Winners and losers from the Japanese F1 Grand Prix in 2025

A qualification lap for the ages and an impressive batch of recruits brightened the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. Here is who impressed us in Suzuka and who did not note

Winner: Max Verstappen

There is not enough superlatives to describe the performance of the Japanese Grand Prix of Verstappen. Many have been made of the second car failures from Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda making an encouraging but without point start. But this car was historically also a good barometer of the Red Bull difficulty to drive, and it also seemed a handful to Suzuka.

Things improved on Saturday with a better automotive balance, but Verstappen was still not allowed to get in mind against faster McLarens. However, he put everything into play and put his fourth consecutive pole in Japan. His emotional reaction highlighted what it meant, and how surprising it was for him.

If the wonder in a Saturday turn was a cape performance, then the Sunday Grand Prix was just a cool afternoon training and calculated, in complete safety, knowing that the position of the track is the key to Suzuka when the degradation of the tires is not really a factor. Verstappen never seemed something other than completely commander and seemed to have a rhythm in hand when Lando Norris came too close to comfort.

Again, he reminded his rivals that he could and feast on the smallest breadcrumbs they leave to swallow up, even if he hates how his car behaves. Simply flawless.

Loser: McLaren

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Everything is relative, isn’t it. McLaren came out of Japan as the biggest scorer with 33 points, extending the advance of its manufacturers on Mercedes by 15. But F1 consists in winning, and in truth, the team should have scored 1-2 again here.

This victory was probably not lost in the race because, in Air Dirty de Verstappen, Norris and Oscar Piastri would likely have been able to put a flawless Dutch under real pressure. But you would have liked to see McLaren trying at least to do something different with its strategy rather than focusing on the backup of its double podium. After the only Pitstop sequence, there was still enough time to give Piastri a chance to fight Verstappen, then exchange positions if the Australian had also failed.

The real difference was made in the qualifications, however, where Norris and Piastri have left enough time on the table to open the door to a pole Verstappen stellar which should have been out of its reach. We are talking about centimeters here, but the fact is that Verstappen has extracted the maximum and they did not do it.

Yes, things always seem to be pink for McLaren in the situation as a whole, but it was a wasted opportunity. Suzuka’s high -speed swoops suited McLaren’s car very well, without warranty that other circuits will follow the same Formbook, especially if the rival teams improve their cars.

Winner: Isack Hadjar

Isack Hadjar, racing bulls

Photo of: Kym Illman – Getty Images

Hadjar did an impressive Chinese Grand Prix, only to be thwarted by strategic errors, but in Japan, the recruit of French racing bulls scored its first points and firmly released Australian Australian GP in the rear view mirror.

There was no doubt that the F2 finalist is fast, but little expected what he settled at the highest level so quickly, by cutting his raw speed with discs measured so far. Taking seventh on the grid, overcoming certain atrocious seat belt problems in the first quarter, also stressed the speed with which he matures.

He will be a difficult nut to fall for the return of Liam Lawson, who made a dull start of Suzuka in the 2025 Racing Bulls car, although his race seemed worse than it was because of a bet of strategy that turned against him. If Red Bull had initial doubts as to whether Hadjar was ready for the F1 promotion, it seems that we have the answer.

Loser: lance is walking

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Jack Doohan, Alpine, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber

Photo of: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Stroll impressed in Melbourne’s rainfall, marking the only points of the disappointing season of Aston Martin so far, but the Canadian was simply sad in Japan, I fear him.

Everything got off in the qualifications, where he was (not) comfortably the last and a complete second behind Fernando Alonso, with the team explaining that he was taken by a burst of rear winds in the turn 6. As with most of the other pilots, there were no strategic miracles on the table on Sunday, but he could not do positions starting on soft tires and was the only car to finish the main tour.

He compared unfavorably with Alonso, who almost scored a point in a mediocre car after keeping the faster Tsunoda Red Bull.

Winner: Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo of: Rudy Carezzevoli / Motorsport Images

Japan did not seem to be Antonelli’s weekend. The young Mercedes had a hard time throughout the training and even admitted being “very lost” on the technically demanding Suzuka circuit. However, when it counted, the 18 -year -old applied everything he had learned and put a quick tour together that raised him in sixth place on the grid alongside George Russell.

He looked more and more comfortable during the race, extending his first pass to comfortably defend the sixth against his predecessor Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari. The implementation of the record of the youngest race leader and the fastest of the towers is a nice little bonus, but it will be quickly forgotten. What really matters is that Antonelli has a real grain to cross difficult weekends, with his F2 campaign of character construction in Prema which apparently paid.

Loser: Sauber

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

Photo of: Peter Fox – Getty Images

Sauber capitalized on the rain in Australia, but a high -speed circuit like Suzuka also confirmed that the team had a lot of work on their plate, despite the first lot of upgrades in Japan. From 16 and 17th on the grid, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto finished respectively 16 and 19th in what seems to be the slowest car in the grid.

Things could have seemed a little better if Hulkenberg had hung his first quarter turn, after being dropped by Lawson after a massive moment in one of the deners, but the direct rival Haas still scored a point while the Swiss outfit stumbles.

Winner: Oliver Bearman

Oliver Bearman team, Haas F1

Photo of: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

It was a good day for recruits, with Bearman the third young pistol making our list this week. There was another pilot who qualified out of position – in a good sense – on a track that he had never seen before, with taxation faster than his experienced teammate Esteban Ocon. Bearman said he was surprised to do the second trimester, not to mention the third quarter.

He then led a lonely race to stay where he started in 10th, having nothing for faster cars led by Hadjar and Alex Albon, but not under pressure from Alonso. As with Hadjar, his disorder departure from Melbourne drowned by two impressive weekends.

“It’s incredible – it’s the most fun I have probably had in my life,” said Bearman after his qualification race. “This car in qualifying on a weak fuel on a track like this is simply incredible.” Good boy.

Loser: Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Photo of: Bryn Lennon – Formula 1

Curiously, the last place was another throw between Alpine and Sainz as it was in China. Individually, Jack Doohan was also a competitor after an expensive error led to a huge shunt in FP2, but he recovered well during the race and, unlike Stroll, he used the softs to mount the first doors.

So Sainz, it was then, continuing what was a slower adaptation period than expected or desired for the experienced Spanish of his new team of Williams. Sainz openly admitted that he had to break down four years of muscle memory leading to the line of Ferrari cars, which is very different from the manipulation traits of Williams.

There were clues of progress in Japan, getting close to Albon at a pace to a laps before receiving an unhappy grid penalty. But so far, Williams is fully based on Albon to attract points while fighting racing bulls in the midfield, despite the point of Sainz in China after the disqualifications for three drivers in front of him.

There is no doubt that the signing of the rapid and technically informed Sainz was a coup d’etat for Williams, and he will report dividends later. But it seems that the team pays a small entry price for this during these first races.

Who has noted your list and who should have appeared in the lost category? Let us know below.