The stakes are sky-high for Yuki Tsunoda as he takes his chance to drive for Red Bull on home ground and potentially secure his future in Formula 1.
Here are the talking points for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Next into the lion’s den
Even by Red Bull’s standards, booting Liam Lawson out after just two rounds was a brutal call.
But his departure hands a precious opportunity to a driver whose chances of staying in Formula 1 beyond the end of this year did not look great beforehand.
Having been passed over for the Red Bull seat at the end of last year, Yuki Tsunoda faced a fifth season at their second team. His prospects of being promoted to their top squad appeared to be over and nor were there any obvious opportunities at rival teams.
Now he’s been handed the chance he was denied at the end of last year. With four years’ experience, he is certainly better placed than Lawson to take advantage of it. But now it’s all about how he delivers.
He is the third different driver in four races to occupy the garage adjacent to that of world champion Max Verstappen. Lawson and Sergio Perez before him couldn’t make the Red Bull handle to their liking.
Not only must Tsunoda succeed where they failed, he needs to do it at one of the most demanding tracks on the calendar with all the attendant pressure of being the only Japanese representative on the grid. This will be his toughest challenge in F1 by a long way.
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Doohan compromised
Mastering Suzuka in an unfamiliar car is no trivial matter for a driver as experienced as Tsunoda. So spare a thought for Jack Doohan, who in only his fourth appearance has been told he must sit out first practice in order to let the team’s reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa run on home ground.
This is a surprising decision by Alpine as it deprives Doohan of vital practice time early in the season at a particularly challenging track where drivers benefit from every lap they can get to build up their confidence. Those who believe some in his team have long been planning to replace him with another driver, such as Franco Colapinto, will suspect the hand of Flavio Briatore in this.
McLaren’s winning run
McLaren head to Suzuka having won the last three grands prix in a row. Are the reigning constructors’ champions now a dominant force in Formula 1 or will one of their rivals disrupt their run this weekend?
Lando Norris controlled proceedings in the final race of last season and prevailed in rainy conditions at Melbourne despite a Safety Car period wiping out McLaren’s lead at one stage. In China he had to settle for second place behind team mate Oscar Piastri.
The MCL39 is undoubtedly a potent but also tricky to handle at the limit. Both Norris and Piastri were caught out by its balance at times in China, committing minor errors. Suzuka, a narrow track with little run-off in places, threatens to punish any slip-ups of that type far more harshly.
Meanwhile the competitive picture behind McLaren is still coming into focus. Verstappen made the rare admission he left lap time on the table during his first stint in Shanghai, so spooked were Red Bull by the steep degradation they encountered on the medium rubber during the sprint race.
Lewis Hamilton’s sprint race victory show Ferrari can spring a surprise and George Russell has been within range in his Mercedes. His claim McLaren’s advantage at present is comparable to Red Bull’s in 2023 is obvious hyperbole: They are ahead, but far from unbeatable.
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Honda’s home celebration
Four years after Red Bull originally planned to honour Honda with a special livery at the manufacturer’s home race – but were thwarted when the round was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic – the team will do so this weekend. Red Bull has revealed the special white-and-red colour scheme the RB21s will sport at Suzuka.
They and junior team Racing Bulls will also carry special logos marking their final season using Honda power units. Will they say ‘sayonara’ with a win?
Red Bull will begin using their own hybrid power units, developed in conjunction with Ford, while Aston Martin will team up with Honda. But Red Bull and Honda have been a formidable combination over recent years, and there must be some regret on both sides about the succession of decisions which has led them to part ways.
Ferrari fumbling – and not fast enough?
It hasn’t been a smooth start to the season for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton’s sprint race victory in China appears to have been a false dawn.
That triumph was a welcome tonic following the frustrations of Albert Park, where both drivers slipped down the order after pitting too late to switch to intermediate tyres when it rained. In China neither were quite quick enough, they lost too much time switching positions and then both were disqualified – for different reasons.
Beneath all that is a nagging concern that the car isn’t quite quick enough. They’ve already lost significant ground to their main rivals over the opening rounds and need to steady the ship with a solid result this weekend.
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Are you going to the Japanese Grand Prix?
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Who do you think will be the team to beat in the Japanese Grand Prix? Have your say below.
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2025 Japanese Grand Prix
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