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Max Verstappen is looking forward to racing in Japan this weekend, a track that has special memories for the Dutch driver. He clinched his second title at the track in 2022, and did so in torrential conditions.
The track at Suzuka has its challenges for sure, but it continues to be one of the favorites for every driver on the grid. Verstappen secured a P2 finish in the first race of the 2025 season in Melbourne, behind Lando Norris. In the second race of the season, the four-time champion was outscored by just one point by the McLaren driver.
With that being said, Suzuka is a track that should suit McLaren this time around. It is a track where Max Verstappen is on a three-race winning streak after dominating the event since 2022. Ahead of the race weekend, he spoke to the media and expressed his thoughts about the track.
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"Suzuka has always been a special circuit to race at with a lot of history for us, especially winning the Constructors’ Championship in 2023 and my second Drivers’ Championship here too."
Talking about how this would be Yuki Tsunoda's first race weekend as a Red Bull driver at Suzuka, Verstappen reflected:
"Of course, it is Yuki’s first race with the Team in front of his home crowd so it will be a busy race to welcome him to the Team! We have a special white Japan livery this week that is a tribute to Honda, which looks cool, and I am also racing in my white Japan helmet, inspired by the livery. I’m looking forward to spending some time here in Japan and to be able relax a bit too in Tokyo before the Showrun and before heading to Suzuka."
Coming into the weekend, Verstappen is looking at a championship deficit of 8 points to Lando Norris.
Max Verstappen looking at the positives from China GP
The race weekend in China was not ideal when it came to performance for Max Verstappen or Red Bull as he could only secure a P3 in the sprint and a P4 in the race. However, Verstappen's final stint highlighted a positive aspect, where his car came alive and he was the fastest on the grid.
Talking about his performance at the Shanghai International Circuit, Verstappen said:
"Looking back to China, on the second stint the performance was a lot more promising, and we were seeing a lot more pace in the car. The Team has been working hard to optimise our performance and I have been back at the factory on the sim this week too."
Max Verstappen will enter into the F1 Japanese GP on the back of a three-race winning streak at this track. With McLaren being touted as the grid leaders in terms of car performance, it would be interesting to see what result he can get out of the car this weekend.
