Suzuka Sensation: 2025 Japanese Grand Prix Race Weekend Report

The atmosphere in Suzuka was electric this weekend as the drivers rolled into Japan, and I, a 16-year-old F1 fan, was absolutely buzzing to cover it! Lando Norris arrived with an 8-point lead in the championship (44 to Max’s 36), but Suzuka had surprises in store. We had three practice sessions on Friday and Saturday before Qualifying, all under cloudy skies. It was super intense right from FP1: Norris shot to the top of the times in Practice 1 (1:28.549) as the team worked on a ‘partially resurfaced’ Suzuka track. Norris fended off George Russell and Charles Leclerc, while home hero Yuki Tsunoda debuted in the senior Red Bull machine (Red Bull went white/red for Honda’s home GP).

 

Suzuka Practice 1: Lando Norris (McLaren) topped FP1 in the cherry blossom sunshine.

 

Free Practice: The first free practice session was topped by Lando Norris, with George Russell second and Charles Leclerc third. Jack Doohan sat out FP1 (reserve Ryo Hirakawa filled in), but in FP2 he smashed hard into the barriers at Turn 1, bringing out the first red flag. Oscar Piastri emerged fastest in FP2 with a lap of 1:28.114, ahead of Norris (+0.049s) and Isack Hadjar (+0.404s). FP2 was chaotic: four red flags in all (Doohan’s crash, a Fernando Alonso gravel trap, plus two grass fires). Alonso beached his Aston Martin at Degner, and Carlos Sainz (now driving for Williams) complained of issues with his car. By Saturday’s final practice FP3, Norris was on top again (1:27.965), with Piastri +0.026s and Russell +0.112s. (Incidentally, Alexander Albon joined Williams and was P9 in FP3 alongside Sainz P11.) More chaos: another grass fire triggered a red flag, and rookie Jack Doohan was back in the car after his FP2 crash. Alonso spun once more in FP3 but the session ended under control.

 

Before Qualifying, the tyre news: almost everyone started on mediums in the race – only Hamilton, Ocon and Bortoleto started on hard tyres, and Doohan and Stroll on softs. In practice, fuel loads and pace were trimmed for one-lap speed, but the Big Drama was saved for Saturday afternoon.

 

Qualifying

 

Saturday Qualifying was a thriller! Max Verstappen grabbed pole for Red Bull with a breathtaking 1:26.983. Lando Norris was agonizingly close – just +0.012s back. In fact, the McLaren teammates locked out P2 and P3: Norris (1:26.995) and Oscar Piastri (1:27.027) set identical Q3 strategies. Charles Leclerc split them in Q3 and ended up fourth (1:27.299), and George Russell put his Mercedes fifth (1:27.318). Mercedes youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli was a great sixth (1:27.555) in Quali, showing impressive pace on debut. The full top ten was:

 

• 1: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:26.983 (Pole)
• 2: Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:26.995
• 3: Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:27.027
• 4: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:27.299
• 5: George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:27.318
• 6: K. Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:27.555
• 7: Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 1:27.569
• 8: Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:27.610
• 9: Alex Albon (Williams) – 1:27.615
• 10: Oliver Bearman (Haas) – 1:27.867

 

Behind them, Pierre Gasly (Alpine) was 11th, Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 12th, Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) 13th, Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) 14th, and Carlos Sainz Jr. (Williams) 15th in Q – but Sainz suffered a 3-place grid penalty for impeding, dropping him to P15. That meant the final grid P11 through P20 were: Gasly, Alonso, Lawson, Tsunoda, Sainz, Ocon, Hülkenberg, Bortoleto, Doohan and Lance Stroll (Stroll started last from 20th).

 

 

Off-track note: The stewards kept busy. Both Verstappen and Piastri earned formal warnings for skipping the pit-lane queue in FP3 after a red flag. (Hamilton had gotten a warning for the same move in FP2.) Williams also got a €1,000 fine – Sainz was 13.7 km/h over the pit limit. On top of that, an exciting subplot was Yuki Tsunoda’s blockbuster seat swap: he officially moved to Red Bull (race car) this weekend, swapping with Lawson going back to Racing Bulls. And yes, Sainz had temporarily jumped to Williams, but his hot lap at Suzuka was ruined by traffic in Q2.

