The 2025 season was only two races old, but it had already delivered the kind of drama and unpredictability fans live for—multiple winners, big headlines, and a dose of controversy. Now, the campaign kicked into higher gear with the first triple-header of the year, beginning at one of Formula 1’s crown jewels: Suzuka. A favourite among drivers and fans, the Japanese Grand Prix was round three, setting the stage for a high-stakes weekend before the paddock jetted off to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in the following weeks.
Known for its flowing, high-speed corners and relentless technical demands, Suzuka is a true test of driver skill. But this year, the iconic circuit had an extra buzz in the air. The ever-passionate Japanese fans would be out in force with even more to cheer for, as Yuki Tsunoda stepped into the spotlight with a shock promotion to the main Red Bull team—displacing Liam Lawson after just two rounds. With national pride and major championship momentum on the line, the 2025 season was already shaping up to be unforgettable.
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 4 April 2025 – 6 April 2025
Race date: Sunday, 6 April, 2025
Race start time: 14:00 local time
Circuit: Suzuka International Racing Course
Laps: 53
Circuit length: 5.807km
2024 winner: Max Verstappen
| Pole position | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | TBC | TBC | |
| Time | TBC | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | TBC | TBC | |
| Time | TBC | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | TBC | TBC | |
| Second | TBC | TBC | |
| Third | TBC | TBC | |
There are few places in Formula 1 as iconic or steeped in F1 History as Suzuka. Winding through 3.6 miles (5.807km) of fast, flowing tarmac, the legendary Japanese circuit has tested the world’s best drivers and cars since its debut in 1987. Famous for its unique figure-of-eight layout—the only one of its kind on the calendar—Suzuka serves up an unforgettable mix of corners, from the snaking Esses in the first sector to the punishing Degners, the looping Spoon Curve, and the flat-out blast through 130R. It’s a circuit that commands respect and precision, a place where titles have been won and lost—most famously in the fierce duels between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
Historically a late-season race and the site of championship showdowns, Suzuka now holds an earlier slot on the calendar since 2024, arriving during Japan’s beautiful cherry blossom season. The picturesque setting adds a touch of serenity to a race weekend that’s anything but, with the technical demands of the circuit offering no margin for error. The track remains largely unchanged over the years, a testament to its near-perfect original design, though there have been a few subtle modifications for 2025. Kerbs and run-off areas have been tweaked, most notably at Turn 9 where a single kerb has been replaced by a higher double kerb, and synthetic grass at several corners has been swapped for gravel to increase the penalty for running wide.
Before the 2025 race, 40 F1 World Championship races had been held on Japanese soil since the country’s debut in 1976. While Suzuka is the most famous and frequently used venue, three different circuits have hosted the Japanese rounds over the years. The Aida circuit was home to the Pacific Grand Prix in 1994 and 1995, while Fuji Speedway staged the Japanese Grand Prix in 1976, 1977, 2007, and 2008. The remaining 34 editions of the Japanese Grand Prix have been run at Suzuka, starting from its inaugural race there in 1987.
Statistically, before the 2025 race, no driver has dominated in Japan quite like Michael Schumacher. The seven-time world champion notched six victories at Suzuka—one with Benetton and five with Ferrari—and also claimed both Pacific Grand Prix wins at Aida. Lewis Hamilton, who shared Schumacher’s tally of world titles, sat second on the all-time Japan win list with five—one at Fuji and four at Suzuka. Among constructors, McLaren led the pack with nine victories in Japan, while Ferrari and Red Bull were tied for second with seven apiece. Schumacher also held the record for most pole positions in the country with eight, and Ferrari led in team poles with ten.
Japan held a unique position for decades as the scene of championship glory. Until its calendar shift in 2024, the Japanese Grand Prix was instrumental in crowning F1 champions—14 titles were decided on its tracks. Suzuka saw Ayrton Senna clinch all three of his world championships (1988, 1990, and 1991), while Schumacher sealed two titles there (2000 and 2003) and another in Aida (1995). Mika Hakkinen claimed both his titles at Suzuka in 1998 and 1999. Other drivers to secure championships on Japanese soil include James Hunt (1976), Nelson Piquet (1987), Alain Prost (1989), Damon Hill (1996), Sebastian Vettel (2011), and Max Verstappen in 2022.
Weekend schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 4 April 2025 | Free Practice 1 (FP1) | 11:30 am – 12:30 pm local time |
| 4 April 2025 | Free Practice 2 (FP2) | 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm local time |
| 5 April 2025 | Free Practice 3 (FP3) | 11:30 am – 12:30 pm local time |
| 5 April 2025 | Qualifying | 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm local time |
| 6 April 2025 | Race | 2:00 pm local time |
Saturday qualifying short report. Post-session.
Sunday race short report. Post-session.
Championship background
Red Bull made headlines a week before the race with a bold move just two races into the 2025 season, promoting Yuki Tsunoda to the senior team alongside Max Verstappen and sending Liam Lawson back to Racing Bulls. The decision sent shockwaves through the paddock—not just for its swiftness, but for its timing ahead of Tsunoda’s home Grand Prix at Suzuka, instantly raising the stakes for what was already shaping up to be a high-profile weekend for Tsunoda and the Honda-powered Red Bull sister teams.
