Max Verstappen won his first race of the season after again tussling with Lando Norris at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Norris has been well clear of the four-time world champion so far this season as McLaren won the opening two races – one each for the Briton and Oscar Piastri. But Verstappen upset the form book on Saturday by producing a scintillating qualifying lap to claim a shock pole and the pair reignited their rivalry at Suzuka.
EXCLUSIVE: Yuki Tsunoda on F1 change which kept Red Bull dream alive
The drama arrived at the pit stop as they came together on the exit – Norris driving over the grass on Verstappen’s inside as the accusations flew. The stewards did not agree with Norris’ claim that he was pushed off and no action was taken as Verstappen retained his advantage and kept the championship leader at arm’s length to cut the gap to one point.
It was an otherwise uneventful race at Suzuka, with Lewis Hamilton passing Isack Hadjar to finish seventh the only change to the starting order in the top 10.
Follow latest updates from the Japanese Grand Prix with The Independent
F1 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Max Verstappen wins the Japan GP; Norris 2nd; Piastri 3rd
- Click HERE for the top-10 in Suzuka
- Lewis Hamilton highlights issue with Ferrari F1 car after Japan GP: “We’ve found something’
- CLOSE! Verstappen and Norris almost collide out of the pit-lane (Lap 22/53)
- LIGHTS OUT! Verstappen keeps lead at start
Lewis Hamilton highlights issue with Ferrari F1 car after Japan GP: “We’ve found something’
10:28 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton has confirmed that Ferrari have found an issue with their car but is hopeful of a remedy for the next race in Bahrain.
The seven-time F1 world champion, who qualified eighth on the grid, finished the Japanese Grand Prix in seventh after a largely uneventful race at Suzuka.
With teammate Charles Leclerc finishing fourth, Ferrari are still short of pace compared to frontrunners McLaren, as well as Mercedes and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull car. The Dutchman claimed victory on Sunday, ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Yet looking ahead to the next race in Bahrain, 40-year-old Hamilton confirmed Ferrari have found an “underperforming” component of the car which they are looking to fix.
“I did the best I could today, I was generally lacking performance compared to the cars ahead of me, especially Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren,” he told Sky Sports F1.
Full quotes below:
Lewis Hamilton highlights issue with Ferrari F1 car: “We’ve found something’
Ollie Bearman after finishing 10th:
10:15 , Kieran Jackson“I think we achieved the maximum we could have, slightly surprised by qualifying performance, we have a different floor this weekend and it’s working as expected.
“To come away with P10, it’s only one point but we did a good job.
“I did tell the team before we pitted to not do anything crazy. I was never really under threat, I never really threatened anyone, bit of a lonely race.”
RACE REPORT: Max Verstappen wins Japanese Grand Prix after pit-lane tussle with Lando Norris
09:43 , Kieran JacksonMax Verstappen won his first F1 race of the season after again tussling with Lando Norris at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Norris has been well clear of the four-time world champion so far this season as McLaren won the opening two races – one each for the Briton and Oscar Piastri.
But Verstappen upset the form book on Saturday by producing a scintillating qualifying lap to claim a shock pole and the pair reignited their rivalry at Suzuka.
Max Verstappen wins Japanese Grand Prix after pit-lane tussle with Lando Norris
Lando Norris after finishing second:
09:29 , Kieran Jackson“I never expected to come out ahead of him there, I wanted to give myself that chance but he didn’t have to give me any room, nothing to complain about.
“The Red Bull is a lot quicker than us in the slow-speed corners... it’s impossible to overtake here.
“We lost the race yesterday in qualifying.”
George Russell, who finished P5:
09:11 , Kieran Jackson“The last two weekends have been an easy one-stop strategy, when the track gets resurfaced, Pirelli need to bring softer tyres. You’re pushing so hard and you can’t get pass.
“The last couple of years I’ve not been very consistent myself, it’s been a solid result. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of McLaren yet, it’s been three cold races. Bahrain and Saudi, we’ll see those guys excel. I’m keeping my feet on the ground.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella on their strategy:
08:51 , Kieran Jackson“We saw that staying out would have not been faster. We saw from Russell, he was very fast, there wasn’t a possibility to go for the overcut… you stay out. Today, it was not possible.
