Why the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix wasn’t boring

The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix wasn’t a thriller. However to say it was boring would do an injustice not solely to the race itself, however to one of many best performances by one of many best drivers in F1 historical past.

It wasn’t a race F1 would win new followers with. Certainly, for somebody who occurred to activate the TV (is that also a factor?) early Sunday morning in Europe, or very late on Saturday night time within the US, and noticed an F1 race for the primary time, it wouldn’t have been one to get them hooked.

However for many who have adopted F1 for years, this race had one thing to supply. Not an overtaking fest, however a masterclass drive from one of many sport’s greats.

Perfection is usually boring, however understanding the context, it certainly wasn’t a stroll within the park for Max Verstappen. Holding off two quicker automobiles for 53 laps is one thing maybe solely he might do – and doing it with seeming ease made it all of the extra spectacular.

No, Suzuka isn’t one of the best observe for overtaking – however is it unimaginable to cross? No. One lock-up might need been all Lando Norris wanted to get shut and launch an assault. But Verstappen was flawless.

After all, it wasn’t Imola 2005 once more. Norris wasn’t glued to the rear wing of Verstappen’s Crimson Bull, nor was he consistently switching strains making an attempt to impress a mistake. McLaren was by no means shut sufficient to actually get excited a few wheel-to-wheel battle. But it surely nonetheless was a chase from begin to end – with an added bonus within the type of the pit exit combat.

Typically we’ve to decide on what to moan about.

Isn’t it widespread to lengthy for the previous days when drivers might push flat out from begin to end? Isn’t conserving old-school tracks on the F1 calendar a frequent level of nostalgia amongst true followers? Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix – with cooler temperatures that successfully eradicated tyre degradation and allowed drivers to not fear about rubber administration – was precisely that. In some methods, it was a race for “true” F1 followers.

And what concerning the automobiles being the dominant issue within the consequence? It’s completely true that you may’t win in F1 and not using a good automobile – however Suzuka was a reminder that driver expertise nonetheless counts. Typically it’s even sufficient to beat quicker automobiles.

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing

Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photographs

Would such a win be potential at different tracks? Most likely not. If the identical state of affairs performs out this weekend in Bahrain, Max might not be capable of dangle on. Certainly, Norris – and possibly Oscar Piastri too – would have had a greater likelihood to cross Verstappen someplace like Austin with its lengthy again straight.

However finally, would two DRS passes have made the Japanese GP any extra spectacular? That relies upon, after all, on how fiercely Max would’ve defended – and he’s not somebody who provides up simply – but when Suzuka’s format had allowed extra overtaking, we would’ve seen a McLaren one-two. And that may’ve been boring, for positive!

A lot has been stated concerning the race being selected Saturday – and the ending order, which largely mirrored qualifying, confirms that. However even when that’s true, it solely makes Verstappen’s win extra spectacular. As a result of if the race was received because of a 0.012s margin – with the Dutchman delivering a very gorgeous lap – that’s peak F1. The highest three on Saturday have been cut up by simply 0.044s. How is that not spectacular?

What it reveals is that final velocity nonetheless issues in F1. Had Verstappen been a fraction slower on his last lap in qualifying, he wouldn’t have left Suzuka with only a one-point hole to Norris within the standings. And arguably, there’s extra to have fun about this race than complain about: the higher driver received on what’s extensively hailed as a ‘drivers’ observe’.

The reality is, F1 received’t all the time ship a spectacle when it comes to overtakes. There might be boring races, it doesn’t matter what guidelines are launched. However that’s true of any sport. Nonetheless, is each 0–0 between high soccer groups mechanically extra boring than a goal-fest within the decrease leagues? The great thing about elite sport lies in rigidity too – and there was loads of that in Suzuka on Sunday.

Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing

Picture by: Peter Fox – Getty Photographs

In spite of everything, if it was solely about spectacle, Moto3 would have already overtaken each different motorsport in scores.

Positive, the 2025 Japanese GP wasn’t one of the best race ever. But it surely was one to recollect, because of Verstappen. He’s contributed to his fair proportion of processional races, pulling away from the pack and cruising to the end. However his drive in Suzuka was one thing else. If something, it was one of many best particular person athletic performances. And for those who add the staff effort – delivering a automobile able to combating the McLarens on Saturday and executing the proper technique on Sunday – it turns into much more particular.

And Suzuka… Nicely, perhaps it’s not trendy sufficient to permit correct wheel-to-wheel racing within the large F1 automobiles of as we speak. However that’s no motive to name Hermann Tilke for some corners to be redesigned. The F1 world championship has 24 races on 24 totally different tracks, and if just a few of them nonetheless reward an excellent lap in qualifying, that’s not a nasty factor.

In any case, there’s little question that lots of those that turned on their TVs particularly to look at this Grand Prix didn’t stroll away disenchanted.