By Alex Rhodes 

If you set your alarm early for the Japanese Grand Prix, you might have wished you hadn’t as the race was more of a procession than a spectacle in the end.

Qualifying on Saturday, April 5, proved to be the most crucial part of the weekend, a theme that has become prominent in the early stages of 2025.

Max Verstappen took a surprise pole position in his Red Bull, defying expectations of a McLaren front-row lockout.

Both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris had been closely matched throughout qualifying, and most fans, whether in the grandstands or on their sofas, anticipated a McLaren 1-2.

However, a sensational lap from the Dutchman saw him edge ahead of the McLaren duo, clinching pole by less than half a tenth of a second.

Suzuka is ribbon of tarmac perfection and is arguably one of the greatest circuits in the world.

However, with only a single, relatively short DRS zone, overtaking opportunities are scarce.

Within the top 10, there was only one position change from qualifying to the chequered flag with Lewis Hamilton gaining a spot on rookie Isack Hadjar through the pit stop sequence, a perfect example of just how crucial qualifying was to the outcome on race day.

That said, there were still standout performances in the top ten.

Mercedes Kimi Antonelli, on fresher tyres, displayed excellent pace, pulling over 11 seconds clear of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, which was running on the softer medium compound.

Antonelli also made history by becoming the youngest driver ever to lead an F1 race, breaking Verstappen’s long-standing record from Barcelona 2016.

Meanwhile, Hadjar secured his first points of the season with an impressive P8 finish for Racing Bulls, while Alex Albon and Oliver Bearman rounded out the top 10 with strong performances for their respective teams.

Tsunoda’s Red Bull promotion didn’t lead to the dream home race he envisioned as he missed out on Q3 and was even outqualified by the very driver he replaced, Liam Lawson.

Despite making slow but steady progress, twelfth was the best he could manage on race day.

Behind him, Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz, and Jack Doohan occupied the next three positions.

Sainz, still adjusting to the Williams, showed solid race pace in the latter half, carving his way through the field and closing a 10-second gap to his rivals.

However, he will be disappointed to have finished over 30 seconds behind his teammate Albon.

It was also a tough weekend for rookie Doohan, after missing FP1 when Alpine reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa took the wheel, he suffered a 180mph crash in FP2.

Despite the setback, a strong stint on hard tyres helped him secure fifteenth, successfully fending off the vastly experienced Nico Hülkenberg, who finished just five-tenths behind.

Liam Lawson, in his first race back with Racing Bulls, ended up seventeenth, followed by Esteban Ocon and Gabriel Bortoleto in eighteenth and nineteenth, respectively.

As for Lance Stroll, the Canadian endured a miserable race, finishing last, over a lap behind the leaders, in what, until this weekend, had been a strong start to the season. 

This weekend’s results see Lando Norris retain his lead in the drivers’ standings, but Verstappen’s victory has cut his advantage to just one point.

Piastri’s third-place finish saw him leapfrog George Russell for third in the championship, while rookie Antonelli continues his impressive debut season in fifth place.

Next up is the Qatar Grand Prix in Bahrain on April 11-13 where chaos, controversy, and wheel-to-wheel action are all but guaranteed.