By James Broughton, April 6, 2025
The stats show that Max Verstappen’s victory in Japan was his fourth in as many years. However, they don’t reveal that he was driving the second, if not third-fastest car on the grid. Suzuka is a pure driver’s circuit—one of the most demanding and iconic tracks on the Grand Prix calendar. Verstappen arrived in Japan unsure whether the Red Bull RB21 had enough pace to even qualify third. Yet he put it on pole with a lap that defied belief. Make no mistake: Verstappen made the difference—first in qualifying, and again in the race, where he narrowly held off the McLarens of Norris and Piastri to claim a well-deserved and unexpected victory.
2025 Japanese Grand Prix: Race Summary
Despite early pressure from the McLarens, especially during a dramatic pit stop phase where Lando Norris nearly overtook him at the pit exit, Verstappen held his lead. Both drivers were vocal about the incident, but no investigation followed.
In the final laps, Norris increased his pace under pressure from teammate Oscar Piastri, briefly threatening Verstappen’s lead. However, the Dutchman held firm, with Norris finishing second and Piastri third on his 24th birthday.
Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari, followed by Mercedes duo George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli, who had a stint in the lead thanks to a long first run. Lewis Hamilton was seventh for Ferrari, while Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar scored his first points in eighth. Alex Albon (Williams) and Ollie Bearman (Haas) completed the top ten.
Fernando Alonso narrowly missed points in 11th but finally finished a race this season. Yuki Tsunoda came 12th on his Red Bull debut, earning Driver of the Day, while Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Carlos Sainz (Williams), and Jack Doohan (Alpine) followed. The rest of the field saw Nico Hulkenberg, Liam Lawson, Esteban Ocon, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Lance Stroll round out the order.
Verstappen is now just one point behind Norris at the top, with Piastri moving into third ahead of Russell.
2025 Japanese Grand Prix: Race Results
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:22:06.983 53 laps
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 +29.182
8 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +37.134
9 Alexander Albon Williams +40.367
10 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +54.529
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +57.333
12 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing +58.401
13 Pierre Gasly Alpine +62.122
14 Carlos Sainz Williams +74.157
15 Jack Doohan Alpine +81.314
16 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber +81.910
17 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +82.436
18 Esteban OconHaas F1 Team +83.241
19 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber +83.561
20 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1 lap
