WEBDESK: Max Verstappen claimed his first victory of the 2025 Formula 1 season at the Japanese GP, with McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finishing close behind. Verstappen started from pole position and maintained his lead throughout the 53-lap race in Suzuka.
Pole-sitter Verstappen beat Norris by just 1.4 seconds for his fourth straight Suzuka win, with Piastri just seven tenths behind his McLaren team-mate in third place.
The highlight of the race came on Lap 22 during the pit stops when Verstappen and Norris exited the pits side by side. Norris briefly went off the track and onto the grass, but the race stewards reviewed the incident and decided not to take any action.
Norris claimed he was “forced off” but the stewards quickly decided not to investigate the incident after noting it, suggesting the McLaren driver should have backed off as Verstappen had his car ahead.
With this win at the Japanese GP, Verstappen has narrowed the gap in the championship standings, now just one point behind Norris.
The top six finished as they started with Charles Leclerc in fourth position, George Russell finishing an impressive fifth and Kimi Antonelli, who led his first laps of an F1 race, in sixth.
Lewis Hamilton overtook Racing Bull’s Isack Hadjar early on to take seventh place from the rookie driver, with Williams’ Alex Albon in ninth and Haas’ Oliver Bearman in 10th.
Oscar Piastri, who also showed great pace during the race, finished in third place, further highlighting McLaren’s growing competitiveness this season. Despite his best efforts, Norris was unable to pass Verstappen, and the Japanese GP win added another remarkable achievement to Verstappen’s already impressive career.
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