Max Verstappen secured his first victory of the F1 2025 season at the Japanese GP, which took place on 6 April at the Suzuka Circuit. The reigning world champion started the race from the pole position after setting the fastest time in the qualifying race yesterday. This victory marks the fourth consecutive win at the Suzuka Circuit showcasing his dominance at the challenging circuit.
He said post-race, “It was tough, we were pushing very hard, and it was a lot of fun out there. I am incredibly happy. The car was in its best form today, and starting on pole really made it possible. It means a lot to me, it is a great story to win here for Honda in Japan.”
The game-changing moment of the race happened at Lap 22 when Max Verstappen and Lando Norris pitted together and found themselves side by side as they exited the pit lane. The champion successfully sidelined Norris to maintain his lead in the race and won the title. This win also put him second in the Driver’s Championship standings, sitting behind Norris with a single point.
McLaren’s Lando Norris also shared his opinion about his loss at the event, as he finished second. He said, “We didn’t have enough today, nothing special to catch Max and he made no mistakes. He squeezed me in the pit lane, but he’s the last guy you expect to give you any space – it’s racing. It’s been a very good weekend, we are fighting for the win every week but they deserved it.”
Oscar Piastri, who won the previous race of the F1 2025 season at the Chinese GP and finished third at the Japanese GP, said, “The pace today was really good, I got close a few times, but the track position here is so important. Yesterday is the day where you effectively won the race. I’ll take the podium and the positives.”
The race was also notable due to Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes setting the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1:30.965 on lap 50, breaking Max Verstappen’s record as the youngest driver to achieve this feat in a Grand Prix.
Full Results Of Japanese GP 2025
| Position | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:22:06.983 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | +1.423s |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | +2.129s |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +16.097s |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes | +17.362s |
| 6 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +18.671s |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +29.182s |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | +37.134s |
| 9 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | +40.367s |
| 10 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | +54.529s |
| 11 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | +57.333s |
| 12 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | +58.401s |
| 13 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | +62.122s |
| 14 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | +74.129s |
| 15 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault | +81.314s |
| 16 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | +81.957s |
| 17 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | +82.734s |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | +83.438s |
| 19 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | +83.897s |
| 20 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | +1 lap |
Also Read: Dramatic Start At The Japanese Grand Prix, All Incidents Explained
