Japanese Grand Prix 2025 - Practices & Quali Summary
- Racing Statistics
- Apr 4
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 5
The iconic Suzuka circuit kicked off the Japanese Grand Prix 2025 weekend with a strong pair of practice sessions. Here's a breakdown of the action from Free Practice 1 (FP1), Free Practice 2 (FP2), Free Practice 3 (FP3) and Qualifying
📊 Japanese GP Qualifying
Max Verstappen delivered a stunning lap to take pole position for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, setting a new track record of 1:26.983. He narrowly beat Lando Norris by just 0.012 seconds, with Oscar Piastri securing third, rounding out a strong showing for McLaren.
The session was marked by multiple grass fires along the circuit, caused by sparks from the cars igniting dry grass. This led to red flags in both practice and qualifying. Despite the FIA’s efforts to water down grassy areas, the issue persisted, prompting criticism from several teams.
Yuki Tsunoda, recently promoted to Red Bull, had a disappointing outing at his home race, qualifying only 15th, while his predecessor Liam Lawson qualified 14th for Racing Bulls.
Top 10 Qualifiers:
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:26.983
Lando Norris (McLaren) – +0.012s
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.044s
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.316s
George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.335s
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – +0.572s
Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – +0.586s
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +0.627s
Alex Albon (Williams) – +0.632s
Ollie Bearman (Haas) – +0.884s
This marks Verstappen’s fourth consecutive pole at Suzuka, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting race.
-Both Piastri and Norris potentially had the faster lap than Verstappen but they couldn't put it together.
-Hamilton way off his best lap!
Verstappen getting pole without a purple sector - Simply Lovely!
📊 FP3 – Final Tunings
In the final practice session (FP3) for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, McLaren's Lando Norris recorded the fastest lap with a time of 1:27.965, narrowly edging out teammate Oscar Piastri by 0.026 seconds. Mercedes' George Russell secured third place, trailing Norris by 0.112 seconds.
The session was notably disrupted by two red flags caused by grass fires at Turns 12 and 130R, marking the third consecutive session affected by such incidents over the weekend.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen completed the top five, with Leclerc 0.449 seconds behind Norris and Verstappen 0.532 seconds adrift.
These results set the stage for a competitive qualifying session, with McLaren showing strong pace and the field appearing closely matched.
📊 FP1 – Finding Grip & Flow
✅ Early running was cautious as drivers adjusted to cooler track temps.
🟡 McLaren looked sharp, with Norris topping the Ideal Lap charts, while Piastri is leaving a bit of pace on the table compared to his Ideal Lap.
🔄 Multiple teams tested new aero packages.
🧪 Long runs were limited as team focused on setups.
📊 FP2 – More Pace, More Pressure
🧠 Norris is leaving pace on the table comparing to the Ideal Lap in FP2.
🕹️ Balance and traction still tricky through the Esses; many drivers understeering wide.
🧯 Doohan had a major crash after issues with DRS.
🔥 Red Flags and Fire of track were not missing in this session
🧪 Long runs were limited because of many red flags
🔍 Key Analysis Charts
📈 Ideal vs Best Lap Graphs: Included for both FP1 and FP2, showing potential vs actual lap times per driver.
🧮 Sector Time Gaps: Delta charts show how each driver compares to the session's best sector times.
🧠 Use these to spot underperformers or those hiding pace.
🗺️ Track Insight
The Suzuka sector data clearly shows:
🔴 Sector 1 favors agile cars with strong front-end grip
🔵 Sector 2 is all about flow and mid-corner balance
🟡 Sector 3 rewards traction and exit stability
💡 What to Watch for in Qualifying
Will Ferrari unlock their single-lap potential?
Is Norris’ pace genuine or fuel-assisted?
Can Tsunoda deliver in front of his home crowd?
Where to watch Japanese GP Qualifying Live?
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