Japanese Grand Prix: Weekend Recap
The 2025 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix brought high drama, redemption, and a shake-up at Red Bull Racing. As the paddock arrived at Suzuka, much of the attention surrounded Yuki Tsunoda, who was promoted from Visa Cash App Racing Bulls to the senior Red Bull team in place of Liam Lawson. The swap came after Lawson endured a difficult start to his full-time F1 career, qualifying last in Shanghai and crashing out in Australia. With Red Bull seeking to stabilize their campaign and aid development of the RB21 alongside Max Verstappen, Tsunoda was given the nod ahead of his home race.
Team principal Christian Horner described the decision as a "purely sporting" one, pointing to Tsunoda’s four seasons of F1 experience and the need for consistent feedback to push the RB21’s development. While the move was anticipated after Lawson’s struggles, the confirmation just days before the race added intrigue to an already critical weekend for Red Bull, who had yet to win a race in 2025.
Q1
The first qualifying session at Suzuka was marred by another bizarre interruption in what has already been a chaotic season. A red flag was thrown due to a grass fire near the track, halting the session and causing further delays in a weekend already impacted by multiple incidents during practice. Once Q1 resumed, it quickly became clear that neither Red Bull nor Racing Bulls would have an easy ride.
Esteban Ocon, who had surprised many with a fifth-place finish in China, found himself knocked out in 18th place. The Alpine driver was visibly frustrated as he failed to replicate his Shanghai pace. Lance Stroll endured another disappointing Saturday, running off at the Dunlop Curve and qualifying last. Jack Doohan, in a rebuilt Alpine following a massive crash in FP2, managed only 19th.
Liam Lawson barely squeaked through to Q2, beating Nico Hülkenberg by just 0.016s. Meanwhile, Tsunoda looked to be driving cautiously in his first Red Bull outing, possibly due to the immense pressure of performing at home. Both Saubers, including rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, were also eliminated in Q1, underlining the Swiss team’s ongoing struggles.
Q2
Q2 resumed under more stable conditions, but the earlier fire left drivers scrambling to set representative laps in the limited time. The session once again highlighted the challenges faced by Red Bull’s newest pairing. Yuki Tsunoda was knocked out in 15th, just behind the man he replaced — Liam Lawson — who managed 14th in his return to Racing Bulls. It was a disappointing result for Tsunoda, who hoped to make a statement at his home circuit but ultimately couldn’t find the grip or confidence needed to crack the top 10.
Pierre Gasly, Fernando Alonso, and Carlos Sainz also fell short of the final shootout. Despite strong sector times, all three veterans were caught out by rapidly improving track conditions and heavy traffic in the final minutes. Meanwhile, rookie sensation Isack Hadjar continued to turn heads, pushing his Racing Bull into Q3 and even reporting a cockpit issue mid-session, adding to his growing reputation.
Q3
When the dust settled, it was Max Verstappen who reminded the field that the 4-time champion still had fight left in him. The reigning world champion delivered a stunner of a lap with a new Suzuka track record of 1:26.983, snatching pole by a mere 0.012 seconds from early-season title leader Lando Norris. The McLarens had dominated the practice sessions, and with Norris and Oscar Piastri locking out second and third, Verstappen’s one-lap triumph came as a surprise to many.
Charles Leclerc slotted into fourth, just ahead of George Russell and Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Hadjar was a remarkable seventh in the Racing Bull, splitting the Mercedes duo from Lewis Hamilton, who had to settle for eighth. Alex Albon continued his resurgence with ninth, while Oliver Bearman put Haas into Q3 and completed the top 10 in what was another strong showing from the rookie class.
Race
Sunday's Grand Prix was a masterclass in race management from Max Verstappen, who claimed his first victory of the season after holding off relentless pressure from the McLarens behind. At lights out, Verstappen launched cleanly and quickly built a crucial two-second buffer over Norris, which helped him remain out of DRS range during the early laps.
McLaren tried a strategic gamble by calling Oscar Piastri into the pits at the end of Lap 20, attempting the undercut.
Red Bull responded by bringing Verstappen in the next lap, but McLaren also called Norris in — leading to a tight sequence in the pitlane. Norris emerged nearly side-by-side with Verstappen but had to veer onto the grass on pit exit. He appealed to race control, but no investigation was launched, and the moment became the closest the Brit would get to challenging Verstappen for the win.
Despite Piastri showing better pace than Norris in the closing stages, McLaren opted against swapping their drivers, leaving the order unchanged and the orange cars to follow Verstappen across the line. Verstappen’s calm, calculated drive delivered Red Bull its first victory of 2025 and helped soothe some of the tension from earlier in the season.
Leclerc maintained his starting position to finish fourth, keeping a late-charging George Russell at bay. Antonelli rounded out a strong weekend for Mercedes with sixth, showing maturity and tire conservation beyond his years. Lewis Hamilton, starting on hard tires in a contra-strategy, made up ground to finish seventh.
Isack Hadjar secured his first F1 points with a composed eighth-place drive, while Alex Albon overcame gearshift issues and a botched pit stop to claim ninth. Rounding out the top ten was Oliver Bearman, who held off a spirited charge from Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda — the Japanese driver finishing just outside the points in 12th on his Red Bull debut. Lawson’s return to Racing Bulls ended quietly, as he finished 17th in a race that mirrored his lackluster early-season form.
The Japanese Grand Prix marked a turning point for Red Bull’s 2025 campaign. Verstappen’s win put an end to their early-season drought and shifted momentum back toward Milton Keynes. While Yuki Tsunoda didn’t deliver a breakout performance in his debut for the senior team, his composed drive and familiarity with Suzuka offered a steady hand as the team evaluates their future lineup.
For Liam Lawson, the demotion and subdued return to Racing Bulls is a setback, but with several driver moves still in play for 2026, he may yet have a chance to rebound. For now, all eyes are on Tsunoda as he settles into his new role — and on Verstappen, who reasserted himself in the title fight with the kind of clinical victory we’ve all come to expect from a four-time world champion.