“The degradation is now very low, it gets very difficult to overtake if you’re on the same strategy.”
Red Bull boss Christian Horner on Verstappen's win:
08:35 , Kieran Jackson“It was difficult, the undercut wasn’t so powerful today. They tried to dummy us, but you could see you were coming out in traffic. We stuck to our guns.
“It was obvious they would pit the next lap, so we covered that. Tight on pit exit... but it was a flat-out race.”
Time for the podium!
08:23Those of you who followed the 2023 season closely will know these two anthems - time for the Dutch and Austrian national anthem after Verstappen’s win in Japan!
Lando Norris after finishing second:
08:10 , Kieran Jackson“Lost out yesterday, Max drove a good race. Long race, a lot of pushing, flat out race. Not enough today, nothing special we had. He deserved it.
“It’s racing, he was still ahead, he squeezes into 1, Max is the last guy to give up space.”
“It’s still been a very good weekend.”
Max Verstappen after winning in Japan:
07:59 , Kieran Jackson“It was tough, pushing very hard. It was a lot of fun out there, I’m incredibly happy. It started out tough this weekend, starting on pole made it possible to win this race.
“It’s very important to maximise your performance.
“It means a lot to me, in the back of my mind, needed to stay ahead, a final farewell race here with Honda in Japan. This is a perfect send-off!”
TOP-10 IN JAPAN GP:
07:46 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen
2. Lando Norris
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Charles Leclerc
5. George Russell
6. Kimi Antonelli
7. Lewis Hamilton
8. Isack Hadjar
9. Alex Albon
10. Ollie Bearman
Oscar Piastri. after finishing third:
07:42“Yes, correct. The pace was really good, got close a few times but track position around here is so important. Yesterday was when you won the race, didn’t do a good enough job.
“We were a bit in no man’s land.
“I had really strong pace, I felt like if I had track position I could go and get Max. But that’s what happens when you qualify behind.”
Max Verstappen...
07:33 , Kieran Jackson“Wow! Thank you guys! What an unbelievable weekend!
“We turned it around, thank you everyone.
“We keep pushing, what a great weekend.”
Max Verstappen wins the Japanese Grand Prix!
07:26 , Kieran JacksonA stunning win for Max Verstappen, who claims victory in Suzuka!
He comes home in first, over a second ahead of Lando Norris in second with Oscar Piastri in third on his birthday!
And Verstappen sealed it with his pole-setting lap on Saturday!
4-10: Leclerc, Russell, Antonelli, Hamilton, Hadjar, Albon, Bearman
Max Verstappen stays outside DRS (Lap 51/53)
07:24Imperious from Verstappen!
Both McLarens pushing, particularly Norris who has dropped off Piastri behind him, but the Red Bull driver stays around 1.2 second ahead!
Two laps to go...
Lando Norris closes gap to Max Verstappen (Lap 48/53)
07:19Five laps to go - and it’s very tight between the top-three!
Verstappen has a 1.1 second lead on Norris - crucially outside of DRS - while Piastri is 0.6 seconds off his teammate!
Could we get a shake-up in position right at the end?!
4-10: Leclerc, Russell, Antonelli, Hamilton, Hadjar, Albon, Bearman
Oscar Piastri within DRS of Lando Norris (Lap 43/53)
07:11 , Kieran JacksonIt’s not done yet then!
Piastri is 0.6 seconds off his teammate Norris, who is 1.4 seconds off Verstappen.
Piastri: “I have the pace to get Max.”
Looks like Norris is trying to conserve his tyres...
Lando Norris hauling in Max Verstappen (Lap 38/53)
07:03The McLaren has closed the gap to 1.3 seconds from 1.6... can he get within DRS at below one second?
Oscar Piastri is in the mix, too, in P3 - just 1.1 seconds behind his teammate!
4-10: Leclerc, Russell, Antonelli, Hamilton, Hadjaer, Hadjar, Albon
Kimi Antonelli pits (Lap 32/53)
06:55 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen re-takes the lead as Antonelli takes his pit-stop to avoid a Hamilton undercut - a 3.1 second stop and Antonelli is back out in sixth, where he started, with a three-second lead on Hamilton.
