Max Verstappen creates history, wins Japanese GP for fourth-straight time in maiden 2025 victory

Four-time defending champion Max Verstappen created history as he won his fourth consecutive Japanese Grand Prix after fending off championship leader Lando Norris for his first win of the season. Red Bull's Verstappen took the chequered flag first, the spot from where he began the race, 1.423 seconds ahead of the second-placed Norris of McLaren. Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri finished third as the two McLarens battled each other.

Verstappen has become the first-ever man to win the Japanese GP four consecutive times, with his winning run stretching back to 2022. He displayed a masterful drive to fend off the two McLarens and close in on the drivers' championship gap from eight points to a single point. 

“It was tough. The McLarens were pushing me very hard," Verstappen said after the win. "The two McLarens were pushing



me very hard and it was a lot of fun out there. Not easy of course to manage the tyres but I’m incredibly happy. It started off quite tough this weekend but we didn’t give up, we kept improving the car and today it was in its best form. Of course starting on pole really made it possible to win this race."

Behind these three, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came fourth ahead of the two Mercedes of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in fifth and sixth, respectively. Leclerc's partner and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton finished seventh, ahead of Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls, Alex Albon of Williams and Ollie Bearmann of Haas.

Verstappen's partner Yuki Tsunoda, who has replaced Liam Lawson in the other Red Bull, finished just outside the points on 12th in his first race for Red Bull. Meanwhile, Lawson was 17th for RB.