2025 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix Highlights

For the third round of the 2025 Formula One World Championship, the team made their way across the East China Sea from Shanghai to Suzuka. Get the thoughts of Lance, Fernando and the team from across the weekend.

Rain fell on Suzuka Circuit ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, and clouds continued to loom over the track, with a 40 per cent chance of precipitation during the race itself. Following a penalty for Carlos Sainz, Fernando began the race from P12 on the Medium tyre. Starting from P20, Lance opted for the Soft compound.

Both drivers made up a place on the Grand Prix’s opening lap. Lance and Fernando pitted for Hard tyres at the end of Laps 9 and 24, respectively. Lance made his second stop midway through the race, coming in for Mediums. Fernando finished just outside the points in P11.

Fernando Alonso, Driver, Aston Martin F1 Team

💥 It was a tough race today at Suzuka. 🏁 We pushed hard, but in the end, we came up just short of the points. ⚔️

👀 I had Pierre [Gasly] within a second in the first half and Yuki [Tsunoda] close behind in the second – 🏎️ no room for mistakes, no time to relax. ⏱️

❤️ I love this circuit – it’s a true driver’s track – but overtaking here is a real challenge. 🚧 We need to unlock more performance from the car, and I’m confident that development is coming. 🔧📈

Lance Stroll, Driver, Aston Martin F1 Team

Ultimately, there wasn’t much we could do today. We gave it a shot at the start, trying to gain a few positions, but it just didn’t materialize. 🚗💨

That said, it was still a valuable opportunity to learn – especially with setups for Bahrain. 🏁📊 We gathered some valuable data, and now it’s about moving forward. 🔧📈

It was just one of those tough race days – eyes ahead to next weekend. 👀⏳

Andy Cowell, CEO & Team Principal, Aston Martin F1 Team

Today’s race presented its fair share of challenges. 🚗💨 We looked to capitalize on any opportunity that came our way, but truthfully, there were very few on offer. ❌

Fernando drove a strong race 💪, our strategy team executed well 📊, and finishing eleventh was ultimately the most we could extract. 🏁

For Lance, starting further back made it incredibly tough to gain ground – especially on a track like Suzuka, where overtaking is limited. 🏎️💨

This race has shed light on several areas we need to improve. 🔧📈 It’s all part of the process – learning, building, and moving forward. ➡️ Bahrain awaits. 🌍

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