Tsunoda’s promotion arrived in his fifth season in Formula 1, and many would say it had been a long time coming. His consistent form and growing maturity behind the wheel made a compelling case, and Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner pointed to Tsunoda’s experience as a key asset in helping the team develop what had proven to be a diva RB21. It was no secret the car was difficult to handle—even Verstappen had his struggles—and both Sergio Perez (2024) and Lawson (2025) felt the pressure in their own ways. Still, Verstappen showed promising pace in the closing stages of the last race in China, offering a glimmer of hope for Red Bull as they headed into Suzuka. The challenge was steep for Tsunoda, but he’d have a massive wave of home support willing him on during the weekend.
Lawson, left to regroup after a tough start to the year, failed to make a strong impression in the opening two rounds despite being chosen over Tsunoda at the beginning of the season thanks to his standout performances in a limited run with Racing Bulls in 2024. With Red Bull looking to stabilise their form quickly, they didn’t hesitate to switch things up.
Back with Racing Bulls, Lawson found himself in a familiar and potentially more forgiving car. Verstappen even suggested in China that the Racing Bulls car was easier to drive than the RB21—a sentiment Lawson would be eager to prove true. And there’s precedent for bouncing back: Drivers like Pierre Gasly found success after a step back from Red Bull, using Racing Bulls (AlphaTauri) as a springboard for resurgence.
While the driver drama had stolen some spotlight, plenty was also unfolding in the championship picture. Lando Norris may have been beaten by team-mate Oscar Piastri in Shanghai, but he still led the drivers’ standings with a slender eight-point cushion over Verstappen. George Russell sat just one point behind the Dutchman, while Piastri was another point further adrift, making it a tightly packed early-season scrap.
Ferrari, meanwhile, was on the back foot. Despite the optimism brought on by Lewis Hamilton’s breakthrough Sprint victory in China, the main race unravelled with a double disqualification (the first in the team’s 75-year history) that capped off a lacklustre Sunday. With both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships slipping out of reach for now, the Scuderia headed to Suzuka under pressure to respond—fast.
Race entries
The lineup of drivers and teams remained the same as the 2025 season’s entry list, featuring no reserve drivers for the race. However, a driver swap at the sister teams, Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, saw Yuki Tsunoda move up to the parent Red Bull team and Liam Lawson head in the opposite direction back to Racing Bulls, a team he drove for in the 2024 season.
Ryo Hirakawa took part in the first free practice session for Alpine.
Tyre choices
For round three of the 2025 season, the tyre spotlight shifted as Pirelli rolled out the hardest compounds in its range for the first time. The C1, C2, and C3 compounds had been nominated for Suzuka—a familiar choice, given the circuit’s reputation as one of the most demanding tracks on the calendar for tyre wear and degradation. Suzuka’s relentless sequence of high-speed corners places a heavy load on the rubber, especially through sections like the Esses and 130R, making durability a key factor in race strategy.
The 2025 C1 compound closely mirrored its predecessor from the previous year, but its softer siblings—the C2 and C3—had undergone notable performance tweaks for the new season. Both were slightly softer than their 2024 versions, which could have a significant impact on how teams approach setup and strategy throughout the weekend. With the new compounds paired with an updated track surface and ever-evolving car performance, teams would use the three free practice sessions to carefully assess tyre behaviour and dial in their setups with Sunday in mind.
Pre-event simulations suggested that lap times could drop by as much as 1.5 seconds compared to 2024, driven by the combination of extra grip from the resurfaced tarmac and the inherent pace of the 2025 cars. These projections would begin to be tested during Friday’s opening sessions, as teams and Pirelli engineers compared real-world data against expectations.
One key variable to monitor would be how quickly the track evolved over the weekend. As one of the busiest venues on the calendar, Suzuka had already hosted two major events in 2025, meaning the surface may already have a solid layer of rubber down. But as seen in China, new tarmac can produce unexpected results in terms of grip and wear rates. With so many factors in flux, managing tyres effectively could prove crucial to unlocking both qualifying pace and race-day consistency.
FIND OUT MORE
Free Practice
FP1 report, post-session.
FP2 report, post-session.
FP3 report, post-session.
Free Practice 1 Classification
FP1 was held on 4 April 2025 from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm local time.
Free Practice 2 Classification
FP2 was held on 4 April 2025 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm local time.
Free Practice 3 Classification
FP3 was held on 5 April 2025 from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm local time.
Qualifying
Qualifying report and results, post-qualifying session.
Qualifying Classification
Qualifying was held on 5 April 2025 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm local time.
2025 Australian Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying session.
What happened in the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix?
Full race report post-race.
2025 Japanese Grand Prix race results
The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix Race was held on 6 April 2025 at 2:00 pm local time.
2025 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.
2025 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings
Full standings are announced post-race.
2025 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings
Full standings are announced post-race.
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