Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur believes Formula 1's 2025 season will largely be dictated by qualifying instead of races, which has seen a limited number of overtakes so far.
Unlike the weather-affected Australian Grand Prix, which saw a massively shaken up order and overtakes across the field, China and Japan's race finished close in line to the grid order.
Japan's race featured just 15 overtakes.
Although qualifying performance is always key, there is a growing feeling in the F1 paddock it will be vital this season.
"For sure, qualifying is always crucial in the performance," Vasseur said after the Japanese Grand Prix. "The smaller the gap is between cars, the more true that is. Because you are in the group of cars. It's not that you are just one fighting with the guy in front of you. Yes, it will probably be a 'quali' championship."
F1's current generation of cars have reached the final year of the regulation cycle before the big rule change planned for 2026.
Car designs and performances tend to converge the longer a regulation cycle continues.
Even with the rain throwing the opening race into chaos, the driver to have taken pole position has won on each occasion.
Lewis Hamilton also claimed his first Ferrari victory by winning the China sprint from first on the grid.
Max Verstappen's Japanese Grand Prix victory was built on his surprise pole at Suzuka, a lap labelled "magical" by Fernando Alonso.
The three grand prix winners from the season shared the podium at Suzuka and Norris suggested they could have had a Mercedes driver there instead had qualifying gone better for George Russell.
"I think we're the three who are the most consistent at the minute and putting in the times in quali and putting the good races in," Norris said on Sunday evening, referring to himself, teammate Piastri and reigning champion Verstappen.
"But George has been quick this weekend. I don't know, maybe again, you know, they struggled a bit more in Q3 for whatever reason and then therefore in the race. But I'm sure like if you put a George starting on pole today, I think he probably still would have won the race. So I think anytime someone does that bit of a better job on Saturday for qualifying, they can have those opportunities come their way. But at the minute, I think McLaren, Red Bull, and probably between us three, we're doing a better job than the rest."