Top-10: Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, Antonelli, Hamilton, Hadjar, Lawson, Albon
Verstappen’s lead to Norris? 1.2 seconds. It’s getting a smidge tighter...
Lewis Hamilton pits (Lap 31/53)
06:53A 2.2 second stop for Hamilton, who drops from second to seventh.
Hamilton switches to mediums. Antonelli remains in front - and is still lapping strongly!
No further investigation with Verstappen-Norris (Lap 26/53)
06:45The stewards have had a look - and no further cause for discussion.
Right decision. Verstappen could not go anywhere else, and Norris almost forced himself off the tarmac.
It was still very close though!
Kimi Antonelli now leads! (Lap 25/53)
06:43 , Kieran JacksonInteresting strategy here then!
18-year-old Kimi Antonelli leads the grand prix, with Lewis Hamilton in second - four seconds behind!
Isack Hadjar is third, with Max Verstappen in third. A reminder: the top-three have not pitted.
5-10: Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, Lawson (not pitted), Sainz (not pitted)
Verstappen: (Lap 24/53)
06:40 , Kieran Jackson“He pressed the pit limiter too early, there’s no way...”
How can Verstappen know?! Amusing.
PITSTOP DRAMA 😳
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 6, 2025
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris battle for position coming out of the pits ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/DDCRuGI146
Drama in the pit-stops! (Lap 22/53)
06:40 , Kieran JacksonBig moment out of the pit-lane!
Norris and Verstappen pit on the same lap, with Red Bull’s stop a second slower, and they’re extremely close out of the pit-lane!
Verstappen a smidge ahead out of the pit-lane with the pair side by side, and Norris is on the grass out of the pit lane!
Verstappen: “He drove himself into the grass.”
I think Verstappen is probably accurate with that, but McLaren are complaining to the stewards..
Oscar Piastri pits (Lap 21/53)
06:37 , Kieran JacksonPiastri, in P3, takes the plunge then and comes out ahead of George Russell... Piastri in P9 with Russell in P13!
Will the rest of the frontrunners pit soon?
George Russell pits! (Lap 20/53)
06:35 , Kieran JacksonRussell’s pit-stop is 2.3 seconds as he makes the first move in the top-10!
The Mercedes comes out in P13... will that trigger a bunch of pit stops onto the hard tyre?!
McLaren try and fail with a dummy! (Lap 19/53)
06:34 , Kieran JacksonI doubt Red Bull were fooled by this!
Norris’ engineer says “box to overtake” but then says “stay out” towards the end of the lap... it’s too early for the frontrunners!
When will one of the top-10 bite though?
Norris now within 1.5 seconds of Verstappen... he’s pushing!
3-10: Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, Antonelli, Hamilton, Hadjar, Albon, Bearman
Norris in second (Lap 18/53)
06:33 , Kieran JacksonSo far, so good for Red Bull.
Norris’ engineer: “Our main loss to Verstappen is the hairpi, but it’s the same as Piastri.”
Will McLaren go for a pit-stop?!
Max Verstappen maintaining lead! (Lap 12/53)
06:25 , Kieran JacksonOK, so the race in a pretty well set formation right now!
When will a pit stop work for the leaders? Verstappen’s lead is 1.9 seconds to Norris... so a pit stop apiece still touch and go!
Norris’ engineer: “This is a rear tyre limiting race.” All about not overheating the tyres, it seems...
3-10: Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, Antonelli, Hamilton, Hadjar, Albon, Bearman
Rain on the way?! (Lap 9/53)
06:20Norris warned by his engineer of rain by lap 20, but it should be short and sweet!
The championship leader is 1.9 seconds short of Norris out in front, while Norris himself has a 1.6 second lead on Piastri!
4-10: Leclerc, Russell, Antonelli, Hamilton, Hadjar, Albon, Bearman
Russell the only one in the top-10 who has DRS...
Lewis Hamilton up to seventh! (Lap 6/53)
06:14 , Kieran JacksonHamilton gets it done down the main straight over the RB of Isack Hadjar, cruising down the inside of the French rookie for seventh place!
