McLaren dealt championship BLOW as team's disastrous 2025 start continues

McLaren have suffered a championship setback after being defeated at the Japanese Grand Prix, whilst Alpine's disastrous start to the season continued at Suzuka.

Despite topping all three practice sessions heading into qualifying, McLaren were denied pole position for Sunday's race after Max Verstappen produced a stunning lap in his new-look RB21.

That appeared to be half the job done for the four-time world champion during the Japanese GP, with neither Norris nor Piastri able to make any serious ground on the Red Bull star at Suzuka, such is the difficulty to overtake at the track. Verstappen lead the two papaya cars from start to finish, taking his first win of the season in the process.

This is a huge setback for McLaren in the drivers' championship, with Norris now just one point ahead of his Red Bull rival in the standings, with Piastri now 12 points behind the Dutchman in third, despite the papaya team widely considered to have the strongest car on the grid.

Elsewhere in Japan, Alpine's disastrous start to the 2025 campaign continued with another point-less outing. Jack Doohan recovered from Friday's horror crash in practice, but could only manage 15th at Suzuka, whilst Pierre Gasly did not do much better, coming home in 13th.

As a result, Alpine continue to sit plum last in the constructors' championship, remaining the only team yet to put a point on the board in 2025.

F1 RESULTS TODAY: Verstappen roars again as Hamilton's Ferrari struggles continue in Japan

F1 2025 drivers' standings after the Japanese Grand Prix

F1 2025 copnstructors' standings after Japanese Grand Prix

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