Well, let’s start with the F1 news that spread like wildfire.
Trading Too Soon?
Redbull has switched up its driver lineup just two races into the 2025 season. Christian Horner (Redbull team manager) was unhappy with Liam Lawson’s performance and believed that relegating him to Racing Bulls would help him regain his confidence.
But that left the question of who would be a successful teammate to Max Verstappen.
Yuki Tsunoda was promoted to the second seat in Redbull, a long-awaited dream for him. He’s been driving under the Redbull Academy for three years and thriving under Racing Bulls management. So, it’s time for him to step up to the plate, but will he deliver at his home Grand Prix in Suzuka?
Sunshine in Suzuka
The drivers arrived in unusually sunny weather in Japan; last year’s race in Suzuka was drenched, cars spinning out of control and, safe to say, one of the scariest and hardest races of 2024. Two cars sported fashionable, new liveries inspired by the Japanese culture: Redbull had a white car with a red chrome bull on, and Haas had an array of pink cherry blossoms covering their car.
Redbull last had a white car for the Turkish Grand Prix in 2021. Redbull wanted to celebrate its partnership with Honda. This is the final year that Redbull will use Honda’s engines; they will switch to Ford in 2026. Haas’ new team principal, Ayao Komatsu, is a native of Tokyo. As such, the Japanese Grand Prix showcased a beautiful livery for them as an ode to being the only Japanese team principal for the 2025 season.
Red Flags For All
The practice sessions overwhelmed the fans with fear and excitement for what was to come. Rookie Jack Doohan, driving for Alpine, took an early launch into the barriers, skidding across the tracks and gravel and taking a heavy hit into the wall at Turn 1 just four laps into FP2. Doohan walked away unscathed but jarred from the heavy impact.
Red flags were flying all around for this second practice session with experienced driver Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) losing grip and flying off into the gravel, narrowly missing the barrier.
In FP3 the final testing session for the drivers there was a ripple effect of grass fires, our racers have never raced in Suzuka in this sunny season. The practice sessions told us that the Mclaren pair looked strong and seemed to be the team to beat with good showings from Mercedes and Ferrari.
Time would tell if this new Redbull team would execute the win.
Tsunoda versus Lawson
Qualifying caused chaos for Kick Sauber, who had both teammates eliminated in Q1. Lawson swooped in at the last minute and managed to hang on. It was a disappointing end for Stroll (Aston Martin), Doohan (Alpine), and Ocon (Haas), who took the bottom spots.
Oscar Piastri caused another grass fire by going wide, which red-flagged the session for a few minutes. In the final minutes of Q2, it was a battle for most, with all drivers clawing to get over the line quicker than the last.
It was a devastating end for home favourite Tsunoda as he crossed the line in 15th with demoted Lawson just ahead, less than a tenth between them. Tensions will be high with them starting on the same line in the race. Alonso was out in 13th, failing Aston Martin’s hopes to be in Q1; the midfield battle is where they will be for this season. Williams managed to cling on, with Albon achieving 10th, but Sainz fell short, going out in Q2, and Gasly started 11th in the race.
It was the final qualifying session, and it was clear that McLaren was the one to beat. The high-pressure environment proved too much for the midfield cars, with Haas and Williams securing 10th and 9th. A pairing we haven’t seen before is one of the most experienced and newest, with Hamilton (Ferrari) and Hadjar (Racing Bulls) taking the next two spots.
A Mercedes double for both Russel and Antonelli in 5th and 6th highlights how consistent that Mercedes car is looking for the 2025 season. I wonder if Hamilton regrets the move? Distant family members (not really, though) Leclerc and Piastri shared the second line.
This left Max Verstappen (Redbull) and Lando Norris (Mclaren) butting heads, desperate to cross the line in front of the other. Lando crossed the line ahead, taking the top spot, and they thought that it was done. But Verstappen had other plans. A perfect qualifying lap was all he needed, and he got it. Crossing the line, the roars from the crowd and his engines sounded across Japan, and Verstappen’s roar of happiness came across the radios.
It was all on Max’s shoulders for the race, a familiar feeling for him.
A Max Masterclass
Although the race might’ve been lacklustre in places, it still highlighted the strength of four-time world champion Max Verstappen. A strong start for Verstappen as he veered away from the Mclaren duo hot on his heels. Within a few laps, Hamilton overtook rookie Hadjar, and Alonso swiped past Gasly, desperate to get within the points.
Strategy and tire security were the next steps to tackle. All the drivers were in and out of the pits, hoping the mechanics would pull through with quick pit stops. However, what we weren’t expecting was a clash between Verstappen and Norris on the pit exit. Norris shredded the grass and clung on to Verstappen’s tyre, trying to regain position on track, but Verstappen waved goodbye and shot forward.
Whilst they pitted, Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) had his moment in the spotlight as he led his first-ever Grand Prix as the youngest driver since Verstappen. Alex Albon had some sassy moments on the radio to his Williams engineers, but it was a significant improvement from last year since he was fighting for points.
A misunderstanding between Mclaren drivers and a lack of clarity in what strategy they were working on led to them not making an impact on Verstappen. This led to Verstappen sailing through to the finish with the Mclaren teammates as runners-up for the Suzuka Grand Prix.
Max’s effortless driving emphasized Redbull’s need to find him a teammate who can score points alongside him and be there for strategy support. Last year, Redbull lost the Constructors Championship due to Mclaren’s power by having two successful drivers, something Redbull severely lacked for the whole of the 2024 season. Let’s hope that Redbull have found an exceptional replacement in Tsunoda, and moving forward, he will start to impact Redbull positively.
We’ll see you next week in Bahrain.
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