F1 2025 Japanese Grand Prix starting grid with penalties as drivers ….read more
Max Verstappen secured an incredible pole position for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, smashing the lap record at Suzuka in a spectacular fashion. During qualifying on Saturday, the Dutch driver outperformed Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, setting the fastest time of 1:26.983 seconds. Verstappen’s remarkable performance left Norris just 0.012 seconds behind, and Piastri trailed by a mere 0.044 seconds, ensuring the McLaren duo would start alongside Verstappen on the front row of the grid for Sunday’s race.
While Verstappen’s pole position and the McLaren pair’s close times were exciting, the qualifying results weren’t final once the session ended. Later that day, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton during the first corner of the qualifying session. This penalty shuffled the starting positions, moving Sainz down the grid and allowing several drivers to gain positions.
As a result, the top five positions on the grid were set with Verstappen in pole, followed by Norris and Piastri in second and third. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured fourth place, with Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli rounding out the top six. Isack Hadjar, driving for Racing Bulls, managed to fight through an incredibly painful seatbelt issue and managed to qualify seventh. His result was particularly impressive, considering the difficulty he faced in the car. Right behind him in eighth place was Lewis Hamilton, who also had a tough day, just ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon in ninth.
The rest of the top ten included Haas’ Ollie Bearman in tenth, with Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso starting 11th and 12th for Alpine and Aston Martin, respectively. The rest of the grid saw Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls’ newest driver, climb to 13th after Sainz’s penalty pushed him up one place. He will start just ahead of his Red Bull teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, who starts 14th.
Carlos Sainz’s penalty also meant that he was pushed back to 15th on the grid, directly behind Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg. The rest of the positions included Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Haas’ Esteban Ocon in 16th and 17th places. Alpine’s Jack Doohan qualified 18th, with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll finishing the session in 20th.
With all penalties accounted for, the final starting grid for the Japanese Grand Prix is confirmed. Verstappen, as pole sitter, will lead the race, followed by the McLaren duo of Norris and Piastri in second and third. Leclerc and the Mercedes drivers, Russell and Antonelli, complete the top six, while Hadjar, Hamilton, Albon, and Bearman fill out the top ten. The mid-pack positions include Gasly, Alonso, Lawson, Tsunoda, Sainz, Hulkenberg, Bortoleto, Ocon, Doohan, and Stroll, with Sainz’s penalty pushing him down to 15th and Stroll starting from the back.
The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix will take place on Sunday, with the race starting at 2:00 PM local time (JST) at the Suzuka Circuit. For viewers around the world, the race will start at different times depending on the local time zone.
For fans in the United Kingdom (BST), the race will start at 6:00 AM on Sunday. Those in Central European Time (CEST) will have to tune in at 7:00 AM. In the United States, the race will be broadcast starting at 1:00 AM EDT, 12:00 AM CDT, and 10:00 PM PDT on Saturday night, catering to a wide range of time zones across the country. In Australia, fans will have to watch the race at either 3:00 PM AEDT, 1:00 PM AWST, or 2:30 PM ACDT, depending on the region.
For viewers in Mexico, the race will start at 11:00 PM CST on Saturday, while in China, the race will be at 1:00 PM CST on Sunday. South African fans will watch the race at 7:00 AM SAST, with viewers in Egypt and other parts of the Middle East tuning in at 7:00 AM EET and 8:00 AM AST, respectively. The race will begin at 9:00 AM GST in the United Arab Emirates and 8:00 AM EEST in Turkey. Fans in India can expect the race to start at 10:30 AM IST, and in Brazil, the race will air at 2:00 AM BST on Sunday. Singapore will see the action unfold at 1:00 PM SGT.
The Japanese Grand Prix is shaping up to be an exciting race, with Verstappen and the McLaren duo in strong positions, while other drivers like Leclerc, Hamilton, and the Mercedes pair will be looking to capitalize on any mistakes or opportunities in what promises to be a thrilling contest at Suzuka. The penalties applied in the grid order have made for some intriguing grid placements, setting up a race that could see plenty of action and surprises as the drivers battle it out on one of the most challenging circuits in Formula 1.
