JAPANESE GP: THE RETURN OF MAX VERSTAPPEN

Qualifying in Suzuka had already given us a glimpse of an out-of-this-world Max Verstappen—once again making the difference with a Red Bull-Honda that hadn’t exactly impressed at the start of the season. And in Sunday’s race, that same Verstappen reappeared—relentless and razor-sharp. This time, however, he had a perfectly dialed-in RB21 beneath him: well-balanced, fast, and flawless in tire management. A stark contrast to the struggles seen in Shanghai.

Red Bull dominated all 53 laps, keeping both McLarens—the cars that triumphed in Melbourne and Shanghai—firmly in check. McLaren may still go on to collect wins this season, but Suzuka told a different story. The Red Bull we saw this weekend was reminiscent of its dominant 2022 and 2023 form. With three Grands Prix and the Shanghai Sprint Race in the books, Verstappen has racked up 61 points—just one behind Lando Norris and 12 ahead of Oscar Piastri.

Throughout the race, Norris kept within 1.5 to 2 seconds of Verstappen but never close enough to activate DRS and mount a real attack. Occasionally, he crept within 1.2 seconds, only for Max to stretch the gap back to 1.4 or 1.5 in the closing laps. With about 15 laps to go, Piastri appeared slightly quicker than Norris and asked his engineer, Tom Stallard, if he could swap places with his teammate to have a shot at Verstappen.

It seemed like a reasonable idea. We’ve seen it before—let the faster driver go ahead and if the move doesn’t work, switch back. But Piastri got no answer. McLaren opted for caution—evoking the same "conservative" label Ayrton Senna once used for Alain Prost’s wet-weather racing. We’ll never know if the gamble might’ve paid off. Still, McLaren walks away with a solid 33 points, bringing their constructor total to 111—now 36 ahead of second-place Mercedes.

While McLaren chose not to roll the dice, Ferrari never really had a chance to fight for the podium. Leclerc’s fourth-place qualifying gave a glimmer of hope, but the race revealed once again that the SF-25 just isn’t up to par. Leclerc held his grid position, finishing fourth and a long way off the top three. After Sakhir, many said that “real” circuits like Shanghai and Suzuka would reveal Ferrari’s true form. They did—just not in the way fans hoped.

Leclerc drove well and the strategy was on point, but a 16-second gap to Verstappen is a heavy blow. Lewis Hamilton, who chose a different qualifying setup hoping it would pay off in race trim, started on hard tires—the only one among the front runners to do so. But that didn’t make a difference; he ended up seventh, 29 seconds behind Verstappen. The buzz from his Sprint win in China now feels like a distant and perhaps lucky memory.

For Mercedes, it was another step backward. George Russell’s qualifying error cost him dearly, and starting fifth, he couldn’t gain any ground—stuck behind Leclerc the entire race. The W15 lacked pace, plain and simple. The only real silver lining? Another impressive race from Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Starting sixth, finishing sixth, and even grabbing the fastest lap with a strong closing stint. He briefly led the race during the pit cycle and handled the medium tires with poise. Three races, three points finishes—he’s now fifth in the standings. What more could you ask of a rookie?

Props also go to Isack Hadjar, who scored his first career points. After spinning on the formation lap in Melbourne and finishing 11th in Shanghai, Suzuka was his breakout weekend. Seventh in qualifying again, he pulled off a brilliant outside move on Carlos Sainz at Turn 1 and kept a blistering pace for three days, even outshining his new Red Bull-backed teammate, Liam Lawson.

Alexander Albon continues to impress. With a fifth-place finish in Melbourne, seventh in Shanghai, and now ninth in Suzuka, this has been the best start of his Formula 1 career. His consistency has come as Williams-Mercedes continues to work through a tough start from Sainz, who’s been struggling all season.

Though technically not a full rookie after his 2024 appearances, Oliver Bearman was outstanding in Japan. Tenth in both qualifying and at the checkered flag, he delivered a rock-solid drive in a Haas-Ferrari that even a proven talent like Esteban Ocon couldn’t get comfortable with.

It was a dismal weekend for Aston Martin-Mercedes. Alonso finished 11th and is still scoreless, while Stroll brought up the rear—last after qualifying and last in the race. A tough showing for the Canadian, especially after earning 10 points over the first two races. Yuki Tsunoda, making his Red Bull debut, couldn’t crack the top ten either. He finished 12th—matching Lawson’s result in China (post-Ferrari disqualification). No points, no fireworks.

Alpine-Renault remains the only team yet to score a single point—by far the biggest disappointment of 2025 so far. Gasly gave it everything, and Jack Doohan had a decent run, but it wasn’t enough. And it was another forgettable outing for Sauber-Ferrari.

© Cavalieri Garage & Co.