The Formula 1 season continues as the 20 teams and drivers make their way to the Suzuka Circuit in Japan for the third Grand Prix of 2025.
This weekend all eyes will be on Yuki Tsunoda as he now joins Max Verstappen in a Red Bull, following the team replacing Liam Lawson after just two races.
Now, the New Zealander will drive for Red Bull’s second team, the Racing Bulls.
a Kabuki-inspired lid for my home grand prix 🇯🇵
歌舞伎！！ pic.twitter.com/KC5f6QiFr0— 角田裕毅/Yuki Tsunoda (@yukitsunoda07) April 1, 2025
Many were surprised by the change-up, with the 23-year-old having not been in the car long enough to make his mark. Lawson told Sky Sports he was also surprised: “It was definitely a shock, honestly.
“It’s not something that I saw coming. The discussions we were having weren’t really leaning in this direction, so it was definitely not something that I expected.”
For Yuki Tsunoda, though, this first race at Red Bull will be even more memorable as he’s making his debut for the team at his home race. The Japanese-born 24-year-old will be a favorite at the track and he’ll be hoping to improve on his P10 result in the previous season at this circuit.
What are the odds? Who are the favorites at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix?
According to F1’s official betting data supplier ALT Sports Data, drivers’ championship leader Lando Norris remains joint favorite to be the winner of the weekend.
He is joined by teammate Oscar Piastri, who is also a favorite to succeed, with both drivers yet to win at Suzuka. The odds for Piastri and Norris are 2.6.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has gained victory at the circuit for the last three races in Japan, with the odds standing at 9.5.
Following closely in the lineup of odds, Ferrari teammates Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are in at 12.0, as is Mercedes driver George Russell.
The data suggests that Andrea Kimi Antonelli has odds of 36.0, with Yuki at 51.0 and then Liam Lawson, Carlos Sainz, and Alex Albon at 151.0.
Featured Image: Credit to ‘museme miyuki’ on Wikimedia Commons
