Lando Norris saw Max Verstappen cut the McLaren ace’s lead in the drivers’ standings down to one single point after the Red Bull star won the 2025 F1 Japanese Grand Prix.
A stunning lap from Verstappen in qualifying ultimately made the difference at Suzuka as he controlled the race from pole position to score the 27-year-old’s first win of the season. The four-time reigning champion maximised his clean air to go largely unchallenged throughout.
Norris rarely posed a genuine threat to Verstappen during the Japanese GP as the 25-year-old struggled to get close enough to the Red Bull racer to shape an overtake. Instead, Norris often faced a threat from his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri over second place on Sunday.
Andrea Stella thinks Suzuka’s resurfaced track hid McLaren’s ‘qualities’ in the Japanese GP
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner expected McLaren to take pole for the Japanese GP before Verstappen shocked Norris and Piastri at the end of Q3. The Dutchman beat his rivals by only 0.012 plus 0.044 seconds and made full use of his P1 start to go on to win at Suzuka.
Suzuka resurfacing its track from turns one to eight ahead of the Japanese GP also played a part in the outcome of the race, according to McLaren boss Andrea Stella. He feels the new asphalt hid the ‘qualities’ of McLaren’s car given the new surface heavily reduced tyre wear.
READ MORE: All you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine
The iconic Esses which make up Suzuka’s first sector were notorious for punishing tyres due to the sustained high-speed nature of the corners. But Suzuka’s track surface aimed to offer more grip denied McLaren their tyre advantage over rivals like Red Bull in the Japanese GP.
“I would’ve preferred the old-style Suzuka as it would better reward the qualities of our car,” Stella said, via quotes by Motor Sport Magazine.
Max Verstappen made the difference to capitalise on Suzuka reducing McLaren’s advantage
McLaren showed throughout practice that they had the quickest car at the Japanese GP, just for Verstappen to produce one of the great qualifying laps and steal pole position away from Norris and Piastri. Running in second and third then meant they did not find their true pace.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Had Verstappen not remained ahead of either McLaren racer from the start, Norris or Piastri would likely have run off and won the race at Suzuka. Instead, they would come to rue dirty air keeping both behind the Dutchman and also unable to use the MCL39’s tyre advantage.
Norris now leads Verstappen by just one point in the F1 drivers’ standings with Piastri 12 shy of the Red Bull racer in third, too. But Stella thinks it will be ‘very difficult’ for Verstappen to consistently make the difference all season when his RB21 is not on the pace of the MCL39.
Leave feedback about this