This weekend’s Japan Grand Prix kicks off the first triple header of F1 for the 2025 season.
There’s a lot to keep an eye on heading into the third round of the season after two dramatic opening races and many storylines dominate both on and off.
As the paddock descends, here are some of the biggest points to talk about…
Can Yuki Tsunoda be adapted where others have failed?
Following Red Bull’s ruthless decision to replace drivers just two rounds of the season, there’s more focus surrounding home hero Yuki Tsunoda.
Tsunoda was promoted to Red Bull partner Max Verstappen, and Liam Lawson returned to the sister team Racing Bulls in a direct swap after the start of the campaign nightmare.
The 24-year-old Japanese racer finally realizes his dream of getting a lot of shots on his home main Red Bull team, but Tsunoda faces a huge and difficult job.
The Tsunoda took over the RB21 car, destroying Lawson’s confidence and has proven to be extremely challenging to drive. How quickly the Zonodas can adapt to Red Bull’s tricky 2025 Challenger without the benefits of pre-season testing is one of the biggest questions heading into the weekend.
Red Bull clearly feels that it won’t go any worse than how things went in China, where Lawson last qualified in both the Sprint and the Main Grand Prix. The team doesn’t expect Tsunoda to be at Verstappen’s pace anytime soon, but Red Bull needs him to score closer.
Will Tsunoda, backed by massive home support, be able to defy the driver’s tendencies that are struggling in the second seat of Red Bull, or will he end up suffering the same fate as the person who went before him?
How will Liam Lawson respond?
Liam Lawson was sent back to the Racing Bulls
Lawson is forced to tackle the heartbreak of losing his Red Bull seat in a brutal way.
Red Bull claims that Lawson has not been demoted but instead protects him by moving into a less-than-pressure environment, hoping he will be able to regain confidence, claiming that Mojo is easier to drive in the car but easier to chase bruises on the main team.
Lawson had to demonstrate some of his spiritual resolve, and Steel Red Bull trusted him when he was originally nodded against Tsunoda to replace Sergio Perez despite completing 11 Grand Prixes in two years.
It’s important to know how the 23-year-old Kiwi reacts to set-ups. Lawson has the hope that he can get back to a performance like the one he first won the promotion and thriving with the Racing Bulls along with French rookie Isac Hajar.
Lawson just needs to see how Pierre Guthrie and Alex Albon bouncing off winning the boots for Red Bull to get the inspiration that this difficult chapter doesn’t necessarily define him.
Can someone stop McLaren?
Rand Norris and Oscar Piastri
©XPB Image
McLaren has a near-perfect start to the 2025 season, earning both Grand Prixes and claiming a 1-2 finish in Shanghai last time.
Following last year’s Constructors Championship victory, McLaren responded to the billing as a team in 2025, with MCL39 certifying its benchmark package.
Rand Norris defeated Verstappen to win a wet, chaotic season opener in Australia. Oscar Piastri then claimed a compelling victory in China, leading home Norris in the team’s first year.
McLaren’s performance at the Chinese Grand Prix was particularly eye-catching thanks to Piastri’s domination. Both Norris and Piastri have won pole positions and Grand Prix wins, highlighting that their cars are in the field class early in 2025.
McLaren quickly rejected the proposal that Mercedes driver George Russell could win every race this year, but stopping McLaren would certainly take something special soon. So far, Mercedes and Red Bull have looked like the biggest threats to McLaren.
McLaren heads to Suzuka as a solid favourite around the highway truck that should fit their cars. When McLaren holds the advantage, all eyes turn into an in-team battle as Norris and Piastri are only 10 points apart.
Will Ferrari get the season back on track?
Lewis Hamilton won Ferrari’s first race in the Chinese sprint
Ferrari has had the worst start of the season since 2009.
It was a truly terrifying opening in 2025, with Ferrari taking fifth place in the Constructors Championship, which scored just 17 points in the opening two rounds.
Ferrari was considered to be the closest challenge for McLaren before the season, but the Italian team hasn’t quite below expectations.
There is clearly a possibility for the SF-25. Lewis Hamilton showed a glimpse of winning the first Ferrari pole position in the Chinese sprint, but his performance in Australia and his major Grand Prix in Shanghai were modest to say the least.
After finishing fifth and sixth in China, Ferrari cost 18 points, leaving behind a 61 McLaren drift. Meanwhile, both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are already on track for drivers.
Ferrari really needs a good show in Japan to get the season back on track. Otherwise, they can see their championship resolutions sound before they even have the opportunity to really begin.
Can the sign find the answer he needs?
Carlos Signs
After such a positive preseason, it’s safe to say that it was a modest start to life with Williams in Carlos Sign.
Winning the battle for Sainz’s signature after Ferrari’s seat was filmed by Hamilton was considered a massive coup for Williams, but the four-time Grand Prix winner struggled to make it into the season.
Sainz has been outperformed by his teammate Alex Albon up until now, and had a particularly disappointing weekend in China, where he struggled with the pace.
Sainz wasn’t the smoothest of the start, but Williams enjoys a very positive start until 2025. They are sitting fourth in the championship ahead of Ferrari.
Sainz is baffled by his early Williams performance as he continues to adapt to his new team and cars. Can he find some of the answers that need to head to this triple header?