Even though McLaren got the maximum Constructors’ points haul in Japan, Max Verstappen’s brilliance has once again kept them away from the top step of the podium. After getting a smooth getaway from pole, the Dutchman controlled the race brilliantly to bring up his 64th career victory and his fourth consecutive one around Suzuka.
While Lando Norris was trying his best to get within DRS range of Verstappen, he just did not have enough pace and couldn’t set himself up for an overtaking attempt down the main straight. Amid this, McLaren could’ve tried something different to split their drivers’ race strategies by using Oscar Piastri, who was running right behind Norris in P3.
With the Australian pitting first and Red Bull already having decided to pit Verstappen a lap later to cover Piastri, McLaren had the chance to go long with Norris to provide him with a tire advantage later on in the race. Doing so would’ve given them the chance to corner Verstappen on two fronts.
Piastri could’ve immediately pressurized the Dutchman—forcing him to use more of his tires—while Norris would’ve been in the perfect position for a late charge on the 27-year-old. Since McLaren did not opt for such a route, Sky Sports’ Ted Kravitz believes they made an operational error. That said, he hailed Verstappen for his outstanding performance.
“This is what happens when you are dealing with the Dutch lion that is Verstappen. If you get outqualified by him, you lose the race,” Kravitz said on air for Sky Sports. “This has got to be the first operational error by McLaren this year, but what a drive by Max”.
Max Verstappen has the best pole to win conversion rate in F1 history (80%) when analysing any driver that has more than one victory
For reference, Fernando Alonso’s conversion rate is 63% and Lewis Hamilton’s is 58%. pic.twitter.com/BJy7b9JdQl
— Autosport (@autosport) April 6, 2025
Kravitz’s praise for Verstappen seems too good to be true, especially after what happened in 2022—when the Dutchman and Red Bull had boycotted Sky Sports in 2022 because of the British presenter’s comments on the Abu Dhabi 2021 controversy.
How Kravitz and Verstappen’s dynamic has evolved since the 2022 ban
With Verstappen winning his maiden title in 2021 in controversial fashion, Kravitz reminded the world of the same after the 2022 United States GP. Kravitz recalled how Hamilton was “robbed” the year before while referring to his battle with the Dutchman for the lead in that race in Austin.
Verstappen obviously did not take these remarks too kindly and made it clear that he will not tolerate this continuous disrespect.
“This year, it’s been a constant. It’s kind of like being disrespected daily, especially by one particular person. And it’s enough, I don’t accept it,” he said in Sao Paulo later in the season.
Eventually, though, this ban ended with Kravitz and Red Bull settling the matter behind the scenes. Since then, the Sky Sports presenter has kept a balanced approach while assessing the four-time world champion’s performances. His praises on Verstappen currently are natural, owing to the kind of performances he has shown despite not having the fastest car.
The 27-year-old set a new lap record around Suzuka to grab a stunning pole position ahead of the two McLarens. Provided that the Woking team had been setting the pace throughout all the practice sessions by topping the timesheets, Verstappen never looked fazed by Norris or Piastri during the race and managed to grab yet another sensational win.
