SUZUKA, April 7 — Max Verstappen claimed victory at the Japanese Grand Prix from pole position, finishing ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Yuki Tsunoda ended his Red Bull debut in 12th place.
SUZUKA, April 7 — Max Verstappen claimed victory at the Japanese Grand Prix from pole position, finishing ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Yuki Tsunoda ended his Red Bull debut in 12th place.
Here are three key takeaways from the third race weekend of the 24-round 2025 Formula One season, courtesy of AFP Sport:
Max is back on top
Despite a slower-than-usual start to the season by his own high standards, four-time world champion Max Verstappen proved once again why he's one of the best in the sport.
After a relatively quiet performance in practice, Verstappen pulled off a stunning last-minute lap in qualifying to steal pole from Norris. On race day, he quickly established control and never looked back.
Norris briefly challenged him after the pit stop, but Verstappen immediately responded, forcing the McLaren driver wide and maintaining his lead.
From that point on, Norris and Piastri could only hope for a mistake — a rare occurrence for Verstappen.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner called him “Mr Motivator,” while Norris admitted, “I know how good he is, I know what he’s capable of. Nothing is a surprise anymore.”
Tsunoda’s tough debut
While Verstappen dominated headlines post-race, it was Yuki Tsunoda who drew attention ahead of the weekend as he stepped into the Red Bull seat, replacing Liam Lawson just two races into the season.
Tsunoda looked promising in practice but underperformed in qualifying, which left him struggling to recover in the race, eventually finishing 12th.
Horner called his performance “solid” and expressed confidence in Tsunoda’s improvement ahead of the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix.
Still, only Verstappen has scored points for Red Bull this season, and the Dutchman voiced dissatisfaction with how the driver change was handled. He also stressed that his win shouldn’t mask ongoing issues within the team.
“We want to be better than just sometimes,” Verstappen said, as questions about his satisfaction with Red Bull persist.
Antonelli makes history
Kimi Antonelli had big shoes to fill stepping into Lewis Hamilton’s former seat at Mercedes, but the young Italian is already proving himself.
At just 18 years and 224 days old, Antonelli made history as the youngest driver ever to lead a Formula One race when he briefly took the front at Suzuka while others pitted.
He eventually finished sixth, just behind teammate George Russell, continuing his impressive start to the season. Antonelli also placed fourth in Australia and sixth in China.
“He’s steadily gaining confidence and delivering consistent results,” said Mercedes team official Bradley Lord. “This is his third strong race in a row.”
The previous record-holder for youngest race leader was Max Verstappen, who led and won the Spanish Grand Prix in 2016. — AFP
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