Highlights of the Japanese Grand Prix
In addition to the constant competition among the leaders in Sunday’s race, which was often dramatic in the live stream even though the race order didn’t change, several other notable performances, especially from rookie drivers, were in the Japanese Grand Prix.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli finished in the top six for the third consecutive Grand Prix, which puts him ahead of many experienced drivers, including former World Champions Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
Other rookies who finished in the top ten in Sunday’s race, which is significant because it earns Championship points for themselves and their teams, were Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar in eighth place and Oliver Bearman, who finished tenth driving for Haas.
Yuki Tsunoda `isn’t a rookie, but he drove for Red Bull for the first time Sunday. This was doubly important for Yuki because it was his home race in Japan. Tsunoda did well, and pleased Red Bull driver development director Helmet Marko, but a single mistake during the Qualifying event saw Tsunoda finish in 15th position.
After Williams driver Carlos Sainz was penalized three starting positions after Qualifying, Tsunoda started the Grand Prix in fourteenth position. He improved slightly to finish twelfth in the race, but he wanted to finish in the points in his first outing as a Red Bull driver, for the team and for his home track fans.
Drivers and Constructors Championship standingsWhat
We’ve only completed three of the 24 Grand Prix in the 2025 F1 schedule, so it’s still early, and much can and will change. In 2024, Lando Norris was the closest contender to threaten Verstappen’s Drivers Championship crown. Verstappen prevailed and won his fourth consecutive title.
This year, Norris is favored to win because McLaren has the superior cars. Piastri is also a threat. However, Max continues to demonstrate that he’s the best driver. This competition asks the question: “Is it the car or the driver that wins the race.?”
Driver Championship points:
| Place | Driver | Team | Championship Points |
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 62 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 61 |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 49 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 45 |
| 5 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 30 |
| 6 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 20 |
| 7 | Alex Albon | Williams | 18 |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 15 |
| 9 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 10 |
| 10 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 10 |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 6 |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 5 |
| 13 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 4 |
| 14 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | 3 |
| 15 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1 |
| 16 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 0 |
| 17 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 0 |
| 18 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 0 |
| 19 | Jack Doohan | Alpine | 0 |
| 20 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 0 |
Winning the Constructors competition requires two drivers who consistently finish high in Championship points. McLaren and Mercedes have two top-scoring drivers, but Red Bull does not. Those realities are reflected in the following team standings.
Constructor Championship points:
| McLaren | 111 |
| Mercedes | 75 |
| Red Bull | 61 |
| Ferrari | 35 |
| Williams | 19 |
| Haas | 15 |
| Aston Martin | 10 |
| Racing Bulls | 7 |
| Kic Sauber | 6 |
| Alpine | 0 |
The next F1 race is the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2025 April 11 t0 13.
