Guide to the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix as F1 heads to Suzuka for the third round of the season.
With McLaren and Lando Norris currently leading the respective constructors and driver’s title battles, those behind them will be hoping to make up some ground after having had nearly two weeks to analyse data from the opening two rounds.
There however is change already in the air as Liam Lawson return to Racing Bulls, having been demoted from his seat at Red Bull in a swap with Yuki Tsunoda who steps into the main team from his home race onwards.
Now, here is a guide to everything that you must know ahead of 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.
Track Guide
Circuit: Suzuka International Circuit
Laps: 53
Race Distance: 305.573km
Tyre Compounds: C1, C2 & C3
Schedule
| Date | Session | Time (BST) |
| Friday 4 April | FP1 | 3:30am |
| Friday 4 April | FP2 | 7:00am |
| Saturday 5 April | FP3 | 3:30am |
| Saturday 5 April | Qualifying | 7:00am |
| Sunday 6 April | Race | 6:00am |
Four Key Pointers
- Having had a week off following the Chinese GP, this round will mark the first opportunity for some teams to bring upgrades to a race weekend this season.
- The opening sector has been resurfaced which will pose an initial challenge for teams in terms of understanding the surface as quickly as possible to extract maximum lap time possible.
- With cool temperatures forecast for the weekend, teams will need to learn how to quickly get the tyres into the correct working range which particularly impacted Red Bull in the opening two rounds.
- There is a risk of rain for the race which could provide a similar test to Australia in terms of understanding tyre grip, especially in the resurfaced first sector.
Last Time Out
Max Verstappen dominated F1’s visit to Suzuka in 2024 to take victory ahead of Sergio Perez in an one-two finish for Red Bull, after the race had been red flagged on the opening lap due to a Turn 2 incident between Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo.
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