off McLaren to claim Japan GP! | 02:21

But the Australian’s wish to be given clearance to go ahead of the Brit and try catch the Dutchman was denied, with him being told shortly after “this is Lando’s pace” over the radio.

Piastri’s response was to reiterate his earlier point.

“Like I said, I think I have the pace to get Max,” he said.

Piastri was faster than his teammate all day, and had DRS on Norris for much of the race but could not go past him.

Meanwhile, Norris was never able to get into the same position behind Verstappen.

The commentators debated what they would do in this situation, with split opinions on whether they would allow Piastri to have a shot at the reigning world champion or look after the current driver’s championship leader – who started the year with victory in Melbourne and a second-placed finish in China behind Piastri.

There was discussion that Norris was conserving his tyres in an effort to mount a late charge at Verstappen, but that never eventuated.

Fans on social media were outraged and on the Sky Sports commentary, as Verstappen held firm on the penultimate lap, former F1 driver Anthony Davidson was left baffled by McLaren’s approach.

He cited the result of Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antontelli, who finished sixth after starting the race in that position, as an example they should have followed.

“You look at someone like Antonelli, who stayed out there long on the medium tyre and he did that late pit stop. He’s now on the hards like everybody else, and he’s consistently lapping faster than all the cars in front of him,” Davidson said.

“He’s held onto the fastest lap of the race still, and he’s closing in on George Russell, his teammate.

“They proved at Mercedes with Antonelli that going long and using your car in the free air, it worked.

“I just don’t understand why McLaren didn’t do that with at least one of their cars. Maybe they’ll have their reasons but at least one of their cars, should have used the potential of this amazing beast around this track.

“It’s clear to me that the car is faster than the Red Bull today on this track. It has been all week, especially on the long runs so I just don’t understand why at least one of them didn’t have free air today.

“They’ve sat dirty this entire race.”