McLaren search for their first streak of four consecutive wins in 20 years, Tsunoda equals Sato for second on the list of most starts for a Japanese driver and Antonelli has a final opportunity to become the youngest-ever Grand Prix winner. Here are the milestones and records which could be broken at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix!
THE 2025 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX MILESTONES
The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix will be the 1,128th World Championship event in Formula 1 history.
The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix will be the 49th Japanese Grand Prix since the event was first held in 1963 and the 39th time that the event has been held as a round of the World Championship. It will be the 35th Japanese Grand Prix held at Suzuka in World Championship history.
This will be the 41st time in total that a round of the Formula 1 World Championship has taken place in Japan. In addition to the 38 previous Japanese Grands Prix, the Pacific Grand Prix was also held in the country in 1994 and 1995.
This weekend, Fernando Alonso equals Michael Schumacher for the most starts at Suzuka. This will be Alonso’s 19th appearance at the track.
The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix marks Charles Leclerc’s 150th start in Formula 1. It will be his 151st entry, having failed to start at the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix.
Lando Norris will equal Mika Hakkinen as the driver to have made the third-most starts with McLaren in F1 history at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. Hakkinen made 131 starts with McLaren during his career, while Norris has made 130 starts with McLaren to date since his debut at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix
Alex Albon makes his 69th start with Williams this weekend, overtaking Juan Pablo Montoya for seventh on the list of drivers who’ve made the most starts with the team.
On the weekend that he makes his first appearance with Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda makes his 90th F1 start at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, equalling Takuma Sato as the Japanese driver who has made the second-most Grand Prix appearances.
With both Oscar Piastri and Jack Doohan on the grid, the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix will be the 750th Grand Prix at which an Australian driver will feature on the grid.
The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix will be the 750th Grand Prix to feature a car using a Renault-badged engine in Formula 1.
The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix is the fourth F1 race to take place on April 6. The 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix was held on this date, as were the 2008 and 2014 Bahrain Grands Prix.
Lap 43 of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix will be the 1,800th racing lap at Suzuka in the track’s history on the F1 calendar.
Oscar Piastri will race on his birthday at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. He will be the first driver to race on the day of his 24th birthday in F1 history, as well as the second driver – after Kevin Magnussen in 2014 – to race at Suzuka on his birthday.
THE FORMULA 1 RECORDS WHICH COULD BE BROKEN
Max Verstappen could take a fourth consecutive win at Suzuka in 2025. If he does so, this would be the 11th time that a driver has taken four consecutive wins at a track. It would equal Verstappen’s longest winning streak at a circuit, having previously won four races in a row at Yas Marina Circuit from 2020 to 2023.
Having won all of the last three Grands Prix, a victory for McLaren at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix would make this the first time since winning all six races between the 2005 Hungarian and Japanese Grands Prix that the team has taken as many as four consecutive victories.
Victory for McLaren would make this the 17th time that a team has won all of the first three Grands Prix of the year. McLaren have done so twice to date – in 1988 and 1991.
A pole position for a McLaren driver would be the first time since 2012 that McLaren have taken four consecutive pole positions. They last did so between the 2012 Hungarian and Singapore Grands Prix.
Victory for Oscar Piastri in the Japanese Grand Prix would make him the third driver to win an F1 race on his birthday, after James Hunt at the 1976 Dutch Grand Prix and Jean Alesi at the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix. It will be the 79th time that a driver has raced on their birthday in F1.
A points-scoring race for Oscar Piastri at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix would make this the 31st consecutive Grand Prix which he has scored a point in and would see him equal Carlos Sainz for the seventh-longest scoring streak in F1 history.
George Russell has finished on the podium in each of the last two races. If he does so again at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, it will be the first time he has recorded podiums in three consecutive races.
If Yuki Tsunoda wins the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, he will become the first driver to take his maiden F1 victory on home soil since Johnny Herbert at the 1995 British Grand Prix.
Kimi Antonelli has scored points in both of his first two Grand Prix appearances. Should he score again at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, he would be only the fifth driver to score points in all of his first three Grand Prix appearances. He would be the first to do so since Lewis Hamilton in 2007.
The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix is Kimi Antonelli’s last opportunity to become Formula 1’s youngest-ever race winner, youngest podium finisher and youngest driver to lead a Grand Prix lap. He will become the sport’s youngest-ever polesitter if he takes pole for any race this year and the youngest driver to set the fastest lap if he does so before the United States Grand Prix.
A pole position at any race in 2025 for Kimi Antonelli, Ollie Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto or Isack Hadjar would make them the youngest polesitter in F1 history.
