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2025 Formula 1 Japanese GP
Apr 3, 2025 to Apr 6, 2025
| Suzuka, JP
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Formula 1 Japanese GP
F1 Japanese GP live commentary and updates - race day
Live text updates from the F1 Japanese Grand Prix
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02:49:01 am
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Can McLaren restore its dominance or is Red Bull's season up and running now? And what do all the main players have to say about today's proceedings?
You can find Jake Boxall-Legge's race report here. Catch up with all the analysis and reactions from the Suzuka paddock later today on the website.
As far as this live blog goes, thank you for joining us this weekend. Bye for now, enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
02:47:11 am
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Max and the others get a proper trophy too, a sort of chalice with an elongated handle. No sponsored creation festooned with nonsense.
The celebrations will be short but sweet. It is on to Bahrain next week, and Saudi Arabia after that as part of a triple-header.
02:43:53 am
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That pitlane exit moment was pretty much the only notable incident at the front.
Now the Dutch national anthem plays for the 64th time in Formula 1. And every single time the Wilhelmus sounded for that man Max Verstappen.
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02:39:27 am
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Verstappen: "A perfect send-off for Honda"
Verstappen: "I'm incredibly happy. The weekend started off quite tough but we didn't give up. Starting on pole made it possible to win this race."
[Winning in Japan] means a lot to me, it was in the back of my mind as well on the final few laps. I needed to stay ahead to give Honda a great farewell. This is a perfect send-off."
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02:37:24 am
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Norris: "Max drove a great, clean race. he deserves it."
He plays down the pitlane incident. "That's just racing, Max was the last guy I expected to give me space. It was still a good race."
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02:36:03 am
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Piastri on not swapping positions: "There wasn't much [debate]. I felt I had really strong pace and if I had the track position I could get Max, but that's what happens when you qualify behind. It's a fair response."
02:34:49 am
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Just one point between Norris and Verstappen
That's 64 wins for Verstappen in Formula 1. Simply lovely, as he would say.
Lando Norris still leads the championshiop with 62 points, with Verstappen just one point behind now.
Filip Cleeren
02:33:22 am
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What did you make of this Japanese Grand Prix then? Boring or enough to stay hooked?
How do you rate Verstappen's performance, and what do you think McLaren should have done?
02:31:26 am
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It's the same for everyone, really. Qualifying dictated everything with few positional changes.
Alonso just finished outside the top 10 ahead of Tsunoda, who has only managed to gain two spots in traffic.
02:30:26 am
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"Unbelievable, what a weekend. We keep pushing," Verstappen says.
His engineer Lambiase and team boss Horner seem perplexed at the weekend he has been able to pull off. No chance Red Bull should have won here.
It all started with the magical pole lap yesterday. It allowed Verstappen to lead from the front in clear air, easily keeping McLaren at arm's length.
02:28:59 am
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1 Verstappen, 2 Norris, 3 Piastri, 4 Leclerc, 5 Russell, 6 Antonelli, 7 Hamilton, 8 Hadjar, 9 Albon, 10 Bearman.
02:28:12 am
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That is Verstappen's fourth consecutive win at Suzuka, sporting Red Bull's Honda tribute livery too.
It is a perfect final home race for Red Bull-Honda as the Japanese manufacturer heads to Aston Martin next year.
Checkered flag
02:27:13 am
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Verstappen wins the Japanese Grand Prix
Max Verstappen has done it! He beats Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the land of the rising sun.
02:25:44 am
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Final lap
One more tour around Suzuka. Verstappen will take a commanding win.
02:25:08 am
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With a straightforward one-stop strategy McLaren didn't have that many options either, but by pitting Norris on the same lap as Verstappen it was pretty much game over there and then.
In Verstappen's dirty air, Norris was taking more out of his tyres. The McLaren is surely still quicker, but they have never managed to find the clear air to use its pace.
02:22:05 am
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Four laps to go
Norris' challenge on Verstappen is fading, if ever there was one. Superb drive from the four-time champion, it has to be said.
02:20:56 am
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In 14th Doohan is holding up a train with Sainz, Hulkenberg, Lawson and Ocon. A good recovery from the Aussie after his FP2 crash.
But, with just one position change in the top 10, it also shows people have literally been stuck in traffic all afternoon.
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02:19:55 am
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Antonelli sets the fastest lap and is informed he is the quickest driver on track right now.
