ROUND 3: 🇯🇵 Japan
FORMULA 1 LENOVO JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 2025
Circuit stats
- First Grand Prix: 1987
- Number of laps: 53
- Circuit Length: 5.807 km
- Race Distance: 307.471 km
- Lap record: 1:30.983 Lewis Hamilton (2019)
- 2024 winner: Max Verstappen
FORMULA 1 LENOVO JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 2025
On f1tv they recalled the 2013 Japanese grand prix where Grosjean in the lotus vs two red bulls was the exact same situation as today Verstappen vs the McLarens, but RB got the strategy right and both cars passed Grosjean. They pitted one early and one very late, forcing Lotus to cover one or neither, as covering both was impossible. The pitstop window was laps 19-25, Verstappen pitted on lap 22, smack in the middle trying to cover both. Piastri had already pitted so Norris had to go long and pit in lap 25 or 26. But they botched the strategy, Piastri got stuck behind Norris and neither got past Max.
Yeah I also watch the F1TV feed and I see 2 reasons why McLaren didn’t go for that.