30 March 2026 10:00 (UTC)
Tamagotchi, Beyblades, and a welcome momentum swing: Behind the scenes in Suzuka
Allow us to take you behind the scenes of the Japanese Grand Prix and deep into the paddock, with our regular post-race wrap-up. Covering all the action you might have missed, we'll explore everything from the outfits that caught our attention to the strongest snaps and the standout quotes.
Japan is always a busy weekend for the team. It’s a country we love to explore, and those who are able to, usually choose to arrive a little earlier than normal to visit Tokyo before the track action begins. Once we’re at Suzuka, however, there’s plenty to be getting on with. With increased marketing requirements and longer engineering meetings due to the circuit’s complexity, every member of the team was kept busy.
But the hard work paid off. Suzuka proved to be our strongest weekend on track so far, with both Oscar and Lando completing a race for the first time in 2026 and recording their best finishes of the season so far.
Off the track, there was plenty of fun too: we welcomed a new pet, enjoyed a nostalgic Beyblade battle, and caught up with Lando’s mini-me. Here are the paddock moments that stood out…
We’re breaking the rules and choosing two outfits this weekend. Our drivers both embraced an elevated, but casual look for media day at Suzuka. Oscar chose a relaxed quarter-zip paired with dark grey denim – a staple of his repertoire – while Lando went for a clean black T-shirt with light grey trousers. One idea, two executions, both timeless.
Wholesome moments such as this are what make our sport so special. Three young fans arrived at Suzuka in full replica race suits, complete with racing boots and proper crash helmets, taking inspiration from Lando, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
In recognition of their efforts, the trio were treated to an unforgettable weekend, enjoying access-all-areas visits to the McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari garages. Little Lando made sure to recreate the iconic ‘Lando tap’ ritual on their entrance to ours.
Over the weekend, they met their heroes, Lando and Charles Leclerc, as well as F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, while even Lewis Hamilton couldn’t resist stopping to take a photo when he spotted them in the paddock.
“He’s just happy at the moment, he doesn’t need anything.” Oh, to be a Tamagotchi.
Japan has had a profound impact on the global gaming industry, shaping children’s childhoods worldwide, with iconic toys such as Hello Kitty and Transformers to card-based games Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! and iconic video game characters like Sonic and Knuckles.
One favourite that’s currently enjoying a resurgence in the UK is the Tamagotchi, which was first popular in British households during the late ‘90s and early 00’s. To our surprise and horror, we learnt that neither Oscar or Lando had ever owned a Tamagotchi, so we did the only sane thing in this situation and gifted them their very own to share, and captured their first steps as Tamagotchi parents on camera.
Filming was briefly delayed while we patiently waited for their new pet to hatch, but from there they took to their role admirably… by handing over responsibility to our social and content teams. Not before, of course, naming their Tamagotchi Bruce - an affectionate tribute to a recently departed member of the team, and a mystery we saw many of you trying to solve on social over the weekend.
We’re pleased to report that Bruce was in safe hands. We kept him happy and well all weekend, bringing you regular updates.
Honourable mention for 'Quote of the Weekend' goes to Lando for: “Oscar’s now learnt how to let it rip”.
Tamagotchi wasn’t the only toy we brought while in Japan. After bringing them closer together as new digital pet parents, we did the exact opposite later that day, pitting them against each other in a ruthless Beyblade showdown.
Neither had owned a Tamagotchi growing up, and while Lando had briefly dabbled in Beyblades, Oscar was once again completely new to this world. Playing best of three, Lando’s experience showed as he took both the first and second bouts, making it 2-0. Game, set, match.
In true sportsmanlike fashion, he did give Oscar a bonus round on the condition that they remove the safety guard. That ended as you’d have expected. The less said, the better.
That’s more like it. After a challenging start to the season, this weekend gave our team reason to smile. While far from perfect, the MCL40 was finally able to showcase its raw pace, as our team’s growing understanding of the new cars unlocked increased performance.
Third and fifth in Qualifying was a strong showing, especially with Lando losing track time in all three Free Practice sessions due to hydraulic issues on Friday and a problem with his ERS pack on Saturday, which the team did an incredible job of replacing in time to get him out with just over 20 minutes of the session left.
Despite the positive steps forward, we went into the race anticipating a tough battle for the podium, with quicker cars behind and around us. However, an exceptional start from both cars put us unexpectedly in contention. Oscar surged from third to first, Lando from fifth to third, and the opening laps suggested our speed at Suzuka was on par with Ferrari and not as far behind Mercedes as we’d projected.
Lando eventually fell behind the two Mercedes, but Oscar kept George Russell at bay with some brilliant defensive driving, telling his team over the radio, “if we hold track position, I think we can hang on to this.” It was shaping up to be a gripping battle - until a lengthy Safety Car, caused by a heavy crash for Ollie Bearman, interrupted the action.
Kimi Antonelli benefited, taking a free pit stop to emerge in the lead, while Oscar had already changed tyres. Still, the confidence and knowledge gained from the weekend will be vital as we push forward this season.
“Turns out when we start these things, we’re pretty good!”
Oscar’s tongue-in-cheek response to his podium over team radio at the end of the race summed up his season so far. Three races, one start, one podium. After watching from the sidelines in Australia and China, his campaign is starting to gain momentum. At a Suzuka circuit where McLaren have enjoyed so much success over the years, he was able to show the best of himself.
Andrea even described it as the “strongest version” of Oscar he’s seen to date, praising the Aussie’s performance as “calm, resilient, and inspirational for the whole team.”
Oscar’s lightning start highlighted his raw pace, while his brilliant back-and-forth with George Russell demonstrated his defensive skills. Even after relinquishing the lead during the Safety Car period, he made securing second look effortless, rarely appearing troubled.
Following confirmation from F1 earlier in March that the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April, there will now be a five-week gap in the calendar, with the next round taking place in Miami on 01 – 03 May.
Our team have now boarded their flights back from Japan and will return to the UK for a short rest, before heading into the factory to get back to work, excited to build on the momentum we've gained in Suzuka.
