Max Reams, McLaren Fumbles

The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix Review – When Suzuka Couldn’t Keep Up

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Verstappen Wins… Because He Could

Max Verstappen clinched yet another victory at Suzuka — but this wasn’t one of those races where he pulled off something outrageous. He didn’t have to. The Red Bull was good, his driving was better, and with clean air ahead of him from Lap 1, it was simply a matter of management.

The pace difference between Red Bull and McLaren was surprisingly negligible — they were exchanging fastest sectors throughout. But Max led from the front and Suzuka, in its current layout with these generation cars, gifted him exactly what he needed: control.

He didn’t need to take risks. He didn’t need to defend. He just needed to execute. And that he did, faultlessly.

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McLaren Had the Pace — But Not the Playbook

It’s hard to overstate this: McLaren had a car capable of winning. In fact, if you look at the sector times and stints, they might’ve had a marginally faster race car. But Suzuka doesn’t care unless you’re leading.

Only one DRS zone. High-speed corners. Narrow entry points. A layout rooted in the golden days of F1 but no longer compatible with modern aero-heavy machines. If you’re following another car, especially through the Esses or the Spoon Curve, your tyres overheat, you lose front grip, and that already tiny passing window disappears.

Around Lap 43, Lando was within 1.1 seconds of Max — agonizingly close. But he never got into DRS. Never had that critical 0.1s margin. Dirty air killed the charge before it could even begin.

Oscar Piastri, who pitted earlier to try the undercut, found himself stuck behind Lando, unable to mount a challenge despite having fresher tyres in the latter stages. The problem wasn’t the drivers — it was a textbook case of modern cars being strangled by an old-school circuit.

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Where McLaren Fumbled

Strategically, McLaren’s biggest error was shadowing Red Bull. They pitted Lando on the same lap as Max. With Suzuka’s undercut looking weak all weekend, the more potent move was to go long — extend the stint and attack on fresher tyres later.

Kimi Antonelli did exactly that and banged out fastest laps in clean air. Imagine if Lando had done the same, got that 5-lap tyre offset, and actually entered the DRS zone on Max with better grip. We’re not saying he would’ve won — but he would’ve had a shot.

When you’ve got arguably the fastest car on the grid, you have to weaponize that advantage with strategy. McLaren didn’t. They matched. And they lost.

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Suzuka: The Circuit That Time Outpaced

Let’s talk about Suzuka itself. The layout is legendary — iconic, even. But the racing? In 2025, it’s simply not up to the task.

These ground-effect cars were introduced with a promise: reduced dirty air, closer racing, better overtaking. It hasn’t worked. Especially not here. The aero wake off the leading car still disrupts airflow dramatically through corners. With Suzuka’s tight layout and minimal braking zones, there’s nowhere to recover.

You can’t divebomb into 130R. You can’t outbrake into the Esses. And with only one DRS zone, by the time you get to the straight, your tyres are cooked and your downforce is compromised. The result? A race where everyone pushes flat-out, and nothing changes.

It’s frustrating — because the fans at Suzuka are incredible. The outfits, the energy, the passion — all unmatched. This track deserves a race that lives up to its atmosphere. But unless we see layout tweaks or further aero revisions, Suzuka is at risk of becoming an annual procession.

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Mercedes & The Kimi Moment

George Russell did what he could from a tricky qualifying. But the star? Kimi Antonelli. At just 18, leading laps at Suzuka on mediums, he looked serene. Calm under pressure. Efficient in execution. He’s the youngest ever to lead a Grand Prix lap — and if there were any doubts about Toto’s decision to fast-track him, this race silenced them.

Mercedes are still second in the Constructors’, but Red Bull is breathing down their necks. It’s tight at the top — and getting tighter.

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Ferrari: Nothing to See Here

Ferrari’s race strategy was, let’s say, “experimental.” Starting Hamilton on hards in the first 10 laps looked like a plan to go long and leapfrog midfielders. It didn’t work. They lacked pace. They lacked bite. And they were almost invisible on the broadcast.

The only Ferrari highlight? Lewis overtaking Hadjar early on. That’s it.

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Underdogs, Rookies & Radio Gold 

• Isack Hadjar: He’s proving he belongs. After a tough strategy call last race, he grabbed his first point here with a composed drive.

• Alex Albon: Give this man a podcast — his race engineer interactions are TV gold.

• Ollie Bearman: Clean, consistent, and in the points again. If you’re Ferrari, you’re watching him closely.

• Yuki Tsunoda: A strong home GP weekend, even if the race result didn’t shine. He was fast in practice, but Q2 ended his charge early.

• Liam Lawson: A rough return, but better than his Red Bull stint. Let’s give him a few races before judging.

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Final Word: Suzuka Needs a Refresh

It hurts to say it, but this was a boring race. Not because the field lacked talent. Not because the cars weren’t quick. But because Suzuka, as beautiful and historic as it is, just can’t handle the demands of this generation of F1.

Until we fix dirty air or adjust layouts, we’ll keep seeing races like this. And no amount of tyre strategies or pit stop timing can inject the drama if overtaking is a fantasy.

Still, the season’s on a knife edge. Lando leads Max by just one point. Four races, four different winners, four different poles — 2025 is shaping up to be a banger, even if Suzuka gave us a nap.

See you in Bahrain!

-Lights Out