"I'm giving everything, mate!"
"Good lad," is the reply.
02:17:15 am
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In fairness Norris is getting closer to Verstappen, but he hasn't cracked DRS range just yet.
02:16:35 am
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Seven laps to go. Time is running out for McLaren to try something, so it looks like Piastri won't get his wish.
02:15:42 am
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No other battles in the top 10 at the moment, leaving us free to focus on the top three.
It's still Verstappen from Norris and Piastri, line astern.
02:11:58 am
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10 laps to go
Piastri is now so close he may pass Norris without any help. Just get it over with, McLaren. If the Aussie can't pass Verstappen, just switch back at the end?
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02:10:23 am
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"If Lando is still saving, I think he should go soon. I think I have the pace to get Max."
Piastri has read our minds. That, or we're just stating the obvious...
02:07:37 am
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If Norris can't get closer to Verstappen, McLaren may just try a switch and see what Piastri's pace is.
Verstappen is clearly not going to lose this race, is he.
02:06:06 am
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Piastri gets to within a second of Norris and can use DRS. Are they free to race?
02:04:54 am
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Hadjar has lost out to Lewis, but has otherwise had a solid race on his way to eighth. Albon and Bearman look poised to take the final few points.
Tsunoda is stuck behind Alonso's dirty air in 12th.
02:03:13 am
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Hamilton sounds frustrated as he watches Antonelli's Mercedes get ever smaller. "I'd really like to know where I'm slow, mate."
His race engineer replies with corner numbers and he shoots back: "Yes, but by how much?!"
02:01:24 am
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Antonelli has found a burst of pace on his new hard tyres and has knocked Hamilton back by two seconds.
It's a really good showing from the 18-year-old after he had been going through a pretty difficult weekend in practice. But right on time, he found a good lap in Q3 to take sixth on the grid.
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02:00:03 am
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Just 18 laps to go now. Max Verstappen has yet to be put under any serious pressure.
"We are happy for you to push from here," is the message that will sound like music to his ears.
01:57:48 am
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This easy medium to hard strategy has really robbed a lot of people up and down the pitlane of an opportunity to make some magic happen. No rain either, so far.
01:56:33 am
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Hamilton is already in Antonelli's DRS range on the faster mediums, which is likely going to be the next fight.
01:55:44 am
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Piastri is also still in the fight 1.8s behind Norris. Leclerc has been dropped by the leading trio and follows six seconds behind the Australian.
01:54:28 am
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Verstappen leads as Norris chases
Antonelli also pits and keeps his original position between Russell and Hamilton.
That now hands the lead back to Verstappen, with Norris 1.3s in arrears.
Pit stop
01:53:26 am
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Hamilton boxes from second after having a huge wobble at the chicane. That frees Verstappen right behind the Briton.
Hamilton is coming back out 10 seconds behind Russell in seventh, but now has fresh mediums to close the gap.
01:52:10 am
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Lovely move by Hadjar for P9 around the outside of Sainz, who has yet to stop. Sainz was mainly trying to keep the Racing Bulls car behind to help team-mate Albon, who is actually fighting Hadjar for position.
01:50:29 am
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Antonelli's still going strong on those mediums as we get past the halfway mark, keeping his Mercedes predecessor Hamilton four seconds behind.
Pirelli brought its three hardest compounds, which now feels ... conservative.
Penalty
01:46:59 am
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No further action
The stewards had a look at the pit exit kerfuffle between Verstappen and Norris and saw nothing wrong with it.
01:46:16 am
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Hadjar pits, so it's Antonelli leading Hamilton until either comes in as well.
Verstappen is third on the road but the net leader, followed by Norris, Piastri and Leclerc. Traffic has cleared for Russell to join up behind Leclerc. His early stop hasn't really done much and he is now on slightly older tyres, but he probably had to try something.
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01:44:17 am
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Alex Albon is driving with gritted teeth. "You guys make absolutely no sense, it's ridiculous," he fumes as he is brought in a lap after Bearman rather than before.
"It was worse [pitting] before," his engineer argues.
01:42:38 am
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Albon pits and releases Norris.
Curious strategy from McLaren to bring in Norris on the same lap as Verstappen, eschewing a chance to do something different.
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By: Filip Cleeren
Published: Apr 6, 2025, 6:49 AM
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