VERSTAPPEN SURGES TO FOURTH CONSECUTIVE JAPANESE GP VICTORY AHEAD OF NORRIS AND PIASTRI
Japan
ROUND
RECAP
Max Verstappen scored his first victory of the 2025 season with a masterful drive to P1 in the Japanese Grand Prix, the World Champion holding off the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to claim a fourth consecutive win at the Suzuka Circuit.
After making a strong start from pole position, Verstappen held a decent lead over the McLarens throughout the early stages. Drama then ensued during the pit stop phase when the Dutchman’s slightly slow stop saw Norris – who had pitted on the same lap – try to go side-by-side at the pit exit, resulting in the McLaren man having to take to the grass while Verstappen remained ahead.
While both drivers voiced their unhappiness about the incident over the team radio, the stewards opted not to investigate and Verstappen remained ahead of Norris as the race progressed, building a gap back to the Briton.
However, the battle ramped up in the final 10 laps as Piastri closed in on Norris – leading the latter to up his pace and begin to cut into Verstappen’s advantage. It was ultimately not enough, though, with Verstappen crossing the line ahead of Norris to claim his 64th Grand Prix victory.
Norris’ second place looked to potentially be under threat from his team mate in the closing stages but, as the Australian’s challenge fell away in the final tours, the positions remained the same, with Piastri having to settle for third on his 24th birthday.
Charles Leclerc claimed fourth for Ferrari, ahead of the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, the latter of whom enjoyed an impressive run in the lead during the pit stop phase after going long for his opening stint.
Lewis Hamilton added to the Scuderia’s tally in seventh, while rookie Isack Hadjar clinched his first points of the season with a solid drive for Racing Bulls in eighth. Alex Albon followed in ninth for Williams, with Haas’ Ollie Bearman claiming the final point on offer in 10th.
Just missing out was Fernando Alonso, though the Aston Martin driver will undoubtedly be pleased to be classified after failing to finish during the opening two rounds of the campaign.
Yuki Tsunoda took P12 on his Red Bull debut, a result that the Japanese racer will perhaps be unhappy with after failing to score points, though he did still earn the Driver of the Day accolade from the fans.
Tsunoda’s former team mate Pierre Gasly was 13th for Alpine, ahead of Carlos Sainz in the Williams and the other Alpine of Jack Doohan in 15th. Nico Hulkenberg followed in 16th for Kick Sauber, while Racing Bulls returnee Liam Lawson crossed the line in 17th place.
Esteban Ocon claimed P18 for Haas, while Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll rounded out the order in P19 and P20 respectively.
In terms of the championship, Verstappen’s victory means that he is now just one point behind Norris at the top of the standings, with Piastri moving up to third ahead of Russell.
WINNER'S WORDS
"It was tough, just pushing very hard especially on the last set. The two McLarens were pushing me very hard and it was a lot of fun out there. Not easy of course to manage the tyres but I’m incredibly happy. It started off quite tough this weekend but we didn’t give up, we kept improving the car and today it was in its best form. Of course, starting on pole really made it possible to win this race."
Max
VERSTAPPEN
