Key Takeaways from the Japanese Grand Prix

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen clinched an impressive pole position and went on to secure his first Formula 1 victory of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix. The McLaren duo completed the podium, with the majority of the top 10 finishing in grid order. Here’s what our team of writers had to say immediately after the race in Suzuka.

Verstappen Won’t Give Up on Fifth Title

The weekend in Suzuka demonstrated that Verstappen is determined not to let go of his fifth title without a fight. If 2025 turns out to be McLaren‘s year, the Dutchman will certainly give the Woking duo a tough challenge. Verstappen’s pole lap, particularly at the final chicane, was one of the most remarkable performances of the season so far. His response in the press conference to a question suggesting that the Red Bull car is now “where he wants it to be” was telling. “Where I want it to be?” Verstappen repeated with a look of surprise on his face, indicating that he’s still not satisfied with the RB21, but that didn’t stop him from beating and taking his first win of the season. This just goes to show that even with a challenging car, you should never underestimate the reigning world champion… – Ronald Vording

McLaren Can’t Just Run Away

While it’s debatable whether we can still claim that McLaren has the fastest car after a race won by another team, there is enough evidence to suggest that the papaya team remains the season’s favorite. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were hot on Verstappen’s heels throughout the race – they could have easily pulled away had they started in front. However, the Suzuka race served as a reminder that you can never count out Verstappen. Even if does have an advantage, it’s not significant enough to be ignored, and as long as he’s within striking distance, he’ll always pose a constant threat. – Oleg Karpov

Tsunoda Needs More Time in the Car – But Does He Have It?

Yuki Tsunoda has had a challenging start with Red Bull. He showed early promise and managed to keep the car on track, but his entire weekend was essentially wasted in Q2, where he couldn’t put together a good lap. This suggests there’s more potential, but it’s also crucial to stress that Tsunoda needs to start delivering soon. While a discount can be granted for his first weekend due to the need to familiarize himself with the car, he now needs to apply the lessons learned. He clearly needs more time to get accustomed to the RB21’s quirks. But does he really have much time? – Oleg Karpov

Hadjar Isn’t Embarrassing at All!

Being the second-best Red Bull driver in the championship doesn’t look embarrassing these days, and that’s exactly what Isack Hadjar has achieved so far in the 2025 F1 season. After showing great speed in qualifying in Australia and China but failing to repeat the feat in the race – with a notorious formation lap crash in Melbourne leading to Helmut Marko’s famous quote – the Frenchman had a solid weekend from start to finish at the demanding Suzuka circuit. Hadjar was in the top 10 in every session and capped it off with a strong race on Sunday to finish eighth and score his first F1 points. Voilà, Helmut! – Federico Faturos

Doohan is Walking on Thin Ice

Jack Doohan came to Suzuka needing a solid weekend after an early crash in Australia and a few messy races in China, but he failed miserably. His spectacular shunt on Friday will undoubtedly be costly for Alpine, and also for Doohan, whose crash bill between Melbourne and Suzuka is estimated to be in the seven-figure range. It’s true that he has shown good one-lap pace in the early rounds, but this won’t be enough for Flavio Briatore, and Doohan may be feeling the pressure even more now. A trip to Bahrain next weekend, where he has already driven the A525 in pre-season testing, could be the best possible way for Doohan to try and recover. He needs it. – Federico Faturos