Japanese GP: Max Verstappen Sends McLaren Reminder, Ferrari trouble, first racing weekend Yuki Tsunoda, Jack Doohan fights

Following Japanese Grand Prix, Sky Sports F1 Assess key points of conversation that appeared from the third round of the Formula 1 2025 season.

Verstappen issues a reminder

By the last few minutes of the Q3 on Saturday in Suzuki, you would have been difficult to push you to find someone in Paddock who predicts anything but McLaren One -two – both in qualifying and in Sunday’s race.

Given that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastra asked for a victory – and a pole position – each during the first two rounds, that pattern seemed to continue after McLarens appeared dominant during the practice.

When Norris succeeded in front of Piastra in other rides in a dying second from Q3, the set appeared in the first place, but the four-time world champion still finished his last flying circle.

In the media center – overlooking the final corner in the famous circle – there was a gradual realization that Verstappen was in a position to withdraw the shock. This was followed by what could only be described as a terrible pile noise in the panel opposite, signaling that the Dutchman withdrew one of the most even religious Poles in his career.

Considering that the overtaking was almost impossible because the cars fought to follow in Dirty Air at high speed, Verstappen Sunday’s task was relatively simple because he seamlessly controlled the race to become the first driver to win four times in a row in Suzuki.

Although no one has written off Verstappen’s hope that he will seal the fifth consecutive World Cup, his appearance in Japan – and the fact that he is now just a point behind Norris at the top of the ladder – at least will temporarily silence the conversation about Lewis Hamilton -Nico Rosberg in Intra -Tim’s style, title in McLaren.

McLaren strategy under supervision

During the introductory weeks of the season, Norris has repeatedly expressed his belief that the power of McLaren’s driver’s line gives its team a great advantage over the rest of the net.

Brit is right in several points, perhaps the most important of those who are his and Piastri’s understanding of MCL39 and their ability to help find optimally setting and developing cars throughout the season.

Undoubtedly, having the fastest car will improve the chances of a couple’s title, but in Japan there was evidence of how to have two evenly matched drivers can also be an obstacle.

McLaren had two to one against Verstappen, approaching a solitary circle in the race, but decided to do anything with her, because for the first time Piastra kicked out of the third instead of trying to underestimate Verstappen with Norris else.

The leading duo came in a circle later, and only rarely a poor position of Red Bull gave Norris sniffing progress as they left the pits, before Verstappen closed the door and locked it effectively by the end of the afternoon.

McLaren said they first stopped Piastra to avoid the risk of cars behind him, but should it be a priority for giving Norris shooting into the underestimation of Verstappen, or could they be more active to avoid allowing this situation to develop?

There was a suspicion that McLaren did not want to risk the order of their drivers and to leave the Hungarian situation 2024-Lite, where they would need to conduct the command of the position to return the position.

Ultimately, they made it easier as possible to Red Bull and Verstappen to stay in front, which Norris questioned after the race. It will be interesting to see how his view of such a strong teammate develops throughout the season.

Tsunoda weekend in the spotlight

While Verstappen was the center of attention until the end of the weekend, it was his new teammate Red Bull Yuki Tsunoda to arrive in Suzuk under the a rise of a huge light in his home race.

For a few weeks for Tsunod, he was finally promoted to the Red Bull from Racing Bulls, as Liam Lawson was extremely demolished in the junior band in the season.

Early signs were good because Tsunoda seemed calm and relaxed with the media before making a solid enough to show enough during the practice, but he took a qualifying as a mistake in his last flying circle in the Q2 left him 14 on the net.

The difficulty of prestigening meant that it could only manage 12. And therefore failed to achieve its listed goal for the weekend for points, but there was a lot of positivity from the Red Bull campsite regarding its overall influence.

Red Bull gave Tsunodi a significantly more conservative car lineup than Verstappen went to qualifying, which was understandably on the first weekend with the team. As the team approaches how more comfortable with RB21 is fascinating.

Although Tsunoda will continue to attract significant attention over the coming weeks, it will be nothing similar in Japan, giving him the opportunity to collapse and prove that he belongs to the front of the net.

Ferrari has exposed himself again

In addition to Tsunoda, the individual in the rowing is most pleased with the replacement of the driver of the Red Bull – and Furore who caused – may have been the director of Ferrari team Frederic Vassur.

The news of the Red Bull plans to replace their drivers leaked on Sunday night at the Chinese Grand Prix, they were announced at about the same time Ferrari’s double disqualification from the Shanghai race.

That story – Ferrari’s overall disappointing start to the season would have gained more cover had it not been for unprecedented scenes that happen in a garage in the neighborhood.

After another extremely insidious weekend, in which Charles Leclerc finished fourth, and Lewis Hamilton on the seventh, the only thing this time is for Vaseur is that cars return to Bahrain as early as Friday, leaving a limited time to enter Ferrari’s problems.

Hamilton admitted that Ferrari could not drive a car as low as they wanted to follow his disqualification because of the excessive board clothing, and then said on Sunday that the element on his car was “weaker” compared to Leclerc.

While hearing only pieces of radio exchange between drivers and their engineers throughout the race, there were clips and Hamilton and Leclerac that reflected frustrated pairing.

And this is a difficult surprise, with the team expecting McLaren’s biggest challenger to be nowhere except Hamilton’s Sprint’s victory in China.

The question is whether everything that goes wrong with changes with changes in setting up or it will be a picture for Ferrari until some upgrades arrive.

Rookie repeat after the fall of Doohan

The weekend did not start well from the perspective of Novak when Jack Doohan failed to deactivate his Drs at the end of the straight approach to the first corner and flew in the 185mph barrier.

There was a feeling that Doohan was set up for a failure after Alpine led Japanese spare driver Ryo Hirakawa, who was announced as a Haas driver of reserve, in the Australian place in the first practice, limiting his preparation time in an extremely challenging circle.

Although the decision was questionable, and it may be motivated by some kind of sponsorship agreement, it does not justify what was uncomfortable “wrong judgment”, as the team described.

After fighting in qualifying, Doohan started a reputable race, but a huge decline will only serve to enhance the speculation that he will be replaced by Franco Colapinto, which will be driven in the first practice in Bahrein later this week.

On a more positive leg, Andrea Kimi Antonelli produced the best effect in her career to this day because he took sixth place just behind the Mercedes teammate George Russell, but there seemed to be more tempo than Britain.

Although Antonelli are particularly high expectations, there is little doubt that Isack Hadjar dramatically exceeds the level that most would expect from him in racing bulls.

After prevailing the bizarre and painful episode – full of radio gold – at the beginning of the qualification where his seat belt caused pain in the groin area, the Hadjar qualified in seventh and finished in eighth place in the race, reaching his first points in sports. Richly deserved.

In the meantime, British Oliver Bearman continued his excellent start to the season looking for the last point in 10th place, comprehensively outlapping the Haas Esteban Ocon, which was 18.

Formula 1 continues its triple head in Sakhir for Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, and the coverage began on Friday, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – No Treaty, cancel anytime