After the Japanese Grand Prix, we examine the main discussion points from the third race of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Verstappen Reasserts Dominance
Until the final moments of Saturday`s Q3 session at Suzuka, most people in the paddock expected a McLaren 1-2 finish in both qualifying and the race. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had each secured a win and a pole position in the first two races, and their practice sessions in Japan suggested this trend would continue.
When Norris initially outpaced Piastri in the final runs of Q3, the front row seemed set. However, Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion, was still on his last lap. The media center, overlooking the final corner, gradually realized Verstappen was in a position to cause an upset. A wave of astonishment rippled through the grandstands as Verstappen clinched an unexpected pole position.
Overtaking proved incredibly difficult during the race due to turbulent air on the high-speed circuit. Verstappen`s race was relatively straightforward from Sunday onwards. He flawlessly managed the race and became the first driver to win four consecutive times at Suzuka.
While Verstappen`s chances for a fifth consecutive world championship were never dismissed, his performance in Japan, bringing him just one point behind Norris in the standings, has temporarily quieted talks of an internal McLaren title battle reminiscent of Hamilton and Rosberg.
McLaren`s Strategy Under Scrutiny
Throughout the early part of the season, Norris has emphasized McLaren`s driver lineup as a significant advantage. He is right in that both he and Piastri understand the MCL39 car well and contribute to optimizing its setup and development.
Having the fastest car would certainly improve their title prospects, but the Japanese GP highlighted how having two equally competitive drivers can also present challenges. McLaren had a 2-on-1 situation against Verstappen before the pit stops but didn`t capitalize on it. They pitted Piastri first from third place instead of trying to use Norris in second to undercut Verstappen.
Both leading drivers pitted a lap later. Only a surprisingly slow Red Bull pit stop briefly gave Norris a chance to overtake as they exited the pits, but Verstappen quickly shut the door and controlled the race.
McLaren stated they pitted Piastri first to avoid him being undercut by trailing cars. However, it raises the question of whether prioritizing this was the best approach instead of giving Norris a chance to undercut Verstappen, or if they could have been more proactive in their strategy.
There`s a suspicion McLaren wanted to avoid potentially swapping driver positions, recalling a situation similar to Hungary 2024 where team orders might have been needed. Ultimately, their strategy made it easier for Red Bull and Verstappen to maintain the lead, a point Norris questioned post-race. It remains to be seen how his perspective on having a strong teammate evolves during the season.
Tsunoda`s Home Race Spotlight
While Verstappen claimed the spotlight by race end, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull’s new teammate, was under immense pressure at his home race in Suzuka. Tsunoda`s recent weeks have been a whirlwind, culminating in his promotion from Racing Bulls to Red Bull, while Liam Lawson was unexpectedly moved to the junior team after just two races into the season.
Initial impressions were positive, with Tsunoda appearing composed with the media and performing adequately in practice. However, qualifying proved challenging. An error on his final Q2 lap placed him 14th on the grid, behind Lawson.
Due to the difficulty of overtaking, he finished 12th, missing his target of scoring points. Nevertheless, Red Bull expressed optimism about his overall impact. Red Bull opted for a more conservative car setup for Tsunoda compared to Verstappen for qualifying, understandable given it was his first weekend with the team. How they adjust this as Tsunoda becomes more comfortable with the RB21 will be interesting to observe.
While Tsunoda will continue to attract attention, it won`t be as intense as in Japan, providing him an opportunity to focus and prove his place at the front of the grid.
Ferrari`s Struggles Continue
Apart from Tsunoda, Frederic Vasseur, the Ferrari team principal, might have been relieved by the Red Bull driver swap and the ensuing attention. News of Red Bull`s driver change emerged on Sunday evening at the Chinese Grand Prix, coinciding with Ferrari`s double disqualification from the Shanghai race.
This story, and Ferrari`s generally disappointing season start, would have received more attention if not for the Red Bull situation. After another disappointing weekend where Charles Leclerc finished fourth and Lewis Hamilton seventh, Vasseur`s only consolation is the quick turnaround to the Bahrain race, limiting scrutiny of Ferrari’s issues.
Hamilton mentioned on Saturday that Ferrari couldn`t lower their car as much as desired due to his disqualification for excessive plank wear. On Sunday, he added that a car component was underperforming compared to Leclerc’s. Radio communications hinted at frustration from both Hamilton and Leclerc, which is understandable given Ferrari was expected to challenge McLaren for the title, yet has been underwhelming except for Hamilton`s Sprint victory in China.
The question is whether setup adjustments can resolve Ferrari`s issues, or if these problems will persist until upgrades are introduced.
Rookie Performances and Doohan`s Setback
The weekend started poorly for rookies with Jack Doohan crashing heavily at 185mph during practice. There was a sense Doohan was disadvantaged by Alpine`s decision to run Ryo Hirakawa, Haas` reserve driver, in his place during first practice, limiting Doohan’s track time at a challenging circuit.
While this decision was questionable, possibly driven by sponsorship, it doesn`t excuse Doohan’s “misjudgment,” as described by the team. Despite a better race performance after a poor qualifying, the crash intensifies speculation about his potential replacement by Franco Colapinto, who will drive in Bahrain practice.
On a brighter note, Andrea Kimi Antonelli delivered his best performance yet, finishing sixth behind Mercedes teammate George Russell, seemingly with better pace. While expectations are high for Antonelli, Isack Hadjar is also outperforming expectations at Racing Bulls.
After a bizarre qualifying incident with a painful seatbelt issue, Hadjar qualified seventh and finished eighth, earning his first F1 points, a well-deserved result. Oliver Bearman also continued his strong start, securing the final point in 10th place, significantly ahead of Haas teammate Esteban Ocon in 18th.
Formula 1 continues with the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend.
