The Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur thinks that the present Formula 1 campaign could turn into a "pole position championship," as passing has become extremely rare in the last couple of races.
Although the 2025 campaign kicked off with a hectic Australian Grand Prix, unpredictable weather conditions were instrumental in guaranteeing ample excitement on the track.
However, the situation was quite distinct at both the Chinese Grand Prix and this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, as minimal passing occurred during these events.
In this last year under the present set of regulations, we've seen both a unification in vehicle designs and an ironic twist where teams have managed to find loopholes within the very rules meant to encourage more passing opportunities.
Throughout 2024, there were 70 less overtakes compared to the previous year, even with an additional two races added to the calendar. As of now in 2025, every driver who started from pole position has managed to secure victory in their corresponding grand prix events.
As demonstrated notably through the successes of pole sitters Oscar Piastri in Shanghai and Max Verstappen at Suzuka Currently, clean air is paramount. In Suzuka, the top six from qualifying maintained their positions throughout the race.
“Absolutely, qualifying plays a vital role in determining overall performance,” he stated. Ferrari Team Principal Vasseur said, "When the distance between vehicles narrows, this becomes even truer... as you become part of the pack of cars."
It’s not only about battling the person directly ahead of you. Indeed, this might likely turn into a ‘qualification’ championship.
McLaren Has often been considered the top contender to catch this year, but Lando Norris was unable to find a path around Verstappen, while his teammate Piastri remained stuck in third place.
Both of them simultaneously pointed to Verstappen's remarkable pole position lap as the decisive factor for winning the race for 53 consecutive laps, they were unable to devise a strategy to get around the Dutchman.
Max Verstappen, leading for Red Bull Racing, takes the lead from the starting line.
Photo by: Bryn Lennon - F1
It was consistently fast throughout, but the speed was too close for me to make a move," stated Norris, who continues to lead the championship despite finishing second. "Max had an excellent race without any errors, and in the end, it all boiled down to our qualifying positions.
Piastri commented, "We had several opportunities to overtake, but maintaining track position proved crucial. In my view, yesterday was the day when the race was essentially decided."
In the meantime, Ferrari has faced a challenging beginning to the season, with their only win so far coming in the sprint race held in Shanghai. Lewis Hamilton apart, and is presently the unambiguous fourth-quickest team on the grid following McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes .
Although achieving a double points finish in Japan was superior to both Hamilton and Vettel. Charles Leclerc After being disqualified in China, Vasseur admitted that Ferrari needs "Improvements across the board."
"[Following] today’s outcome… we need to work harder next week to unlock the full potential of both the car and its performance," he stated.
We need improvements across the board. At minimum, we've taken a step ahead since last week, particularly with operations, and that’s where we must begin.
It certainly isn’t how we would have envisioned it at the beginning of the season. However, with 21 races remaining, there’s plenty of time ahead.