A reminder: Hamilton is on the hard tyre. Do they overheat slower than the mediums?
Verstappen, meanwhile, is 1.7 seconds clear of Norris. Solid start for Red Bull!
JAPAN GP ATTENDANCE:
06:12 , Kieran JacksonTotal attendance in Suzuka across the three days is 266,000, including 115,000 today for the Grand Prix.
This is up from 229,000 in 2024.
Max Verstappen in the lead! (Lap 3/53)
06:10 , Kieran JacksonDoes Verstappen have a one-second lead to avoid Norris getting DRS? Touch and go.
0.9 to 1 seconds here and there... but Verstappen safely in P1 right now.
Top-10 then: Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, AntonellI, Hadjar, Hamilton, Albon, Bearman
Verstappen: “My upshifts are really bad.”
Lights out!
06:06 , Kieran JacksonVery clean at the start!
Verstappen was pointing towards Norris, who was pointing towards the Red Bull, but Verstappen stays in front with a good launch at turn one!
And they’re all out very cleanly! Everyone has maintained position at the start...
Formation lap!
06:06 , Kieran JacksonReigning world champion Max Verstappen leads the pack away then for the formation lap!
What does Lewis Hamilton know which the others don’t? He’s the only one in the top-15 not to start on the medium tyre! He’s on the hard tyres!
Who will keep the lead here then?!
JAPAN GP STARTING GRID:
05:58 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen
2. Lando Norris
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Charles Leclerc
5. George Russell
6. Kimi Antonelli
7. Isack Hadjar
8. Lewis Hamilton
9. Alex Albon
10. Ollie Bearman
11. Pierre Gasly
12. Fernando Alonso
13. Liam Lawson
14. Yuki Tsunoda
15. Carlos Sainz*
16. Nico Hulkenberg
17. Gabriel Bortoleto
18. Esteban Ocon
19. Jack Doohan
20. Lance Stroll
*Sainz was given a three-place grid penalty after impeding Lewis Hamilton in qualifying
Japanese Grand Prix!
05:56 , Kieran JacksonHere we go then!
It’s overcast, but crucially dry in Suzuka as we get going with race three of the 2025 season!
Can Max Verstappen hold the lead at the start? Can he fend off the McLarens?
George Russell, starting P5:
05:56 , Kieran Jackson“It looks similar for both sides.”
On rain: “Do you know something I don’t? If you do, tell me and don’t tell the others.”
Oscar Piastri, who starts third on the grid:
05:54 , Kieran Jackson“My side looks OK, a little bit wet still, but think it will be pretty wet for everybody.”
Max Verstappen, who starts on pole:
05:52 , Kieran JacksonOn having clean air out in front: “It would be nice, we need to have the pace, let’s see.”
Red Bull boss Christian Horner:
05:49 , Kieran Jackson“The McLarens look seriously quick, it’s difficult to cover both of them. Let’s see.
On rain: “Unlikely. It can change very quickly, in all likelihood it will be a dry race.”
Time for the Japanese national anthem!
05:47 , Kieran JacksonThe anthem warmly applauded by the thousands in the grandstands in Suzuka!
F1 constructor standings after two races:
05:40 , Kieran Jackson1. McLaren - 78 points
2. Mercedes - 57 points
3. Red Bull - 36 points
4. Williams - 17 points
5. Ferrari - 17 points
6. Haas - 14 points
7. Aston Martin - 10 points
8. Sauber - 6 points
9. Racing Bulls - 3 points
10. Alpine - 0 points
EXCLUSIVE: Yuki Tsunoda on F1 change which kept Red Bull dream alive
Saturday 5 April 2025 15:00 , Kieran JacksonIt was the straw which broke the camel’s back for Yuki Tsunoda in Formula One: a final unleashing of road rage, with sparks flying on the asphalt and over the airwaves.
Disgruntled over a late-race position swap at last year’s season-opener in Bahrain, Tsunoda was eager to vent his exasperation after the race concluded. As cars trundled aimlessly back to the pits, Tsunoda divebombed his teammate Daniel Ricciardo before swerving erratically – and dangerously – towards the second RB car. “Yeah thanks guys,” Tsunoda ranted, sarcastically, over team radio. “I appreciate it.”
