What time does the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix start?

16:30, 04 Apr

byOlly Darcy

The 2025 Formula 1 season is back after a week off, with the pinnacle of motorsport continuing in Asia with the Japanese Grand Prix. McLaren won the first two races this year, with Lando Norris winning at the Australian Grand Prix and Oscar Piastri at the Chinese Grand Prix. Now, the focus shifts to Suzuka.

Suzuka Circuit, Japan

McLaren dominate Friday to underline credentials

As has been the case for the first two Grands Prix in Melbourne and Shanghai, it was McLaren who had the pace that no one could match. On Friday, free practice one and two took place, and it was Norris who came out on top, finishing a tenth of a second clear of Geroge Russell in second, while the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton took P3 and P4, respectively.

Max Verstappen could only set the fifth fastest time of the session, while new teammate Yuki Tsunoda put in a fine performance in his first session at Red Bull, coming in P6, just a tenth of a second behind his Dutch teammate.

Read also

In the second free practice session, teams and drivers were hampered badly by a hectic session, with four red flags hindering their practice programmes. Crashes for Jack Doohan and Fernando Alonso saw two red flags come out, with the other two stoppages occurring bizarrely, as the sparks from the 2025 cars set the parched grass, which surrounds Suzuka, alight.

Some drivers did not get the chance to put the soft tyres on and do their qualifying simulations, meaning the order was shaken up quite dramatically. However, Piastri was able to take P1 when the chequered flag fell, with his teammate Norris right behind him in P2. The Racing Bulls car of Isack Hadjar rounded out the top three, while Liam Lawson, who was demoted from Red Bull, finished ahead of Max Verstappen, too, with all three running the soft tyres.