The Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit marked the third round of the 2025 season, where Max Verstappen secured victory over Lando Norris with a gap of under 1.5 seconds. Considering the damp track, the race was anticipated to be chaotic, but it turned out to be just the opposite. Here are the five best moments from the Japanese Grand Prix:
1. Failed Pit Stop Strategy for Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari anticipated a safety car considering a damp track and thus fitted Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-25 with hard tires. Unfortunately, the absence of any yellow flags meant the seven-time world champion had to pit after the other drivers at the front, who started on medium compounds.
2. Red Bull’s last race with Honda in Japan
The Japanese Grand Prix marked Red Bull’s final race with power unit supplier Honda at its home venue. In 2026, when F1 enters a new era of regulations, Red Bull is all set to use engines developed in-house by Red Bull Powertrains, in collaboration with Ford. Honda, meanwhile, will partner with Aston Martin.
3. Tires last longer on a cool racetrack
While Verstappen and Norris pitted on Lap 22 to switch from medium to hard tires, Mercedes rookie driver Kimi Antonelli pitted for the final stint on Lap 32. He led the race for around ten laps on the damp track and set impressive lap times on medium tires. The cloudy weather helped maintain cooler track temperatures. The final phase of the race saw intense racing between Verstappen, Lando, and Oscar Piastri on hard tires, which performed well under high pressure.
4. Verstappen thinks McLaren’s MCL39 is an expensive lawnmower
The Dutchman and Norris had a close call when the latter tried to overtake Verstappen on the pit exit. However, due to the lack of space, Norris chose to drive his McLaren on grass for a few meters before engaging with Verstappen again in an intense track battle at the end. Following the race, when the drivers viewed the footage in the cool-down room, the Red Bull driver pointed at Norris’ car and joked, “That is quite an expensive lawnmower.”
5. Carlos Sainz’s stomach trouble leads to €20K FIA fine
Williams driver Carlos Sainz has been fined €20,000 with €10,000 suspended for a period of 12 months provided the offense is not repeated. A report by the FIA stated that Sainz “was not in place for the National Anthem” pre-race. He arrived at the venue after the “anthem had commenced.” Sainz said that “he experienced discomfort due a stomach issue which delayed his appearance on the grid.”
Formula One heads to Bahrain next weekend, which marks the second Grand Prix of the triple header and the season’s fourth race.
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