F1: Max Verstappen thrilled with fourth successive Japanese GP win
What's the story
Max Verstappen was over the moon after winning the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, his fourth consecutive victory at the Suzuka Circuit.
The reigning F1 world champion had a shaky start to the weekend and just about avoided an incident with Lando Norris at the pit exit.
However, he led the race from pole, holding off fierce competition from McLaren's Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Here's what Verstappen said.
Incident
Tense moment at pit exit
During his only pit stop, Verstappen and Norris both pitted on the same lap.
A slightly slow stop from Red Bull led to a tense moment at the pit exit, where Norris appeared alongside Verstappen.
This resulted in a side-by-side situation that forced Norris onto the grass.
Despite this, Verstappen held his lead for the rest of the 53-lap race and won by 1.4 seconds over Norris.
Post-race analysis
I'm incredibly happy, says Verstappen
"It was tough, [I was] just pushing very hard especially on the last set [of tyres]," said Verstappen.
"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."
Emotional attachment
Verstappen's connection with Suzuka Circuit
Verstappen revealed the emotional importance of the Suzuka Circuit in his career, particularly in Red Bull's last year of partnership with Japanese manufacturer Honda.
"It means a lot to me," he said. "I was like I need to try and stay ahead, it would be a great story for our final farewell race together with Honda here in Japan."
He said their partnership over the years is something he is incredibly proud of.
Pressure management
Verstappen downplays pressure from McLaren drivers
Despite the fierce competition, Verstappen played down any major pressure from the McLaren drivers.
He admitted that he stayed calm during the race and concentrated on his own laps without errors.
"I was quite calm," he said. "I've been in this position before, but I just tried to focus on my own laps, trying to not make any mistakes."
He also noted the close scenario at the pit lane with Norris but handled it well.
Stats
114th podium finish and 64th race win for the Dutchman
Verstappen has now won his 64th race in Formula 1.
Lewis Hamilton leads the way with 105 wins ahead of Michael Schumacher (91).
Verstappen has also claimed his 114th podium finish. He also has two podiums this season. He finished 2nd at the Australian Open 2025 behind Norris.
In the previous race at Chinese GP, he took 4th place.