Ricciardo, generally not one to lose his cool, momentarily did: “What the f*** is wrong? I’ll save it... f***ing helmet.”
It is the instance of immaturity Tsunoda himself brings up, at the end of a 15-minute conversation with The Independent, which flicked a switch in his mind: the fiery blow-ups could not continue.
Yuki Tsunoda: ‘I had to change after Ricciardo rant – otherwise I wouldn’t be in F1’
Charles Leclerc after qualifying P4:
05:22 , Kieran Jackson“For sure, I think the lap was really, really good. Not much I could have done better. We unlocked some performance yesterday, today in quali it started to go away from us a little bit, especially in Q3.
“Overall, the lap I done... I was really happy with it. Still a big gap to McLaren and Red Bull, but as a whole, it’s been positive, I feel a lot more confident with the car.”
Lando Norris, after qualifying second:
05:15 , Kieran Jackson“I’m happy, congrats to Max, he did a good job, hat’s off. Got to credit a lap that good. I got everything out of the car today, it’s tiny, Max did an amazing lap. For both of us to be up there is good but not enough.
“That’s the goal, no-one knows what the weather will do tomorrow. It will be an exciting race, I’ve been there before, excited for it.
F1 constructor standings after two races:
05:02 , Kieran Jackson1. McLaren - 78 points
2. Mercedes - 57 points
3. Red Bull - 36 points
4. Williams - 17 points
5. Ferrari - 17 points
6. Haas - 14 points
7. Aston Martin - 10 points
8. Sauber - 6 points
9. Racing Bulls - 3 points
10. Alpine - 0 points
TOP-10 IN QUALIFYING
04:47 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen - 1:26:983
2. Lando Norris +0.012
3. Oscar Piastri +0.044
4. Charles Leclerc +0.316
5. George Russell +0.335
6. Kimi Antonelli +0.572
7. Isack Hadjar +0.586
8. Lewis Hamilton +0.627
9. Alex Albon +0.632
10. Ollie Bearman +0.884
F1 weather forecast: Chances of rain for Japan Grand Prix in Suzuka
04:45 , Kieran JacksonSaturday night is expected to bring cooler temperatures around 12C, with a chance of 3-10mm of rain by Sunday morning.
The FIA’s own internal forecast predicts for Sunday morning: “A high chance of light intermittent rain or drizzle, becoming unsettled with showers possible around midday.”
The race is set for a 2pm start. Currently, the chances of rain stand at 40% by 2pm, decreasing to 20% as the race progresses. Temperatures will be around 17C.
The probability of rain overall on Sunday is 80%.
EXCLUSIVE: Yuki Tsunoda on F1 change which kept Red Bull dream alive
04:43 , Kieran JacksonIt was the straw which broke the camel’s back for Yuki Tsunoda in Formula One: a final unleashing of road rage, with sparks flying on the asphalt and over the airwaves.
Disgruntled over a late-race position swap at last year’s season-opener in Bahrain, Tsunoda was eager to vent his exasperation after the race concluded. As cars trundled aimlessly back to the pits, Tsunoda divebombed his teammate Daniel Ricciardo before swerving erratically – and dangerously – towards the second RB car. “Yeah thanks guys,” Tsunoda ranted, sarcastically, over team radio. “I appreciate it.”
Ricciardo, generally not one to lose his cool, momentarily did: “What the f*** is wrong? I’ll save it... f***ing helmet.”
It is the instance of immaturity Tsunoda himself brings up, at the end of a 15-minute conversation with The Independent, which flicked a switch in his mind: the fiery blow-ups could not continue.
Yuki Tsunoda: ‘I had to change after Ricciardo rant – otherwise I wouldn’t be in F1’
JAPAN GP STARTING GRID:
04:12 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen
2. Lando Norris
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Charles Leclerc
5. George Russell
6. Kimi Antonelli
7. Isack Hadjar
8. Lewis Hamilton
9. Alex Albon
10. Ollie Bearman
11. Pierre Gasly
12. Fernando Alonso
13. Liam Lawson
14. Yuki Tsunoda
15. Carlos Sainz*
16. Nico Hulkenberg
17. Gabriel Bortoleto
18. Esteban Ocon
19. Jack Doohan
20. Lance Stroll
*Sainz was given a three-place grid penalty after impeding Lewis Hamilton in qualifying
Lewis Hamilton after qualifying eighth:
03:02 , Kieran Jackson“Not good enough from my side, P8 is not great,” Hamilton said afterwards.
