Suzuka, April 4, 2025 – by GP Thread
Max Verstappen expressed growing concern over Red Bull’s pace at the Japanese Grand Prix after a disrupted first day of practice at Suzuka. The Dutchman finished fifth in the opening session and dropped to eighth in the second, as red flags dominated proceedings on Friday.
“It definitely wasn’t an easy day,” said the 27-year-old in the paddock. “With all the red flags, we couldn’t complete our full program – though that was the case for everyone, to be fair.”
The second practice session was particularly chaotic, with four red flag interruptions. It began with a heavy crash for Alpine’s Jack Doohan, followed by a spin from Fernando Alonso and two small fires near the edge of the circuit – likely sparked by debris or contact between cars and the grass.
Verstappen revealed that the team tried several different setups throughout the day, but nothing clicked.
“We experimented with a lot of things on the car,” he explained. “But it was hard to put a clean lap together. On a track like this, you need full confidence and commitment as a driver. Right now, I just don’t have that – so there’s definitely work to do.”
McLaren Sets the Pace Again
While Red Bull struggled, McLaren looked strong once again. Lando Norris topped the timesheets in Free Practice 1, while Oscar Piastri led the way in FP2. McLaren’s pace continues to impress in 2025, with Norris winning the season opener in Australia and Piastri taking victory in China.
Verstappen and Red Bull will need to regroup quickly ahead of Saturday’s qualifying session if they hope to challenge McLaren’s dominance this weekend.