Max Verstappen ensured the final Japanese Grand Prix of the Red Bull-Honda partnership was a memorable one by converting a surprise pole into a surprise win.
The victory was the Dutch star’s fourth straight at Suzuka Circuit but his first of the year, with McLaren looking to have the quicker package so far in 2025.
McLaren’s Lando Norris finished second, about a second adrift, with teammate Oscar Piastri another second behind in third to complete the podium.
McLaren’s Lando Norris leads his teammate, Oscar Piastri, during the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit on Sunday.
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Yuki Tsunoda, making his Red Bull debut, finished back in 12th after a difficult qualifying session a day earlier slotted him 14th on the grid.
Overtaking chances are rare around Suzuka’s 18 corners, and Tsunoda spent much of his race following closely behind the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and later the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.
Despite showing solid pace in his final stint, he was unable to overtake the two-time world champion Alonso and move closer to the points-paying positions.
It was a frenzied run-up to the race for Tsunoda, who was only promoted to the Red Bull seat late last month in a driver swap that saw the struggling Liam Lawson move to Racing Bulls, Red Bull’s junior team.
Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda spent much of his race lookin at the back of Pierre Gasly’s Alpine as the Japanese driver struggled to find a way past his former teammate.
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The shock move after only two rounds of the 2025 season added an extra level of hype for the 266,000 fans who attended the Mie Prefecture track over the course of the weekend.
After supplying engines for the powerhouse Red Bull team since 2019, Honda will partner with Aston Martin in 2026 at the start of a new generation of hybrid engines that will further emphasize electric power.