“I was happy to get into Q3, it’s a really tight battle, just didn't get great laps in in Q3.
“Charles did a great lap. I had a lot of understeer and couldn't dial it up for qualifying.”
On the potential for a wet-race, the 40-year-old added: “I’m excited, I love the rain.
“It'll be tricky, if you have a qualifying like that you hope for rain, so hopefully it stays.”
Lando Norris states McLaren are only F1 team that currently have ‘two good drivers’
02:02 , Kieran Jackson“We are not that far ahead but I think it’s because we literally are the only team that has two good drivers at the minute,” Norris said in Japan.
“That’s the big difference, you know, if one of us was doing a lot worse, or one of us was not as strong…
“I think just the fact we have two good drivers is obviously making the biggest difference.”
FULL STORY: Doohan suffers 185mph crash in practice
01:01 , Kieran JacksonJack Doohan escaped unharmed after a massive 185mph crash in practice at the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday.
The Australian driver, in just his fourth F1 race weekend, was driving full-throttle down the main straight towards the sweeping right-handed turn 1 corner.
Yet the car bottomed out, with the DRS rear wing still open, and Doohan’s Alpine car spun violently into the tyre barrier.
Full report below:
Jack Doohan assessed in F1 medical centre after huge 185mph crash in Japan
F1 driver standings after two races:
Sunday 6 April 2025 00:03 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris – 44 points
2. Max Verstappen – 36 points
3. George Russell – 35 points
4. Oscar Piastri – 34 points
5. Kimi Antonelli – 22 points
6. Alex Albon – 16 points
7. Esteban Ocon – 10 points
8. Lance Stroll – 10 points
9. Lewis Hamilton – 9 points
10. Charles Leclerc – 8 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points
12. Ollie Bearman – 4 points
13. Yuki Tsunoda – 3 points
14. Carlos Sainz – 1 point
15. Isack Hadjar – 0 points
16. Pierre Gasly – 0 points
17. Liam Lawson – 0 points
18. Jack Doohan – 0 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto – 0 points
20. Fernando Alonso – 0 points
Max Verstappen will receive Aston Martin offer ‘he can’t refuse’, says ex-F1 driver
Saturday 5 April 2025 23:10 , Kieran JacksonFormer F1 race winner Juan Pablo Montoya believes Max Verstappen will receive an offer from Aston Martin “he can’t refuse” next year.
Full quotes below:
Max Verstappen will receive Aston Martin offer ‘he can’t refuse’
Red Bull boss Christian Horner:
Saturday 5 April 2025 22:09“An outstanding lap, he’s extracted every ounce of performance - getting that pole position was completely against the run of form, brilliant for the team.
“Max didn’t leave anything on the table, that was one of his best laps in qualifying ever
“Max has been working so hard behind the scenes with the team, that lap is down to him today.”
On Yuki: “That last run, he was too quick into turn 1, had a big moment in turn 2, it was a shame - I think he would have comfortably made the top-10 today.”
What time is the Japanese Grand Prix?
Saturday 5 April 2025 21:00 , Kieran JacksonTime BST
Sunday 6 April
- Race: 6am
WATCH: Lawson reacts to Red Bull axe
Saturday 5 April 2025 20:08 , Kieran JacksonJAPAN GP PREVIEW: The challenge facing Yuki Tsunoda? To master a car built for Max Verstappen
Saturday 5 April 2025 19:00 , Kieran JacksonOut of all the drivers who have tried and failed to fulfil their promise at Red Bull, Alex Albon put it best – in a non-F1 spiel – in explaining the seismic challenge one faces with a car engineered to the demands of the team’s leading driver, Max Verstappen.