Fernando Alonso has retired from the first two races of the 2025 season. It his worst start to a season since 2017. If he does not finish in the top 14 at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, it would be his worst ever start to a season. It would also be the first time Alonso has recorded retirements at three races in a row since the 2018 Monaco, Canadian and French Grands Prix.
If both Haas drivers score points in the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, this will be the first time since the 2022 British and Austrian Grands Prix that both Haas cars have scored points in successive races.
If both Williams drivers score points in the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, it will be the first time since the 2021 Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix that both Williams cars have finished in the points at consecutive races.
Having scored 17 points so far, a point for Williams in the third race of the 2025 season would see them overtake the total number of points they scored in the entire 2024 season.
A points finish for Alex Albon would make this the first time since the end of the 2020 season that he has scored points in three consecutive races.
THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX RECORDS ON OFFER
Michael Schumacher currently holds the record for most Japanese Grand Prix wins, with six. His record could be equalled at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix by Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton cannot equal Schumacher’s Suzuka win record, however, as one of Hamilton’s Japanese Grand Prix wins came at Fuji Speedway.
If Max Verstappen wins the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, he would become the first driver to have won at Suzuka in four consecutive seasons. He currently shares the record with Michael Schumacher, who won at Suzuka three years in a row from 2000 to 2002.
Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull are all tied as the team with the most wins at Suzuka. Any of the three teams could set a new outright record at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, while Mercedes could equal the existing record.
A podium finish for Lewis Hamilton at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix would see him equal Michael Schumacher for the most podium finishes at the Japanese Grand Prix in its time on the F1 calendar. Schumacher holds the current record, with nine top three finishes to his name. All nine of Schumacher’s Japanese Grand Prix podiums came at Suzuka, while seven of Hamilton’s eight were recorded at the track.
Ferrari could equal McLaren for the most podium finishes at the Japanese Grand Prix and at Suzuka – but only if both Ferrari drivers finish on the podium, with no McLaren drivers in the top three.
Ferrari and Renault are currently tied as the engine manufacturers with the most Japanese Grand Prix wins, on ten apiece. Either manufacturer could set a new outright record this weekend. In terms of Suzuka wins, Mercedes lead with ten wins at the track, compared to nine for Renault and seven for Ferrari.
A fastest lap in the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix would see Lewis Hamilton overtake Michael Schumacher as the driver with the most fastest laps at the event in F1 history. The two drivers are currently tied on four fastest laps each. Hamilton would also equal Schumacher’s record for most fastest laps at the Suzuka circuit.
McLaren and Williams share the record for the team with the most fastest laps at the Japanese Grand Prix, with eight. Either team could set a new outright record at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, while Ferrari could equal the existing record.
In terms of fastest laps at Suzuka, Williams lead the way on eight. McLaren could equal their record at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.
If Lewis Hamilton scores a point this weekend, he will become the first driver to have scored 200 points at the Japanese Grand Prix in its time on the F1 calendar. He would need to score 11 points to become the first driver to reach 200 points scored at Suzuka.
A points finish for Lewis Hamilton would see him overtake Michael Schumacher and become the first driver to score points at Suzuka on 14 occasions during his F1 career. Meanwhile, a top ten finish will see him overtake both Schumacher and Jenson Button for the most top ten finishes at the track. The trio are currently tied on 13 top ten results.
Red Bull and Ferrari could become the first teams to score 400 points at Suzuka in the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. Red Bull need to score nine points to do so, while Ferrari need to score 28.
If he leads eight laps of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton will overtake Sebastian Vettel as the driver to have led the second-most laps at Suzuka.
McLaren or Ferrari could become the first team to lead 400 laps at Suzuka during the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. McLaren need to lead 13 laps to do so, while Ferrari need to lead 15.
If he completes 16 laps of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso will become the second driver – after Michael Schumacher – to have led 800 laps at the circuit.
If Fernando Alonso finishes the race, he will set a new outright record for most finishes at Suzuka. He is currently tied with Jenson Button at the top of the list, with 15 finishes at the track.
Oscat Piastri is one of only four drivers – along with Cristiano da Matta, Nicholas Latifi and Stefan Johansson – to hold a 100% points-scoring record at Suzuka. If he finishes in the points in the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, he will become the seventh driver to score points on all of his first three visits to Suzuka, after Eddie Irvine, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Takuma Sato and Thierry Boutsen.
A first lap retirement for Carlos Sainz or Alex Albon would see them become the first driver to record three first lap retirements at Suzuka.
Having retired here in the last three years, a retirement for Alex Albon at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix would make him the fourth driver – after Nigel Mansell, Ukyo Katayama and Ivan Capelli – to record as many as four consecutive DNFs at Suzuka.
