2025 F1 Japanese GP driver ratings: Possible Lewis Hamilton successor shines

Here are our driver ratings after the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

Max Verstappen - 10

Max Verstappen produced one of the best weekends of his F1 career with a lights-to-flag victory at Suzuka. His Red Bull RB21 had no right to be on the pole, but he managed to do it. There’s no way anyone can doubt the brilliance of Verstappen now.

Lando Norris - 7.5

Due to McLaren having the fastest car at Suzuka, it’s hard to rate Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri’s performances too highly. He beat his teammate despite looking slower in the second stint.

Oscar Piastri - 7

Piastri would have been disappointed to have lost out to Norris in qualifying. A poor opening sector of the lap meant he had too much to do for the rest of it. While Piastri could not get ahead of Norris in the race, it’s clear that the Australian has made significant steps forward compared to last year.

Charles Leclerc - 9

There’s not much more Charles Leclerc could have done in Japan. He beat both Mercedes drivers and his teammate. It was a fine weekend overall.

George Russell - 8

George Russell continued his strong start to the year with another top-five finish. Mercedes looked quicker than Ferrari - but Russell lost out to Leclerc in qualifying. He pressured him in the early phase of the race before settling for fifth.

Kimi Antonelli - 8

After struggling for much of practice, Antonelli recovered well to secure sixth on the grid, just behind his teammate. A mammoth first stint allowed Antonelli to go long before switching to the hards. His final stint was also impressive, finishing a few seconds behind Russell.

Lewis Hamilton - 6.5

Lewis Hamilton’s performance in Japan was reminiscent of his displays for Mercedes last year. Uninspiring and off the pace. Work to do for the seven-time world champion.

Isack Hadjar - 9

Aside from Verstappen, Isack Hadjar was the star of the weekend. He was the second-best Red Bull-backed driver across the weekend and battled uncomfortable pain during qualifying to beat his idol, Hamilton.

Alex Albon - 8.5

Another strong weekend from Alex Albon, who continues to keep Carlos Sainz at arm’s length. Q3 and a points finish. You can’t ask for much more.

Ollie Bearman - 9

Another star performer in the midfield was Ollie Bearman. He completely out-classed Haas teammate Esteban Ocon across the weekend at Suzuka. Given Haas’ high-speed struggles, the Ferrari academy driver drove beautifully in Japan. 

Fernando Alonso - 6.5

Another lacklustre weekend for Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin. The car never looked like scoring points as Alonso’s wait for a top 10 finish goes on.

Yuki Tsunoda - 5

Yuki Tsunoda showed flashes of pace on his Red Bull debut. However, a costly mistake on his final lap in Q2 left him 14th on the grid for the race. He ultimately finished 12th in a quiet race.

Pierre Gasly - 7

Pierre Gasly narrowly missed out on a spot in Q2 as the Frenchman lamented a lack of grunt from the Renault engine in the back of his Alpine. He lost out to Tsunoda through the pit stops.

Carlos Sainz - 5.5

Yet another poor weekend from Carlos Sainz, who continues to struggle to adapt to the Williams. He lacked pace and ran across the final chicane on multiple occasions.

Jack Doohan - 6

After his hefty crash in practice, Jack Doohan put together a reasonable weekend. Starting on the softs, Doohan pitted early and undercut teammate Gasly before falling back through the field.

Nico Hulkenberg - 6.5

A quiet race for Hulkenberg. Given the state of the Sauber, it was to be expected. He had a narrow edge over teammate Gabriel Bortoleto throughout the weekend.

Liam Lawson - 5

It was a poor return to Racing Bulls for Liam Lawson. He was a step or two behind Isack Hadjar and couldn’t recover. A big improvement needed for Bahrain.

Esteban Ocon - 5.5

A disappointing weekend for Ocon. He was knocked out in Q1 when his teammate made it into Q3. One to forget.

Gabriel Bortoleto - 6

A sluggish start from Bortoleto meant for a long afternoon. He managed to finish ahead of Lance Stroll.

Lance Stroll - 4.5

Lance Stroll qualified 20th and finished 20th. After an impressive start to the year, it was a reality check for the Canadian at Suzuka.