Now forming one-half of Williams’s impressive driver line-up alongside Carlos Sainz after a difficult 18-month spell at Red Bull in 2019-20, Albon told The High Performace Podcast in 2023: “I would say my driving style is a bit more on the smooth side, but I like a car that has a good front-end, so quite sharp, quite direct.
“Max does too, but his level of sharp and direct is a whole different level – it’s eye-wateringly sharp.”
Full preview below:
The challenge facing Yuki Tsunoda? To master a car built for Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen stands by reaction to Liam Lawson’s Red Bull F1 axe: ‘I liked the comment’
Saturday 5 April 2025 16:00 , Kieran JacksonMax Verstappen has admitted his “like” of a social media post criticising Red Bull’s decision to drop Liam Lawson was “not a mistake”, ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Lawson was dropped after a torrid first two races of the season in Australia and China, with Yuki Tsunoda picked to replace him. Lawson drops back down to the junior team, Racing Bulls, while Tsunoda makes his Red Bull debut at his home race in Suzuka this weekend.
Yet Verstappen raised eyebrows last week when he liked an Instagram post by ex-F1 driver Giedo van der Garde, which stated Red Bull’s decision to drop Lawson was “closer to bullying or a panic move.”
Verstappen, who is eyeing a fifth straight world championship this year, refused to elaborate further on his opinion on the early-season driver swap – other than to confirm that his Instagram like was “not a mistake.”
Full story below:
Verstappen stands by reaction to Lawson’s Red Bull F1 axe: ‘I liked the comment’
George Russell after qualifying fifth:
Saturday 5 April 2025 11:58 , Kieran Jackson“It was a real shame, pretty disappointed with P5 as have been feeling good all weekend. Tried something different with the tyres, but it didn’t work. Disappointed, but it could be much worse.
“We’re there or thereabouts in the fight for a podium, not sure with the win. But if changeable conditions come, like in Melbourne, then who knows?”
Oscar Piastri after qualifying P3:
Saturday 5 April 2025 11:40“Car felt good through most of qualifying – the last lap, didn’t quite come together as I wanted but incredibly tight margins, it’s still all to play for tomorrow. A little bit more left on the table… try again tomorrow.
“We’ve got good pace, the others have not been as far away as people think – this morning was pretty tight, it’s not a massive surprise. Max has done a great job to end up on pole, we’ve got a great car for tomorrow.
“Our pace has been good in all conditions.”
"Just didn't quite come together as I wanted" 😔
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 5, 2025
Oscar on qualifying P3 in Suzuka 🟠 pic.twitter.com/kU49gJxaVg
NEW STARTING GRID AFTER SAINZ PENALTY:
Saturday 5 April 2025 11:30 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen
2. Lando Norris
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Charles Leclerc
5. George Russell
6. Kimi Antonelli
7. Isack Hadjar
8. Lewis Hamilton
9. Alex Albon
10. Ollie Bearman
11. Pierre Gasly
12. Fernando Alonso
13. Liam Lawson
14. Yuki Tsunoda
15. Carlos Sainz*
16. Nico Hulkenberg
17. Gabriel Bortoleto
18. Esteban Ocon
19. Jack Doohan
20. Lance Stroll
*Sainz was given a three-place grid penalty after impeding Lewis Hamilton in qualifying
Kimi Antonelli after qualifying P6:
Saturday 5 April 2025 10:50 , Kieran Jackson“In FP3, I was lost, I had zero confidence, I was really struggling to improve.
“Qualifying was a good step forward, I had to make such a step it was too big. I need to be more proactive in practice, try and find the limit a bit better.”
NEW: Carlos Sainz receives penalty
Saturday 5 April 2025 10:01 , Kieran JacksonSainz has been given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton during qualifying.
Looked a slam-dunk to be fair. It means Sainz drops from 12th to 15th.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella on qualifying:
Saturday 5 April 2025 09:33 , Kieran Jackson“Hats off to Verstappen, he pulled off a lap which was quite impressive. He is the world champion four times, there’s a reason for that - well done to him.”
