Reigning World Champion Max Verstappen got his season underway with a sublime drive to pick up his first win of the season at the 2025 F1 Japanese Grand Prix.
The Dutchman saw off both McLaren drivers, particularly holding off a strong Lando Norris, with whom he had a tight moment in the pits. Norris’ teammate, Oscar Piastri, made it a double podium for McLaren, who further extended their lead in the Constructors’ Standings.
Verstappen led off the line as the lights went off, with everyone trying to hold on to their places and not cause any incidents. By Lap 5, he led Norris by over a second, with Piastri hot on his teammate’s heels. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, led the two Mercedes cars, with VCARB’s Isack Hadjar holding off Lewis Hamilton for a strong start in P7.
Hamilton did manage to get past Hadjar on the main straight on Lap 6. While Verstappen held on to his lead at the front, the rest of the grid held its shape, with limited overtaking.
On Lap 16, Alpine’s Jack Doohan became the first to pit as the McLaren drivers began prioritising tyre management over pushing Verstappen.
Norris, Leclerc, and Verstappen all came into the pits on Lap 22, which saw young Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli take the lead of the race. A quick stop from the McLaren crew saw Norris almost come together with Verstappen in the pit lane itself, forcing him to move to the grass to avoid collision. The stewards later deemed it a racing incident requiring no further investigation, noting that Verstappen had been ahead in the fast lane and thus warranted priority.
While Verstappen led the race, his new teammate Yuki Tsunoda struggled on debut for Red Bull at his home race, driving outside the points and battling it out with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Haas rookie Olliver Bearman.
While the Red Bull teammates were miles apart, the McLaren teammates were pushing each other. Piastri was hurrying up Norris and seemingly had more pace than his teammate, though the Brit did manage to find some pace in the final few rounds. Neither could match Verstappen’s pace and race craft, however, who picked up his first win of the season with a sublime drive.
Norris and Piastri finished on the podium, with Leclerc, George Russell, Antonelli, Hamilton, Hadjar, Alex Albon, and Bearman rounding out the points places, in that order.
McLaren’s double podium sees them extend their Constructors’ lead to 36 points from Mercedes in second, with Red Bull in third—50 points off McLaren. Ferrari picked up crucial points after a double DSQ last time out, while Bearman’s points finish sees Haas stay in sixth ahead of Aston Martin, VCARB, and Sauber. Alpine remain the only team yet to score points.
There is major movement in the Drivers’ Standings, though, with Verstappen now one point behind first-placed Norris, with Piastri in third place with 49 points. Russell is fourth with 45 points, while Antonelli’s solid drive has helped him stay fifth, a good 10 points clear of Charles Leclerc.
The Japan race kicked off the season’s first triple-header, with the grid heading to Bahrain next weekend.
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