Automotors

A qualifying lap for the ages and an impressive batch of rookies brightened up Formula 1’s tepid Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Here’s who impressed us at Suzuka and who didn’t make the gradeWinner: Max VerstappenThere aren’t enough superlatives to describe Verstappen’s Japanese Grand Prix performance. Much has been made of Red Bull’s second car failures, with Yuki Tsunoda making an …Keep reading

For a circuit as famously difficult to master as Suzuka, seeing three Formula 1 rookies secure points during the Japanese Grand Prix is a testament to the ability of the new breed of driver coming through the ranks.While reigning world champion Max Verstappen sealed a fine victory ahead of the chasing McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, a trio of inexperienced drivers also …Keep reading

Fred Vasseur believes the current Formula 1 season is in danger of becoming a “quali world championship” with overtaking at a premium in the past two rounds.While the 2025 campaign began with a frantic Australian Grand Prix, the changeable weather played a key part in ensuring plenty of on-track action.It has been a different story, though, in both the Chinese Grand Prix and this …Keep reading

McLaren says it had to choose between potentially sacrificing Oscar Piastri or losing time to Max Verstappen on new hard tyres when it came to Lando Norris’ Japanese Grand Prix strategy, which explains the decision to pit the Briton on the same lap as the Red Bull driver.Team principal Andrea Stella has explained the team’s strategic options following a drab affair at Suzuka, which he felt had …Keep reading

Lando Norris says McLaren should have pitted him before Max Verstappen to try to defeat the Red Bull Formula 1 driver, but thinks the Suzuka race was lost in qualifying.Verstappen safeguarded his lead from pole on the first lap, and the four-time champion then never really looked under serious threat from the chasing McLaren duo of Norris and Oscar Piastri.While the McLarens were the …Keep reading

Max Verstappen held off the two McLarens throughout the Japanese Grand Prix to clinch his first Formula 1 victory of 2025, crossing the line with a 1.4-second advantage.The Red Bull driver capitalised on his impressive qualifying run to put together a controlled drive at the front of the order, ensuring that he did not wilt under the scrutiny from the two McLarens behind – as Lando Norris and …Keep reading

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed an impressive pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix and went on take his first Formula 1 victory of the season.The McLaren duo completed the podium as the majority of the top 10 finished in grid order.Here’s what our team of writers thought straight after the finish in Suzuka.Verstappen won’t give up on fifth titleIf the weekend in Suzuka …Keep reading

When Denny Hamlin crossed the start-finish line at Martinsville for his 55th career win, it also placed him in a tie for 11th on the all-time wins list. He and the rest of the Cup Series field now head to Darlington where Hamlin has more wins than any other active driver (four) with his most recent coming in 2021.While always battling near the front of the field, Hamlin was facing a 31-race …Keep reading

Brandon Jones snapped a three-year winless streak after taking victory in a dramatic NASCAR Xfinity race at Darlington. His last victory came 98 races ago at Martinsville early in the 2022 season. “It’s all for my confidence but it’s also nice to prove some haters and some people who said I wasn’t capable of doing it wrong again,” said Jones, who now has six wins as a NASCAR Xfinity Series …Keep reading

Damon Hill has made no secret of the fact he isn’t Max Verstappen’s biggest fan. The 1996 world champion previously called the Red Bull driver a “cry baby” and claimed he uses “fear and intimidation” against his rivals. However, Hill had a simple, four-word response to the 27-year-old’s stunning Suzuka lap that secured him pole position at tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix. The …Keep reading