Max Verstappen wins Japanese Grand Prix 2025, his first victory of the season | Formula One News – The Times of India

Max Verstappen took his first win of the 2025 Formula 1 season with a dominant drive at the Japanese Grand Prix, surviving early technical issues and late-race pressure from Lando Norris to take the finish line. The Red Bull Racing driver demonstrated strength and calm at Suzuka, bringing an opening-season winless sequence to a close in style.

Max Verstappen repels Lando Norris in thrilling Japan GP finale

Braving the initial issues with gear changes on his car, Max Verstappen put in a sound effort to start the race, comfortably holding the lead off the start. By lap 3, Max Verstappen had pulled Lando Norris out of DRS range, even as he began voicing concerns over poor upshifts in the RB21. Lap 14 saw Oscar Piastri illuminate the timing sheets with the quickest lap. Next was a master bluff: McLaren instructed Lando Norris to make a box-to-overtake call to catch Red Bull Racing off guard. Lando Norris repeated the call but was then instructed to remain on track — a time-honored dummy.
Elsewhere, Charles Leclerc was instructed to stretch his race, and George Russell pitted straight away, setting off a chain of pit strategies. By the time Norris and Verstappen eventually pitted on lap 21, a slow stop by Red Bull presented Norris with a wafer-thin opportunity to take the lead. When he made a lunge for it, Verstappen kept his line, sending Norris onto the grass. Stewards checked the close call and did not spot any foul play.
During the last stretch, Oscar Piastri started closing in on teammate Lando Norris and asked to be allowed through to contest Max Verstappen for the victory. McLaren opted to stay put, though. Norris then shifted another gear and started closing the gap to Verstappen, tenth by tenth.

A little further back, Andrea Kimi Antonelli was pursuing teammate George Russell, but the laps were limited. The late surge wasn’t sufficient to result in a massive upset, with Verstappen hanging on at the end.
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Max Verstappen’s victory not only highlighted his masterclass under pressure but also showed Red Bull Racing’s tactical calm in the moment of truth. McLaren’s strategy and late charge added to a thrilling climax, but doubts remain as to whether their last-gasp charge arrived a lap or two too late.