WATCH: Verstappen's pole-setting lap
Saturday 5 April 2025 09:10 , Kieran JacksonWatch as Max Verstappen takes his first pole of 2025 with a new lap record round Suzuka ⏱️🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/0rY2wYWFQi
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 5, 2025
Max Verstappen: "This is a proper highlight for us"
Saturday 5 April 2025 08:25On pole position: “We tried the best we could to get the best possible balance, every session we made little improvements, that’s where we made the difference - the last lap was flat out.
“Being around here being on the limit or even over it is very rewarding.
“This is a proper highlight for us to be back on pole here, we will look to tomorrow, we’ll do our very best.”
A new lap record at Suzuka, too, and Verstappen will start from pole in a grand prix for the first time since Austria 2024!
Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar...
Saturday 5 April 2025 07:13 , Kieran Jackson“I don’t know what to do, I can’t focus. I have so much lap time.”
Hadjar down in P19.
Bottom-five (16-20): Lawson, Alonso, Antonelli, Hadjar, Stroll
8:00 to go in Q1...
Max Verstappen...
Saturday 5 April 2025 07:08 , Kieran Jackson“I still have the same problems, the front is still not gripping.”
Verstappen P4 early on... but not happy with the RB21!
EXCLUSIVE: Yuki Tsunoda on F1 change which kept Red Bull dream alive
Saturday 5 April 2025 06:30 , Kieran JacksonIt was the straw which broke the camel’s back for Yuki Tsunoda in Formula One: a final unleashing of road rage, with sparks flying on the asphalt and over the airwaves.
Disgruntled over a late-race position swap at last year’s season-opener in Bahrain, Tsunoda was eager to vent his exasperation after the race concluded. As cars trundled aimlessly back to the pits, Tsunoda divebombed his teammate Daniel Ricciardo before swerving erratically – and dangerously – towards the second RB car. “Yeah thanks guys,” Tsunoda ranted, sarcastically, over team radio. “I appreciate it.”
Ricciardo, generally not one to lose his cool, momentarily did: “What the f*** is wrong? I’ll save it... f***ing helmet.”
It is the instance of immaturity Tsunoda himself brings up, at the end of a 15-minute conversation with The Independent, which flicked a switch in his mind: the fiery blow-ups could not continue.
Yuki Tsunoda: ‘I had to change after Ricciardo rant – otherwise I wouldn’t be in F1’
McLaren F1 legend suffers ‘medical emergency’ with family releasing statement
Saturday 5 April 2025 06:24 , Kieran JacksonMcLaren legend Jochen Mass has suffered a “medical emergency” – with his family revealing the 78-year-old will be “stepping back from all public appearances” while he recovers.
The exact nature of the emergency for German icon Mass, who raced 105 times in F1 from 1973-1982 and won the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, has not been revealed by his family.
A statement on Sunday read: “The family of Jochen Mass, wishes to share that he is currently recovering from a recent medical emergency.
“While Jochen’s condition is stable, he will be stepping back from all public appearances and engagements for the foreseeable future as he focuses on his recovery.
“We as a family are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and kindly request privacy during this time. We are wishing Jochen a speedy recovery.”
Sergio Perez reveals talks with multiple teams over F1 return
Saturday 5 April 2025 05:29 , Kieran Jackson“I've been approached by a few teams since Abu Dhabi. The season has started, so a few things will open up in the coming months," Perez said.
"Once I know all my options, I will make a decision.
“What is very clear to me is that I'm only coming back if the project makes sense and it's something I can enjoy."
Lewis Hamilton’s win in China ‘not good’ for relationship with Charles Leclerc, says former F1 champion
Saturday 5 April 2025 03:03 , Kieran JacksonJacques Villeneuve believes Lewis Hamilton’s sprint win in China is “not good” for his relationship with Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton claimed his first win in the red of Ferrari with victory in the Saturday sprint race in Shanghai, a day before the Brit and Leclerc were disqualified from the grand prix.
Ferrari will be looking to bounce back at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, round three of the 2025 season, but 1997 F1 world champion Villeneuve believes the sprint win puts Hamilton in a “privileged” position within the Italian team.
“Lewis, having won a race, I'm not sure it’s very good for the relationship [with Leclerc],” Villeneuve said.
Full quotes below:
Lewis Hamilton’s F1 win in China ‘not good’ for relationship with Charles Leclerc
