Japanese Grand Prix 2025: Max Verstappen's Big Win, Kimi Antonelli Sets New F1 Record

In a thrilling display at the Japanese Grand Prix, Max Verstappen clinched his first victory of the 2025 Formula 1 season, marking his fourth consecutive win at Suzuka—a feat that underscores his dominance on this iconic circuit. Starting from pole position after a record-setting qualifying lap, Verstappen maintained his lead into Turn 1, fending off the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The race unfolded with strategic depth, as Verstappen skillfully managed his medium tires to build a crucial one-second gap, breaking the DRS range and solidifying his position at the front.

One of the key flashpoints of the race came during the first round of pit stops, as Verstappen and Norris dived into the pits together. Red Bull’s stop was a touch slower, and as both drivers rejoined the track side by side, things got tight. Verstappen didn’t yield an inch, holding the inside line and pushing Norris onto the grass in a tense moment that summed up the fierce rivalry between the two.

From that point on, Verstappen had things under control. He managed the gap smartly, never giving Norris a real chance to fight back. The podium positions remained unchanged from the start, with Piastri rounding out the top three. Charles Leclerc came home in a lonely fourth place, followed by George Russell in fifth.

There was a standout drive from Kimi Antonelli in sixth — not only did the Mercedes rookie finish strong, but he also bagged the fastest lap of the race. Meanwhile, Japanese fans had reason to cheer as Yuki Tsunoda made his Red Bull debut and fought his way up to 12th in a gritty drive.

It was a rare clean sweep — all 20 drivers made it to the end — but the spotlight belonged to Verstappen. Calm under pressure, precise in execution, and ruthless when it mattered. While McLaren continues to show race-winning pace, the Dutchman once again reminded everyone why he’s still the driver they all have to beat.

High-Level Competition between the McLaren and Verstappen Teams

The battle at the front was in a league of its own. With just six laps remaining, Verstappen, Norris, and Piastri were locked in a high-speed chess match — all within 1.6 seconds of each other. The next closest car, Leclerc’s Ferrari, was a distant 11 seconds behind by Lap 47, showing just how intense the pace at the front truly was.

Despite an early radio complaint about rough upshifts, Verstappen settled into his groove and kept the McLaren pair just out of reach. Lap after lap, he maintained a narrow buffer, forcing the chasers to push harder.

As the race neared its climax, all eyes turned to the McLaren garage. With Piastri tucked up right behind Norris, the question loomed — would they consider switching positions to give the Australian a shot at Verstappen? For a moment, it seemed possible. But Norris found a second wind, picked up his pace, and held firm. By then, the opportunity for a tactical shuffle had passed.

The top three were pushing to the limit, running near identical lap times in a flat-out sprint to the finish — but Verstappen, as he so often does, had just enough in hand.

Verstappen raced a clean race, keeping the McLarens out of DRS’s reach. However, given how McLaren, which is 36 points ahead in the constructors’ standings, handled the final stages, he didn’t quite come under threat.

“Wow, ha! Thank you guys,” Verstappen said over the radio. “Oh mate, what an unbelievable weekend. What a turnaround after the difficult start. You see? We never give up, we keep pushing together. Well done, everyone.”

The top three drivers were driving at a high level and making no mistakes as the race came to a close. That drive from the Dutchman was “perfection,” as Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase declared on the radio at the conclusion of the race.

Verstappen and Norris Share Their First ‘Moment’ of the Season

As the 2024 season progressed, intense rivalries began to emerge between Verstappen and Norris. Their encounter in Austria resulted in contact, setting the stage for future clashes. A few months later in Austin, Norris attempted to overtake Verstappen multiple times and ultimately received a penalty after successfully passing him on the track. Just a week later, Verstappen faced penalties for their skirmishes during the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Heading into the Japanese GP weekend, only eight points separated the two drivers, with Norris in the lead after winning the season opener and finishing second in China. Given the tight competition, it was expected that another ‘moment’ would arise this season, and it did—this time at the pit exit.

During the race, Verstappen was in the lead with Norris closely trailing in second place when both drivers made their pit stops at the end of Lap 21. The race to the pit exit turned chaotic as Norris attempted to squeeze alongside the Red Bull for position, but ended up on the grass instead. Norris claimed over the radio that Verstappen had pushed him off, while Verstappen responded, “He drove himself into the grass.”

The stewards acknowledged the incident but decided against further investigation.

Kimi Antonelli Makes History with Record-Breaking Drive at Suzuka

Kimi Antonelli may have arrived at Suzuka feeling off the pace, but by Sunday afternoon, he left with two new Formula 1 records and a performance that firmly cemented his rising-star status.

The 18-year-old Mercedes rookie admitted he was “completely lost” earlier in the weekend, struggling to get comfortable on one of F1’s most technically demanding circuits. But after working closely with his engineers to dial in both the car’s setup and his own driving approach, Antonelli delivered one of his strongest showings yet.

A long opening stint on medium tires turned into a tactical masterstroke. As the frontrunners ducked into the pits, Antonelli briefly inherited the race lead on Lap 22 — and in doing so, made history. At just 18 years and 225 days old, he became the youngest driver to ever lead a Formula 1 race, edging out Max Verstappen’s 2016 record by three days.

He wasn’t done there. With fresher tires in the second half of the race, Antonelli put in a blistering lap that earned him another Verstappen record — this time as the youngest driver to record a fastest lap in a grand prix, taking the title from the Dutchman’s 2016 Brazil mark.

Verstappen, who debuted at just 17 and prompted the FIA to raise the minimum age to 18, has long held most of the sport’s “youngest ever” milestones. But Antonelli is beginning to carve out his own legacy.

Although his fresher rubber wasn’t quite enough to overhaul teammate George Russell for P5, Antonelli’s sixth-place finish means he’s scored points in all three of his first F1 outings — a feat that’s turning heads across the paddock.

Records, points, and growing confidence — Antonelli’s F1 journey is only just beginning, but it’s already making history.

A Disappointing Debut for Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull

Yuki Tsunoda’s long-awaited Red Bull debut didn’t go quite as planned — and from the moment he failed to make it out of Q2 on Saturday, the signs were already pointing to a difficult weekend. Struggling to get heat into his tires during qualifying left him starting a lowly 14th, and from there, the odds were stacked against him on home soil.

Still, the Japanese driver showed flashes of grit. He caught a slide through the esses on the opening lap — the kind that could’ve easily ended his race — and later made a brave move on Liam Lawson at Spoon, the very driver he replaced in the main team. But much of Tsunoda’s afternoon was spent in traffic.

He spent the first stint stuck behind Pierre Gasly’s Alpine, unable to find a way past in the turbulent air. Only by pitting a lap earlier and pulling off an undercut did he finally move ahead. But the story remained the same in the second stint — this time behind Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin. With Suzuka’s sweeping, high-speed corners, overtaking was always going to be a challenge without a serious pace advantage.

Coming into the weekend, Tsunoda had realistic expectations. A Q3 slot and a points finish would’ve been a solid result. Up until qualifying, it looked possible. And in terms of pace, he was far closer to Verstappen than Lawson ever managed in the same machinery.

No, the result sheet won’t turn heads — P12 and zero points — but there were signs of promise. A composed drive, strong racecraft, and a calm presence under pressure. As the F1 circus heads to Bahrain next, Tsunoda will be hoping to turn those small positives into a bigger result.