Lando Norris and Max Verstappen Clash at Japanese Grand Prix

In a thrilling race that saw Red Bull commemorate the end of its partnership with Honda, Max Verstappen clinched his first victory of the 2025 season at the Suzuka track. The Dutchman crossed the line ahead of McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

A Tense Moment on the Pit Exit

Despite a relatively sedate race, a moment following the pitstops of Verstappen and Norris had fans on the edge of their seats as the drivers ran beside each other on the pit exit. As Norris lost traction while running his right tyres over the grass, Verstappen struggled with traction and lost some time to his rival.

In the aftermath, both drivers argued over the radio with their engineers about who was at fault. However, during his post-race interview, Norris downplayed the incident. “It’s racing, I think,” he reflected. “He was still ahead, it kind of squeezes into one, and Max is the last guy I expect to give me any space… in a good way, in a racing way. So, nothing more than that.

Verstappen’s Version of Events

Initially, Norris argued that Verstappen had “forced him off,” while Verstappen told his engineer that “Norris pressed his pit limiter off too early, there’s no way that was legal”.

Stewards’ Decision and Aftermath

Stewards quickly confirmed that no further action would be taken, putting the incident to rest. “I guess I just lost out yesterday,” Norris said. “Max drove a good race today, no mistakes. The pace was too similar today to do anything more. Long race, a lot of pushing.

It was a flat-out race from start to finish, making it tough for any driver to gain an advantage. “They were quick and no mistakes, so he deserved it,” Norris admitted. McLaren didn’t pull off the perfect strategy today, with the undercut on the circuit not being overly powerful.

Looking Ahead to the Next Race

Despite a less-than-ideal result, Norris remains optimistic about the upcoming races. “I think it’s still been a very good weekend,” he said. “Obviously, we didn’t get the positions that we wanted. We’re fighting for a win every weekend, but they deserved it. Both Red Bull and Max deserved it this weekend.

As Norris prepares to continue the triple header, he’s determined to improve. “They’re quick, they’ve been catching up, they’ve obviously made some improvements and, as a team, we didn’t have enough this weekend. So we’re going to have to work harder for the next one.