It was an unguarded remark which summed up the thoughts of millions of viewers around the world, many of whom had got up at the crack of dawn to watch events unfold in Japan.
“That’s all the highlights? That’s all that happened in that race?” asked an incredulous Oscar Piastri as the top three finishers were shown a replay of the in-race “action” from Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix in the cool-down room.
"That's all the highlights? That's all that happened?" 🤣 pic.twitter.com/e1ejhuKFqn
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 6, 2025
Sadly, it really was. A grand prix on one of the most exciting race tracks in the world, in what is shaping up to be one of the tightest seasons in living memory – and yet it was almost completely devoid of drama.
There was certainly precious little in the way of overtaking. For only the fourth time in the sport’s history – and the first time ever on a permanent circuit – the top six drivers finished in exactly the same order they started.
The only on-track change in the top 10, in fact, came when Lewis Hamilton passed Isack Hadjar for seventh in the opening laps. Thereafter it was, Hamilton admitted afterwards, “a pretty lonely race” for him.
The seven-time world champion was not alone in feeling like that. “It was a very boring race for me,” said Charles Leclerc. “Yeah, not the most exciting race,” agreed Lando Norris. “Suzuka has become a bit of a new Monaco,” was the verdict of Carlos Sainz. At least the Principality has super yachts and azure waters to take your mind off the lack of racing. What a let-down.
Of course, one man’s snoozefest is another man’s thriller. Suzuka is a pure drivers’ circuit, with its fast flowing corners. And there was undoubtedly a certain beauty in the way in which Max Verstappen won from pole, taming his uber-sensitive Red Bull, keeping the faster McLarens at bay, never putting a foot wrong. But let’s be honest. As a race it was pretty dull.
2025 #JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 Timelapse#F1#Formula1pic.twitter.com/MbOTVqwmye
— F1Visualized (@f1visualized) April 6, 2025
The concern is that while we have all the ingredients for a humdinger of a season – four teams in close proximity, the two drivers from the leading team taking points off each other, the most successful driver in the history of the sport trying to reinvent himself at the most famous team in the sport etc etc – this type of race could become the norm.
It is already trending that way. Across 2024 there were 70 fewer overtakes than in 2023, ...
