đź“· Formula 1
Suzuka, Japan – April 3, 2025 – Formula 1 arrived at the famous Suzuka track today for the Japanese Grand Prix, the third race of 2025. Before the action starts, drivers met with the press on Thursday to talk about the weekend ahead. With fans excited and the track ready, the press conference gave a sneak peek at what’s coming.
First Group
The first group had Pierre Gasly from Alpine, Liam Lawson from Racing Bulls, and George Russell from Mercedes.
Liam Lawson just moved back to Racing Bulls after a short time with Red Bull. He said, “It’s an opportunity I wasn’t expecting so early,” about his return, showing he’s happy to keep racing despite the change.
George Russell is feeling good after finishing third in the first two races. He said, “The car is much more predictable this year,” about Mercedes’ progress, adding that Japan was tough last season but he’s hopeful now. He thinks they can challenge McLaren, who are leading the team standings.
Pierre Gasly talked about his old teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who’s now at Red Bull. He said, “Yuki is an extremely fast driver,” but warned, “It’s a complicated seat,” based on his own time with Red Bull in 2019. Gasly believes Tsunoda can do well but knows it’s a big challenge.
đź“· MK TV
The second group included Nico Hulkenberg from Kick Sauber, Yuki Tsunoda from Red Bull, and Charles Leclerc from Ferrari.
Yuki Tsunoda was all smiles at his home race. He just joined Red Bull and said, “It can’t get crazier than this,” about racing at Suzuka with them. Tsunoda practiced in a simulator and added, “It won’t be as easy as people think,” showing he’s ready but realistic.
Charles Leclerc wasn’t as happy. Ferrari’s had a rough start, sitting fifth in the team rankings after a bad race in China. He said, “We need to figure out why our car isn’t fast enough,” about their struggles, hoping Suzuka can help them improve.
Nico Hulkenberg likes Suzuka’s cool layout. He said, “It’s a unique track with its figure-of-eight design,” about why he enjoys it (FIA Press Conference, April 3, 2025). His team, Kick Sauber, is doing better than expected, and he thinks they could grab points if things get messy this weekend, which happens a lot at this track.