Max Verstappen triumphed over Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in a nail-biting finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, marking his first Formula 1 win of the 2025 season.
Starting from pole position, Verstappen edged out Norris by a mere 1.4 seconds to secure his fourth consecutive victory at Suzuka. Piastri closely followed, finishing just seven tenths behind his McLaren teammate in third.
A pivotal moment occurred on Lap 22 when Verstappen and Norris made simultaneous pit stops. Rejoining the race, they were nearly side-by-side, with Norris briefly running onto the grass.
Norris claimed he was `forced off track,` but race stewards investigated and quickly deemed no further action was necessary, implying Norris should have yielded as Verstappen maintained the lead.
From that point, Verstappen expertly managed his tires, resisting pressure from Norris and Piastri, who pushed hard but remained outside of DRS range from the reigning world champion.
The top three finishers in Suzuka now each have a race win in 2025. Norris leads the Drivers` Championship by a single point over Verstappen, with Piastri trailing by 13 points as they head to the Bahrain Grand Prix next weekend.
The top six mirrored their starting grid positions, with Charles Leclerc in a distant fourth, George Russell in fifth, and rookie Kimi Antonelli, who briefly led his first F1 laps, in sixth.
Lewis Hamilton overtook Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls early in the race to secure seventh place. Alex Albon of Williams finished ninth, and Oliver Bearman of Haas completed the top ten.
Local favorite Yuki Tsunoda gained only two positions in his first Grand Prix for Red Bull, finishing 12th behind Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin.
How Verstappen Outmaneuvered the Faster McLarens
The Suzuka Circuit began damp but dried sufficiently for slick tires at the start. Verstappen knew a strong start was crucial to convert his Saturday pole position into a Sunday victory against the McLarens.
Verstappen and Norris had near-identical starts, and the top ten positions remained unchanged as the race began without incident.
The race then became a contest of tire management. Norris initially held back before increasing his pace before the single pit stop phase.
McLaren chose to pit Piastri first, followed by Verstappen and Norris. A slightly slower pit stop for Red Bull allowed Norris to pull alongside Verstappen upon exiting the pits. Norris briefly went onto the grass, claiming Verstappen forced him off, while Verstappen countered that Norris `drove onto the grass himself`.
Despite McLaren`s apparent pace advantage throughout the season, the high-speed corners of Suzuka made closely following another car challenging due to turbulent air.
Verstappen maintained a gap of 1 to 2.5 seconds for the remaining 30 laps post-pit stop. Norris remained too far back to attack, hampered by the reduced downforce when following closely.
Piastri also contended for position but opted not to risk a challenge against his teammate, settling for a podium finish on his birthday.
McLaren`s double podium increased their lead over Mercedes in the Constructors` Championship to 36 points, though their drivers may be disappointed not to have capitalized on a track suited to their car.
`It was tough. The McLarens were pushing me very hard,` Verstappen acknowledged, becoming the first driver to win four consecutive races at Suzuka.
`It was a lot of fun but demanding on the tires. I`m incredibly happy. This weekend started challenging, but we persevered, improving the car. Today it was at its best. Starting from pole made the win possible.`
Elsewhere in the race, Antonelli extended his first stint to lead his first Formula 1 laps.
Hamilton, starting on hard tires, also ran a long first stint hoping for a safety car but ultimately finished seventh in a relatively quiet race for Ferrari.
All 20 drivers completed the Grand Prix, marking the first time this season, and race organizers were relieved to avoid any grass fires that had disrupted earlier parts of the weekend.
Japanese GP Race Results
| Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:22:06.983 |
| 2) Lando Norris | McLaren | +1.423 |
| 3) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +2.129 |
| 4) Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +16.097 |
| 5) George Russell | Mercedes | +17.362 |
| 6) Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +18.671 |
| 7) Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +37.134 |
| 8) Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +40.367 |
| 9) Alex Albon | Williams | +56.321 |
| 10 ) Oliver Bearman | Haas | +54.529 |
| 11) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +57.333 |
| 12) Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | +58.401 |
| 13) Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1:02.122 |
| 14) Carlos Sainz | Williams | +1:14.129 |
| 15) Jack Doohan | Alpine | +1:21.314 |
| 16) Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | +1:21.957 |
| 17) Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1:22.734 |
| 18) Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1:23.438 |
| 19) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +1:23.897 |
| 20) Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | +1 lap |
Formula 1 will continue with the Bahrain Grand Prix next weekend, April 11-13.