 

The Race

 

Sunday’s race was full-on from the lights. The skies stayed cloudy and cool, perfect for engines but tricky on tyres. At the drop of the green flag Verstappen got a clean getaway and led Norris and Piastri into Turn 1, keeping his McLaren challengers at bay. The pack remained nose-to-tail in the opening laps – little changed up front. Tyre strategy was mostly one-stop: everyone on mediums except Hamilton, Ocon and Bortoleto (hards), plus Doohan and Stroll (softs). That meant tyre life was relatively uniform.

 

On Lap 21 all the frontrunners boxed together. Norris’s pit crew was lightning-fast, and as he rejoined he had almost side-by-side with Verstappen at pit exit. Heart-in-mouth moment: Norris’s McLaren went onto the grass as he tried to overtake the Red Bull out of the pits. Both drivers radioed protest, but the stewards said it was fair play – Verstappen “was entitled not to leave space” on exit. Norris laughed later that he was just “trying to cut the grass” – and quipped that Verstappen’s side said the turf wasn’t well cut. Afterwards he admitted, “Max is the last guy I expect to give me any space – in a good way, in a racing way”. The upshot: Verstappen emerged P1, Norris P2, Piastri P3. The stop shuffle made Kimi Antonelli briefly inherit the lead for Mercedes (they had run longer), with Lewis Hamilton in P2 until his stop. Antonelli led from Lap 27 until his own pit stop on Lap 32, becoming the youngest F1 race leader ever! (He rejoined P6 and would still set fastest lap later.)

 

Max Verstappen dominated the race, taking his first win of 2025 in the Honda-themed livery.

 

Back out front, Verstappen held a lead of about 1.5–2.0 seconds. The top three stayed that way for the next 20 laps – Verstappen, Norris, Piastri – as the McLarens pressured each other. In the final stint Piastri really closed up behind Norris. McLaren radioed asking if Norris could swap places to let Oscar attack for victory – but Norris held firm. In the last 10 laps, Piastri buzzed around Norris like a shadow, but Suzuka’s high-speed turns make passing insanely hard. Despite the pressure, Norris defended brilliantly and was not passed. As one commentator put it, it became “flat-out from start to finish” for Norris. Eventually Verstappen took the checkered flag first, 1.423 seconds ahead of Norris, with Piastri 2.129 seconds behind Verstappen.

 

The podium finishers were: 1st Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 2nd Lando Norris (McLaren), 3rd Oscar Piastri (McLaren). Leclerc climbed to P4 (+16.097), Russell P5 (+17.362). Antonelli scored a stunning P6 (just +18.671) for Mercedes and also bagged the fastest lap (1:30.965 on lap 50). A fantastic result for him – nearly the youngest-ever podium if he had passed Russell in the end! The rest of the top ten were Hamilton (P7, +29.182), Hadjar (P8, +37.134), Albon (P9, +40.367) and Bearman (P10, +54.529).

 

Everyone finished – no safety car, no retirements. Tsunoda was the last in the points fight, ending up P12 after challenges in traffic. (Tsunoda admitted he was “stuck behind cars all day” and felt “mixed” emotions – proud of his progress but disappointed not to score at home.) Hülkenberg was P16, Lawson P17, Ocon P18, Bortoleto P19, and Stroll brought up the rear a lap down in P20. That means the final classification was exactly as it started for the top six: Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, Antonelli – then Hamilton, Hadjar, Albon, Bearman completing the points.

 

Some key moments to replay in my head: Norris’s heart-stopping pit-lane pass attempt; Piastri stuck on Verstappen’s gearbox in the closing laps; Antonelli grabbing the lead with older tyres; and a generally clean, flat-out race of relentless pace. Watching Piastri close up on Norris for those last laps was intense – I was literally on the edge of my seat. However, Verstappen’s smooth, mistake-free drive meant even a determined McLaren 1-2 couldn’t happen this time.

 

Post-Race Reactions

 

The drivers and teams had plenty to say after the chequered flag. Max Verstappen was ecstatic, dedicating the win to Honda. “This is a perfect send off for Honda and our relationship is something I will never forget,” he said. He pointed out that the cooler track temperatures meant “our tyres weren’t overheating… Yesterday was a beautiful day for us and the key to the win was to start from pole”. He praised the team’s calls and admitted they must still find more speed, but there was no hiding his joy at a fourth straight win in Japan.

