Verstappen Claims Fourth Consecutive Japanese GP Victory with Masterful Drive
Max Verstappen of Oracle Red Bull Racing showcased his dominance in the 2025 Formula 1 season by winning the Japanese Grand Prix for the fourth consecutive time, finishing ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Starting from pole position, Verstappen quickly established a lead, but the race took a dramatic turn during the pit stop phase. A slightly slow stop for the world champion allowed Norris to challenge him at the pit exit. In a tense moment, Norris had to take to the grass to avoid a collision, but Verstappen maintained his lead as the race progressed.
Despite both drivers expressing frustration over the radio regarding the incident, the stewards opted not to investigate, allowing Verstappen to focus on increasing his gap to Norris. As the race neared its conclusion, Piastri began closing in on Norris, intensifying the competition for second place. However, Verstappen crossed the finish line first, securing his 64th Grand Prix victory by a margin of 1.423 seconds.
The final race results saw Verstappen finish in 1:22:06.983, followed by Norris in second and Piastri in third, who celebrated his 24th birthday with a podium finish. Charles Leclerc secured fourth for Ferrari, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli rounding out the top six for Mercedes.
Verstappen’s victory has narrowed the championship race, leaving him just one point behind Norris in the standings, with Piastri moving into third place ahead of Russell.
In terms of notable performances, rookie Isack Hadjar scored his first points of the season for Racing Bulls, finishing eighth, while Yuki Tsunoda, making his debut for Red Bull, earned the Driver of the Day accolade despite finishing 12th.
As the teams prepare for the next race at the Bahrain Grand Prix from April 11-13, Verstappen reflected on his win, stating, “It was tough, just pushing very hard especially on the last set. The two McLarens were pushing me very hard, and it was a lot of fun out there.”
