Jacques Villeneuve was far from impressed with the “defensive” strategy approach from McLaren in his eyes at Suzuka.

So much so that the 1997 World Champion would suggest that it was as if McLaren were “trying to not win” the Japanese Grand Prix.

Villeneuve slams McLaren: Japanese GP strategy too ‘defensive’?

McLaren may have gone into the Japanese Grand Prix as favourites, but Max Verstappen put a spanner in the works by claiming a sensational pole in the Red Bull, setting a new Suzuka lap record in the process.

And Verstappen would control the Grand Prix, keeping McLaren at arms length as he picked up his first win of F1 2025 ahead of Lando Norris, while Oscar Piastri made it a McLaren double podium in P3.

The closest Norris got to passing Verstappen was at the only round of pit stops, Norris complaining Verstappen had forced him onto the grass as they battled for track position at the pit exit, the stewards noting that incident but quickly moving on.

Piastri was first in to cover a George Russell undercut threat with Norris and Verstappen pitting the next lap, and the strategy from McLaren had Villeneuve – on Sky F1 commentary duties for the Japanese Grand Prix – rather baffled.

“Why would you stop Norris, when your team-mate has already stopped? Why won’t you take a gamble? You have two drivers out there,” said Villeneuve on McLaren’s strategy.

“It’s as if they’re trying to not win. You need a winning attitude when you want to win. You need to want to win. You cannot just be on the defensive.

“Panicking, being afraid of are you doing what might be right.”

More key talking points from the Japanese GP

👉 Lando Norris issues Red Bull warning as pitlane incident verdict offered

👉 Sainz receives third FIA summons in trying Japanese GP weekend

Norris believed he lacked a pace advantage needed over Verstappen if he was to deny the reigning four-time World Champion victory.

“I guess I just lost out yesterday,” he began, speaking after the race.

“Max drove a good race today, no mistakes, and the pace was too similar today to do anything more.

“So a long race, a lot of pushing. It was a flat-out race from start to finish. So tough, but yeah, just not enough today.

“Nothing special that we had that we could get Max on. They were quick and had no mistakes, like I said. So he deserved it.”

Norris added: “I think it’s been a very good weekend.

“Obviously, we didn’t get the positions that we wanted. We were fighting for a win every weekend, but they deserved it, both Red Bull and Max deserved it this weekend, and they’re quick.

“They’ve been catching up. They’ve obviously made some improvements. As a team, we didn’t have enough this weekend, so we have to work harder for the next one.”

And that next one is the Bahrain Grand Prix, which forms part two of the Japan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia triple-header.

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