Japanese GP 2025 Review

Amid continued discussion about the driveability of Red Bull's latest car, Verstappen once again showed how much higher he operates than most of his competitors.

While Red Bull and Honda were delighted at their latest and last Suzuka triumph, with the Japanese manufacturer leaving the sport for 2026, it was a day of missed opportunities at McLaren. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri arguably snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on Saturday by not maximising their single-lap advantage. However, questions about the papaya team's strategy appeared again after their pit stop timing, which saw them lose despite a two-to-one advantage.

Rain had threatened to spice up the race, and a wet morning cooled the track temperature. It would be Pirelli's slick tyres that the drivers opted for by lights out, though. All three dry compounds of the Italian company were on the grid for the race start for a mixture of pit stop strategies. Some forecasts of showers that'd see the grooved Intermediate tyres hitting the track never materialised, letting the drivers push in the mild weather.

It looked like McLaren might've forced a pass on Verstappen had they played their strategy differently. The top three of Verstappen, Norris, and Piastri had eased into a group a little distance ahead of the chasing pack by the pit stop window. With Verstappen not making any mistakes, it seemed clear that McLaren would need to try and pass the Red Bull driver in the pit lane.

George Russell, who sat in P5, became the first top-10 runner to swap his Pirellis on Lap 20. That rattled the reigning constructors' champions, who promptly pitted Piastri on the next lap to avoid the slim possibility that the Mercedes driver could undercut their Australian racer. That decision hampered their hopes of passing Verstappen, though, with Red Bull inevitably swapping the leader's tyres one lap later. Had McLaren instead stopped Norris first, one quick lap from the Brit might've secured him the race lead.

Verstappen's pit stop was the most entertaining part of the Grand Prix, as Norris had also jumped into the pit lane behind his championship rival. A race between the pit crews ended with the two exiting the pit lane side-by-side. Red Bull, who are usually faultless with their stops, were one second slower than their rivals, and that was enough to open the door for Norris.

The pair returned to the track ahead of Piastri, but Verstappen saw Norris alongside his car. The Dutchman did not let the Briton have any space to fight, and Norris took to the grass to avoid contact. Radio messages from each driver to the FIA to state their view of the incident left the stewards deciding not to intervene, and Verstappen kept the lead.

Late-race radio from Piastri, who looked quicker on Pirelli's Hard tyre, had the Australian stating that he was faster than his teammate. Indeed, Piastri had closed the gap to Norris more than Norris had to Verstappen. Perhaps wanting to avoid a repeat of last year's Hungarian nightmare, McLaren decided not to ask Norris to let Piastri pass to attack Verstappen.

The race concluded without either McLaren car attacking for the lead, even with the three podium finishers crossing the line just two seconds apart. Verstappen's stellar Saturday lap had effectively won him the race, but it seems McLaren still has better race pace. With Bahrain and Saudi Arabia—two tracks where passing is easier—coming up over the next two weekends, McLaren must press their advantage if they want to take the drivers' championship this year.