Despite Suzuka lacking any pyrotechnics, Max Verstappen’s calm dominance was self-explanatory. The reigning world champion claimed the Japanese Grand Prix for a fourth consecutive time with a lesson in focus and precision, shrugging off mounting pressure from McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Despite the fact that there wasn’t actually a huge difference between the three drivers at the end—barely over a second—Verstappen showed everyone that he is still very much in the running for a fifth successive world championship.
From the moment the lights had gone out, Verstappen had everything to lose and nothing to give. And yet he never cracked. Norris and Piastri shadowed him like spectres throughout the race, waiting for the merest slip on a circuit infamous for exacting lapses in attention. But Verstappen, as always, would not give an inch. Lap after lap, he dictated the pace, unmoved by the constant presence of two ravenous McLarens in his rearview mirrors.
Suzuka is not a track for the faint of heart. Its high-speed corners and punishing layout require a driver to be in perfect harmony with their vehicle, and Verstappen’s Red Bull has been anything but consistent this year. With recurring problems with balance and grip—specifically its abrupt changes between understeer and oversteer—it was not the best ride to take on the Japanese track. And yet, Verstappen made it look effortless.
His victory in Japan is his first of the season and brings the leaders of the drivers’ championship to within a solitary point of Norris. Quite a turn of events for a driver who was doubted by so many mere weeks ago, when the first round of the season in Australia produced a much less promising picture. But predictably, Verstappen has crashed back into contention.
The weekend’s defining moment came perhaps not on the race day itself but in Saturday’s qualifying. Verstappen produced a miraculous lap, beating Norris by just one hundredth of a second to take pole. With overtaking chances few and far between in a race, that marginal lead was crucial. From pole, Verstappen shot off the start, defended turn one well, and never lost the lead.
“Things were very hard on the weekend but we did not give up. Pole made it easier for us to win this race,” he said afterwards. “There is still plenty to do but it does demonstrate that if we truly get everything spot on, then we can be there or thereabouts.”
Though the race itself may have lacked overt drama, the tension was palpable throughout. The closest thing to a flashpoint came during the pit stops—a crucial phase where McLaren hoped to outsmart Red Bull with strategy. But the decision to pit Norris at the same moment as Verstappen only served to neutralise any potential advantage.
Their pit-lane exit featured the two cars running side by side in an exciting if short scrap. Norris was squeezed past, but Verstappen led with his nose and took the racing line, pushing the Brit off onto the grass. Both drivers complained. Norris believed he’d been ushered off; Verstappen said there was just not enough space for two cars to get back on the track together. The stewards detected no wrongdoing and correctly took no further action. Ultimately, Norris accepted it was “hard but fair racing.”
There then ensued a tactical game of chess. Both drivers were now on the same compound—the hard tyre—and it was obvious that Verstappen had the advantage. McLaren had already stopped Piastri earlier in an attempt to pre-empt possible undercuts from behind. Team principal Andrea Stella went on later to explain that even attempting a longer stretch for Norris wouldn’t have worked. With the track having been resurfaced and consequent low tyre degradation, there just wasn’t sufficient swing in performance available to make the risk worthwhile.
And so the race took on a rhythm—one with all of the outward appearance of a procession but maintained at the back by inexorable pressure. Verstappen was inch-perfect, according to Red Bull chief Christian Horner. Every time Norris closed the gap to a second, Verstappen matched him, re-establishing his dominance. Piastri, on the other hand, kept close to his teammate, creating a three-car train at the front that remained tightly bunched for most of the second half of the race.
Their closeness may imply an opening could arrive at any time, but the reality is, Verstappen never let one. His control over pace and tyre life was as refined as ever, and with every lap, the possibility of a McLaren surprise became increasingly remote.
There’s a deeper takeaway from Suzuka, too. The return of dirty air—despite new regulations designed to lessen its impact—has made overtaking on certain circuits increasingly difficult again. Combine that with Pirelli’s current tyre compounds, which degrade slowly and allow for extended stints, and it’s easy to see why track position is more crucial than ever. In 2025, qualifying might just be the new battlefield, and Verstappen proved that when he nailed his lap on Saturday.
Elsewhere on the grid, there were plenty of talking points. Yuki Tsunoda, making his first start for Red Bull following his promotion in to replace Liam Lawson, had a good effort. Starting 14th, he gained two places to end 12th—an encouraging one for his home Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton was forced to content himself with seventh, as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took fourth. Mercedes made a better team effort overall, with George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli taking fifth and sixth respectively. Alex Albon scored points for Williams in ninth position, while Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar took eighth. Haas’s Oliver Bearman took tenth place with one of the most understated outstanding drives of the weekend.
While it was not particularly significant, Max Verstappen’s fourth consecutive win in Japan was clinical, calm, and significant. The Dutchman has made it clear that he was not going to give up his title without a fight in a season that has already seen its fair share of unpredictable moments.