2025 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX: QUALIFYING RECORDS
Renault and Ferrari are currently tied as the engine manufacturers with the most poles at Suzuka, with ten apiece. Either manufacturer could set a new record in qualifying for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will all be hoping to maintain their 100% Q3 appearance records at Suzuka in qualifying for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.
A Q2 exit for Nico Hulkenberg would see him become the first driver to record six Q2 eliminations at Suzuka. He’s currently tied with Daniel Ricciardo at the top of the list.
If Lance Stroll is out in Q1 at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, he will equal Marcus Ericsson for the most Q1 exits at Suzuka. It would be his fifth Q1 elimination here.
WILL VERSTAPPEN RETURN TO WINNING WAYS?
A victory for Max Verstappen would make him the sixth driver to have won a Grand Prix in as many as ten Formula 1 seasons. He would also become the fourth driver – after Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Alain Prost – to have won in ten consecutive seasons.
Pole position for Max Verstappen would make him the seventh driver to have taken pole positions in seven consecutive seasons.
Max Verstappen holds the record for wins from the most different grid positions in Formula 1. He’ll become the first driver to win from 11 different grid slots this weekend should he win from 5th, 8th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 19th or 20th on the grid.
If Max Verstappen leads the race from start to finish, he will equal Sebastian Vettel for third on the list of most F1 races led from start to finish. Verstappen has led 14 Grands Prix from start to end so far in his career.
A Grand Slam for Max Verstappen – winning from pole position having led every lap and set the fastest lap – would be his sixth Grand Slam. That would see him equal Lewis Hamilton for second on the list of most Grand Slams in F1, behind only Jim Clark.
A points finish for Max Verstappen at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix would be his 24th consecutive points-scoring Grand Prix. That would see him set the sixth longest scoring streak in F1 history.
A win for Red Bull in 2025 would make them the fifth team to have won in as many as ten consecutive seasons. The team has won at least one race in every year since 2016.
Red Bull are one fastest lap short of becoming the fifth team to record a century of fastest laps in Formula 1. A fastest lap for a Red Bull driver would make 2025 the 17th consecutive season in which the team has recorded the fastest lap in a Grand Prix. That would equal Ferrari’s record of 17 successive years with a fastest lap, set between 1995 and 2011.
FERRARI BACK ON FORM?
A podium finish for Charles Leclerc at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix will see him equal Fernando Alonso as the driver to have taken the fifth-most podium finishes with Ferrari in Formula 1.
A win for Lewis Hamilton would make him the 16th driver to have won Grands Prix with as many as three different teams.
If Charles Leclerc scores a point this weekend, he will overtake Sebastian Vettel as the driver who has scored the most points with Ferrari. Vettel scored 1,400 points with the team from 2015 to 2020, while Leclerc has scored 1,399 points to date.
A win for Ferrari would make 2025 the 60th season in which they’ve won a Grand Prix.
A victory for a Ferrari-powered car this weekend would make Ferrari the first engine manufacturer to have powered 250 victories in Formula 1. Of the 249 previous victories, Sebastian Vettel’s with Toro Rosso at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix is the only one which was not taken in a Ferrari chassis.
LONGEVITY RECORDS ON OFFER FOR HAMILTON AND ALONSO
A win for Lewis Hamilton this year would see him move into the top ten of Formula 1’s oldest Grand Prix winners. Meanwhile, a victory for Fernando Alonso would make him the sport’s sixth oldest winner – and the oldest since Jack Brabham at the 1970 South African Grand Prix. Only nine drivers have won races at the age of over 40. The most recent driver to do so was Nigel Mansell, at the 1994 Australian Grand Prix.
A pole position for Lewis Hamilton in 2025 would make him the first driver in his 40s to take pole position since Nigel Mansell at the 1994 Australian Grand Prix. He would be the sixth driver to take a pole position above the age of 40.
Lewis Hamilton is currently tied with Michael Schumacher as the driver who has set the fastest lap of a Grand Prix in the most consecutive seasons. Schumacher set a fastest lap in at least one race in all 15 seasons between 1992 and 2006, while Hamilton has set a fastest lap in every season since 2010. A fastest lap for Hamilton this year would see him become the first driver to take a fastest lap in 16 consecutive seasons.
A win for Fernando Alonso at any race in 2025 would see him set a new record for the longest gap between two Formula 1 victories, with his last having come at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix. The current record is 6 years, 6 months and 28 days, set by Riccardo Patrese.
A pole position for Fernando Alonso in 2025 would make him the sport’s fourth-oldest polesitter. He would be the oldest polesitter since Jack Brabham at the 1970 Spanish Grand Prix.
