Lando Norris Questions McLaren's Strategy After Max Verstappen Romps Home to Victory in Japanese GP 2025

Max Verstappen produced a drive for the ages when he took home the victory in the latest round of the 2025 Formula 1 world championship at the Japanese GP 2025 on Sunday (April 6).

Verstappen led from the outset and was never troubled much on a track where overtaking opportunities were limited and the aerodynamic challenges made it harder for drivers to follow. 

ALSO READ | Japanese GP: Red Bull's Max Verstappen Clinches Maiden Win In F1 2025 Season

However, that did not stop Lando Norris, the McLaren driver leading the F1 world driver's championship, to question whether his team could have tried something different to throw Red Bull off track. 

"Maybe we could have tried a bit more with strategy and overcut or undercut. We just boxed on the same lap for some reason, so there are some things we’ll discuss. Hindsight is a wonderful thing," Norris said after the race. 

Norris still leads the championship with 62 points, but Verstappen is now only 1 point behind him. 

McLaren Left Frustrated

The big issue for the McLaren drivers was that following and overtaking proved extremely difficult at Suzuka. 

The McLarens showed plenty of pace in clean air, but were unable to follow Verstappen well and the defending world champion ensured he didn't make a mistake while running in clean air, which was enough to keep his rivals behind. 

"Max didn’t make any mistakes and drove a good race—being in clean air was enough to stay in that position. Our pace was probably slightly better, but not enough to get through the dirty air, get into the DRS, and then passing is a whole other story because it’s pretty much impossible to pass here," Norris said.

Double Header Offers McLaren Redemption Hope

The good news for McLaren and Norris is that there are two back-to-back races coming up which should offer them chances to claw back their advantage. 

The next race is set to be held in Bahrain in the coming week, and that will be followed by a race in Saudi Arabia.