 

Norris – thrilled with P2 but still hungry for victory – described today as “a tough race… flat-out from start to finish”. He conceded Red Bull was simply quicker this weekend, but he was proud of McLaren’s performance and focus: “It’s been a very good weekend for the team… we will continue to work hard”. Oscar Piastri was “very happy” with P3, noting McLaren’s pace was strong. He said they tried everything but that Suzuka’s track position was hard to overcome. Piastri admitted the podium was “a nice result for the team” and valuable points. (He cheekily pointed out it was his 24th birthday – “absolutely take the podium,” he beamed.) Team principal Andrea Stella summed it up: a double podium was “a positive result” for McLaren, but missing pole “gave away the victory yesterday, and today the qualifying order was the dominant factor”. He vowed to keep pushing for improvement.

 

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, finishing P4, was less upbeat: “P4 is not a result we are ever satisfied with,” he said. He highlighted that the pace at the very front is still something Ferrari must chase. Lewis Hamilton (P7) said it was “a tough race” and the team lacked the pace to challenge for the podium. Ferrari boss Frédéric Vasseur agreed they were “two to three tenths off” where they needed to be. On the other hand, Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar was delighted to claim points (P8) and called it a “mighty job” by his team.

 

At Red Bull, team boss Christian Horner praised Verstappen as the “best in the world currently” and called it one of his best weekends. Horner also thanked Honda for their partnership, noting this “imperious” Suzuka win was an ideal farewell to their Japanese engine partner. Tsunoda, finishing P12, thanked the incredible Japanese crowd but admitted mixed emotions: he wanted more than P12 at his home race. He said the 53 laps taught him so much about the car and expressed determination to repay the fans in future races.

 

Points and Standings

 

Norris’s silver medal keeps him leading the championship – but only by one point now. He moved to 62 points, just ahead of Verstappen’s 61. Piastri jumps to third on 49, Russell fourth on 45, and young Antonelli already fifth with 30 on the board. In the Constructors’ battle, McLaren extended their lead (111 to Mercedes’s 75) thanks to this double podium.

 

The Big Picture

 

This Suzuka weekend had everything a Formula 1 fan could hope for: high drama in practice, an edge-of-seat Qualifying, and a hard-fought Grand Prix. For me, the highlight was watching the title contenders duke it out lap after lap – my heart was pounding when Norris and Verstappen rejoined side-by-side after their stops! Verstappen’s dominant win and the dramatic 1-2 fight from McLaren will keep me buzzing all week. If nothing else, Suzuka reminded us that any slip-up in Quali or the pits can decide a race, and that even the youngest rookies (shoutout Antonelli) can steal the show. I’ll be studying every moment for my portfolio, and I can’t wait for round 4 in Bahrain to see how the championship story unfolds.

 

Qualifying Times & Results:

• P1 – Verstappen 1:26.983;
• P2 – Norris 1:26.995;
• P3 – Piastri 1:27.027;
• P4 – Leclerc 1:27.299;
• P5 – Russell 1:27.318;
• P6 – Antonelli 1:27.555;
• P7 – Hadjar 1:27.569;
• P8 – Hamilton 1:27.610;
• P9 – Albon 1:27.615;
• P10 – Bearman 1:27.867.

Pole: Verstappen (RB).

 

Full Grid (final): 1. Verstappen (RB), 2. Norris (McLaren), 3. Piastri (McLaren), 4. Leclerc (Ferrari), 5. Russell (Mercedes), 6. Antonelli (Mercedes), 7. Hadjar (Racing Bulls), 8. Hamilton (Ferrari), 9. Albon (Williams), 10. Bearman (Haas), 11. Gasly (Alpine), 12. Alonso (Aston Martin), 13. Lawson (Racing Bulls), 14. Tsunoda (Red Bull), 15. Sainz (Williams), 16. Ocon (Haas), 17. Hülkenberg (Sauber), 18. Bortoleto (Sauber), 19. Doohan (Alpine), 20. Stroll (Aston Martin).

 

Race Results:

• Verstappen (Red Bull) – 53 laps (1:22:06.983);
• Norris (+1.423s);
• Piastri (+2.129s);
• Leclerc (+16.097s);
• Russell (+17.362s);
• Antonelli (+18.671s, Fastest Lap 1:30.965);
• Hamilton;
• Hadjar;
• Albon;
• Bearman; (points down to P10).

 

All 20 classified.

 

Sources: Official F1 timing and reports; Formula1.com and race reporters for session summaries, quotes and analysis. All driver quotes are from verified press releases and race interviews, and all results are taken from official race reports.

 

 

Written By Tom Hislop