TheLatestfromthe2025JapaneseGrandPrix
01The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix: Rising Son, Returning Hero, fond farewell
Dutch Lion Delight In Suzuka© Getty Images
Top of the list is the team debut of home hero Yuki Tsunoda. Weâre not going to lie, itâs been a painful couple of weeks for the Team and its drivers, but if ever there was a moment to cherish itâs got to be our Japanese racerâs first appearance for the Bulls in front of his home crowd.
Yuki already has three home runs under his belt with AlphaTauri and RB and the support heâs had in the past has been amazing, but this year is likely to see the fanaticism go into overdrive. Expect to see Tsunoda-mania in full force this weekend.
This weekend also marks Maxâs return to one of his happiest hunting grounds. In 2022 the Dutchman wrapped up title number two with an imperious drive in soaking wet conditions to finish over half a minute clear of his closest non-Red Bull rival. In 2023 he racked up pole, fastest lap and the race win to extend his championship lead and last year Max repeated the feat, notching pole, win and fastest lap to take a third win from the opening four races of 2024.
We Love You, Japan© Getty Images
A fourth consecutive win might be a big ask this year, but Suzuka, a track that requires commitment, courage and pinpoint accuracy in equal measure is tailor made for the champion.
This yearâs race also marks our final Japanese Grand Prix with Honda and to commemorate our amazing power unit partnerâs final home race with Oracle Red Bull Racing, weâre running a special all-white livery this weekend, just to say arigato Honda, we couldnât have done it without you.
ORBR Japan 2025 Livery© Will Cornelius
Rising son, returning hero and maybe a little bit of redemption for the Team after two tough opening races, itâs all set to be another spectacular weekend in Suzuka.
SeeLastYear'sReactionattheJapaneseGrandPrix
02Challenges and Key Factors at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix
Weather
A bit like Spa, in Suzuka you can almost guarantee that at some point during the weekend the weather is going to reach over and scrunch up all your carefully worked out run plans â no matter the time of year. Weâve raced here in October for most of the circuitâs time on the calendar and only switched to April last year but regardless of whether itâs spring or autumn, rainfall has frequently played a part. The coming weekend looks more settled than usual, with Mondayâs long-range forecast predicting rain only on Thursday and with a slight chance of showers on Sunday, but this is Suzuka, where in the past weâve had entire days cancelled due to a typhoon. Even though this time of year generally has lower levels of rainfall than October, the climate is capricious and as such the weather radar will undoubtedly be this weekendâs most assiduously watched screen.
Tyres & Strategy
Weâre at the hard end of the Pirelli spectrum this weekend, with the C1-C3 compounds on offers. The reasons for that are straightforward â high levels of asphalt abrasiveness and extreme loads through corners such as high-speed 130R.
What did that mean for strategy? Well, last year, with the same compound numbers (though the compounds are subtly different this year) and in dry conditions, Max won with a two-stop strategy, starting on C2 Mediums, before taking a second new set of the same on lap 16 and then switching to C1 Hards on lap 34 for his final stint.
Last yearâs race was hot, however, with track temps of around 40ËC, and that led to significant thermal degradation. With much lower temperatures likely this weekend a one-stop might well be the way to go. Despite the heat last year, Ferrariâs Charles Leclerc made that tactic work, going from eighth on the grid to fourth at the flag with what was effectively a Medium-Hard race stopping on lap 26.
Safety Cars
Itâs tight at Suzuka with small run-off areas and not a lot of easy access for recovery vehicles. That means that when there is an incident, there is a good chance the Safety Car will be released. Weâve had SC interventions in seven of the last 10 editions of this race, often on multiple occasions during the grand prix. A 70% chance means strategy needs to be flexible.
Resurfacing
For this year, pretty much all of the first sector, from Turn 1 through to Turn 8, has been resurfaced. That includes all of the tricky 'Esses' where cars barrel through a rapid series of direction changes. It's a key area for finding lap time so understanding that new surface quickly will help a lot.
03Max Verstappen on the Japanese Grand Prix
We have a special livery this week that is a tribute to Honda, which looks cool.
Max Verstappen"Suzuka has always been a special circuit to race at with a lot of history for us, especially winning the Constructorsâ Championship in 2023 and my second Driversâ Championship here too. Of course, it is Yukiâs first race with the Team in front of his home crowd so it will be a busy race to welcome him to the Team! We have a special white Japan livery this week that is a tribute to Honda, which looks cool, and I am also racing in my white Japan helmet, inspired by the livery. Iâm looking forward to spending some time here in Japan and to be able relax a bit too in Tokyo before the Showrun and before heading to Suzuka. Looking back to China, on the second stint the performance was a lot more promising, and we were seeing a lot more pace in the car. The Team has been working hard to optimise our performance and I have been back at the factory on the sim this week too. I always enjoy racing at this track: it has a lot of high speed corners and one we typically race well at, so hopefully we can bring out the best of the car and improve here this weekend." - Max Verstappen
04Yuki Tsunoda on the Japanese Grand Prix
"Itâs been a bit of a crazy week! I was happy when I was told the news I would be driving for Oracle Red Bull Racing, my main emotions were excitement and motivation. I feel honoured to be driving for the Team. To make my debut for Oracle Red Bull Racing at my home race in Japan makes it even more crazy. This week is going be insane, itâs a mix of pressure for the challenge and excitement. This is a huge step for my career and what I want to achieve. The message from the Team has been to keep doing what youâre doing and perform. I need to be as close to Max as possible to try and compete for the Constructorsâ title and benefit the Team strategically in every race. I am aware of the challenges the RB21 has and my job is to try to understand it and develop this car too. My first challenge is to get to grips with this car, I have driven it on the sim but my first time will be in practice, so I have to get up to speed quickly. Iâve been working with my new team in the UK over the last week to prepare as best I can and I will continue that ethic once we get to Suzuka. I will take learnings from Max and try and get the most from this weekend for the Team. My goal is to drive fast, give lots of feedback and make the car better."
05Suzuka Circuit Guide: Track Layout & Key Features
Soaring In Suzuka© Getty Images
Designed as a Honda test track in 1962 by Dutchman John Hugenholtz, Suzuka is that rare beast in modern F1, a proper, old-school, driversâ circuit that punishes the overzealous or underprepared and rewards the bold, brilliant and brave.
Characterised by its unique figure-of-eight layout, 5.8km Suzuka features some iconic sequences that really put car and driver to the test and, for the fans at the track, provide an up close and personal demonstration of just what an F1 car can do.
Sector 1 is defined by the famous âEssesâ. After a looping opening arc, Turn 3 sees drivers enter an incredibly rapid sequence of direction changes all the way through to Turn 7. It requires a well-balanced car with good aero and mechanical grip. The driver, meanwhile, needs to be exceptionally precise. Get any one of these changes of direction wrong and youâll be fruitlessly chasing time for the rest of the lap.
The next challenge is the tricky Degner curves. The double right hander tempts drivers to carry too much speed though the first leading to overcooking the tighter second and mistakes are plentiful.
The hairpin at 60km/h is one of the slowest corners but the approach is difficult with drivers needing to brake in the preceding high-speed corner. That can unsettle the car and lead to mistakes.
After the swift Spoon Curve, comes daunting 130R. A monumentally fast left-hander, itâs taken in eighth gear at close to 320kph. Itâs not for the faint-hearted. If you want proof of just how much courage this one takes just google the corner along with the name Allan McNish.
At the end of the lap comes the Triangle chicane. A good 130R followed by a good entry and exit from here sets a driver up for a pass on the trackâs single DRS zone, from just after Turn 18 to Turn 1.
