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F1 Japanese GP: Verstappen resists the McLarens to claim first 2025 win

Max Verstappen held off the two McLarens throughout the Japanese Grand Prix to clinch his first Formula 1 victory of 2025, crossing the line with a 1.4-second advantage.

The Red Bull driver capitalised on his impressive qualifying run to put together a controlled drive at the front of the order, ensuring that he did not wilt under the scrutiny from the two McLarens behind - as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri could not prise open a chance to pass Verstappen.

Verstappen pulled a two-plus-second gap over Norris in the opening laps to ward off any early threats under DRS, and did not respond to McLaren's apparent dummy call for Norris to pit - as engineer Will Joseph suggested his driver could "box to overtake", but the Briton subsequently stayed out.

McLaren tried to force a response by stopping Piastri at the end of the 20th lap, and Verstappen did indeed pit - but Norris followed him into the pitlane. The McLaren pit crew found a second on its Red Bull counterparts in the box, putting Verstappen and Norris level at the exit, but Norris did not have space to go two-wide on the exit and ran across the grass.

His attempt to draw the stewards' attention on the radio did not come to pass as the incident was waved off, leaving his only opportunity of securing a second win of 2025 to come with an on-track overtake.

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing (Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images)

But, over the following 30 laps, Norris was unable to find a way to get within DRS range of Verstappen, and could only match the Red Bull driver for pace. This left McLaren with a quandary, as Piastri was happily sitting within a second of Norris and angling for a switch in positions.

McLaren did not elect to pull the trigger despite Piastri's better pace, which left Verstappen untouched in front; the orange cars were left to flank the four-time champion on the podium.

Charles Leclerc clinched fourth place, preserving his grid position to beat the Mercedes duo; although the earlier-stopping George Russell got to within 1.2s of the Ferrari driver by the end, he was unable to find any further ground on the Monegasque despite offering early pressure. Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed sixth with a long medium-tyre stint, and finished a further 1.3s behind his more experienced team-mate.

Lewis Hamilton's contra-strategy, starting on the hard tyres, paid off to some degree with seventh, having gained a position on rookie Isack Hadjar - who scored his first F1 points with eighth.

An irascible Alex Albon claimed ninth despite his complaints on the radio to his Williams team about gearshifts and his pitstop timing, while Haas driver Oliver Bearman clinched the final point over Fernando Alonso and Red Bull debutant Yuki Tsunoda. Liam Lawson was 17th on his return to Racing Bulls.

F1 Japanese GP - race results

   
1
 - 
5
   
   
1
 - 
2
   
Cla Driver # Laps Time Interval km/h Pits Points Retirement Chassis Engine
1 Netherlands M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1 53

-

    1 25   Red Bull Red Bull
2 United Kingdom L. Norris McLaren 4 53

+1.423

1.423

1.423   1 18   McLaren Mercedes
3 Australia O. Piastri McLaren 81 53

+2.129

2.129

0.706   1 15   McLaren Mercedes
4 Monaco C. Leclerc Ferrari 16 53

+16.097

16.097

13.968   1 12   Ferrari Ferrari
5 United Kingdom G. Russell Mercedes 63 53

+17.362

17.362

1.265   1 10   Mercedes Mercedes
6 Italy A. Antonelli Mercedes 12 53

+18.671

18.671

1.309   1 8   Mercedes Mercedes
7 United Kingdom L. Hamilton Ferrari 44 53

+29.182

29.182

10.511   1 6   Ferrari Ferrari
8 France I. Hadjar Racing Bulls 6 53

+37.134

37.134

7.952   1 4   RB Honda
9 Thailand A. Albon Williams 23 53

+40.367

40.367

3.233   1 2   Williams Mercedes
10 United Kingdom O. Bearman Haas F1 Team 87 53

+54.529

54.529

14.162   1 1   Haas Ferrari
11 Spain F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing 14 53

+57.333

57.333

2.804   1     Aston Martin Mercedes
12 Japan Y. Tsunoda Red Bull Racing 22 53

+58.401

58.401

1.068   1     Red Bull Red Bull
13 France P. Gasly Alpine 10 53

+1'02.122

1'02.122

3.721   1     Alpine Renault
14 Spain C. Sainz Williams 55 53

+1'14.129

1'14.129

12.007   1     Williams Mercedes
15 Australia J. Doohan Alpine 7 53

+1'21.314

1'21.314

7.185   1     Alpine Renault
16 Germany N. Hulkenberg Sauber 27 53

+1'21.957

1'21.957

0.643   1     Sauber Ferrari
17 New Zealand L. Lawson Racing Bulls 30 53

+1'22.734

1'22.734

0.777   1     RB Honda
18 France E. Ocon Haas F1 Team 31 53

+1'23.438

1'23.438

0.704   1     Haas Ferrari
19 Brazil G. Bortoleto Sauber 5 53

+1'23.897

1'23.897

0.459   1     Sauber Ferrari
20 Canada L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing 18 52

1 lap

    2     Aston Martin Mercedes

Photos from Japanese GP - Race

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Fans at the circuit

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team Fan

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Fans at the circuit

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Alexander Albon, Williams and his girlfriend, Lily Muni He

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, George Russell, Mercedes, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Fans

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

A fan dressed as Sebastian Vettel

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Fans at the circuit

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Fans at the circuit

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Traditional Geishas prior to the F1 Grand Prix

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Jack Doohan, Alpine, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Fans at the circuit

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Fans at the circuit

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Fans at the circuit

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Fans at the circuit

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Jack Doohan, Alpine

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Carlos Sainz, Williams

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Fans at the circuit

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Fans at the circuit

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing, Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the Formula One Group

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Jack Doohan, Alpine

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Team, Laura Mueller, Haas F1 Team Race Engineer

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Adam Norris, father of Lando Norris, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing leads at the start

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing, Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren, Andrea Stella, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Andrea Stella, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday

Formula 1
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In this article
Jake Boxall-Legge
Formula 1
Max Verstappen
Red Bull Racing
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