F1 2025 - Season so far

I'll try to make a post after every race weekend, but with life being so messy sometimes you never know what's going on. Anyway, I have really wanted to start writing regularly about F1, so I thought I'd give my driver rankings and thoughts on the season so far.

McLaren - 9.5/10 - Easily the best car this year. Won all but one race and look set for the second constructors' title in a row. The work Zak Brown and the others have done to transform this team since 2015 is nothing short of genius. They have an amazing driver partnership and surely they can't lose either title this year???

 Oscar Piastri - 9/10 - Stellar season so far from Oscar, 4 wins out of 6 races. Would have been 10   if not for his mistake in Australia. Most of us wrote him off after last season, but his racecraft is   mega and it really looks like he has that champion mentality.

 Lando Norris - 8.5/10 - An underrated start to the season for Lando, especially considering his   stronger tracks like Imola and Monaco are coming up. He was epic in Australia and has been   consistently picking up points behind Piastri (Great drive at Miami). Sadly Saudi was too costly for   him - big mistake in quali and didn't finish on the podium. He needs to be more ruthless in   overtakes but don't write him off yet.

Red Bull - 3/10 - Very messy start to the season for Red Bull. The Lawson fiasco was a disaster (everyone could see it coming) and they have been making sloppy mistakes all season long. They have created an absolute dog of a car for Max to drive. It seems last season's decline was not a fluke. 2026 has to be big otherwise Max probably walks?

 Max Verstappen - 8.5/10 - He is still the best driver in the sport(currently). Japan was a   masterclass, pole and fending off the much pacier McLarens for countless laps. Red Bull just   hasn't given the 4 time champion the car he deserves this year. His quali pace has been unreal   too. And he's decimated his teammates again. He's scarily high in all time convos already...

 Yuki Tsunoda - 3/10 - Pretty average from Yuki. He's doing way better than Lawson but surely   he's a bit miffed that Red Bull didn't choose him first? Anyway he's at least scoring a few points   but still nowhere near what Red Bull need to challenge for the WCC. He needs to improve   otherwise seats may be slim pickings next season.

Ferrari - 4/10 - Horrendous start to what was supposed to be a big season. They redesigned their concept one year before a regulation change (see 2013 McLaren) and it clearly hasn't worked. The car is a dog and both drivers are uncomfortable in it. The incompetence from this team is horrendous too. Things need to change fast. (How are Red Bull above them with basically only one driver?)

 Charles Leclerc - 8/10 - They gave Charles a very bad car. But he's maximised the result in   practically every GP this year. Saudi was one of the drives of the season, and Japan and Bahrain   showed awesome pace. This is a future world champion 100% - he just needs some luck. (For   some drivers there's not much to say - Like Charles and Oscar are just cooking.)

 Lewis Hamilton - 5/10 - I hate this so much. So much. But this start has been 2009 levels of bad.   Even Lewis at least scammed a podium at Australia then. Just totally uncomfortable with the car   and its braking. I get that he needs to adapt to a new team, but the teething period is very tough   to see. I mean how do you go from sprint win in China to a bad quali the next day? It's becoming   a tough watch, especially as a Lewis fan. We might have to settle for being sprint merchants this   season and take it as a learning one to prep for 26.

Mercedes - 8.5/10 - A really good start to what was supposed to be a tough season for Mercedes. The car looks good at a number of different type of circuits this year and is probably the closest to McLaren. The driver pairing is really good and the team is looking in good shape. (Lowkey jealous and totally not wishing that Lewis stayed). Only negative is the puzzling strategies sometimes (always on Kimi)

 George Russell - 9/10 - Driver of the season so far for me. Consistently getting the best result he   can every weekend. Showing awesome pace and tyre management too (he's getting good at   that). 4 podiums is amazing work and he's really stepping into that team leader role nicely. It   feels like this is going to be a big season for George to really show that he's champion material.

 Kimi Antonelli - 8/10 - Very decent start for a very hyped youngster. Australia was a awesome   drive and his ballsy overtaking style is hugely impressive. Sadly let down by Mercedes strategies   and of course he's a rookie, there will be mistakes and struggles. Sprint pole in Miami showed   that the pace is there for a big result this season. I expect him to be right up there as the season   progresses.

Williams - 8.5/10 - A dream start to the season. James Vowles has really shaken this team up - One of the best driver pairings on the grid too. The car looks solid at a variety of circuits and the team is clearly gunning for that 5th spot at the constructors. Not much else to say - keep on with this progress, I think most F1 fans would love to see Williams back at the top.

 Alex Albon - 9/10 - 2 P5s is sensational stuff from Alex. Points at 5 races too is showing that   consistency that we all wanted him to develop. It feels like he's really grown to the challenge of   Carlos being his teammate, and this is hopefully going to make him a better driver. Excellent   season so far.

 Carlos Sainz - 6.5/10 - He will be unhappy to be outshone by Albon, but in Saudi and Miami he   showed much better pace in the car. Clearly similar to Hamilton's situation - shocked by the   amount of differences and will take time to adapt. However we know he is a quality driver and I'm   sure Albon's performances will drive him to improve. Slow start but not overly disasterous.

Haas - 7/10 - A quietly promising start. Pace has dropped off a cliff the last two weekends, but a team that has really carried their momentum from last year even with a new driver lineup. They remind me of the old Force India team - low resources but very scrappy. Ayao is another TP that is cooking like crazy. My crazy prediction for the day - Toyota will eventually take over the team.

 Esteban Ocon - 6.5/10 - Another adapting to a new team but has put in some good performances.   Might be a little disappointed that Bearman's exploits have overshadowed his season, but the   value and experience he provides to Haas is incredible. A great chance for him to rebuild his   career but the performance levels do need to increase.

 Oliver Bearman - 7.5/10 - What a driver! 100% going to Ferrari after Lewis retires. I love the   overtaking this guy does. 3 points finishes, many from poor qualifying positions have been   stunning. Better quali pace would be perfect, but he is also a rookie here. Mistakes will come. But   so far a very impressive start to his first full season.

Aston Martin - 1/10 - This team is so annoying. They are the only team that has gotten SLOWER since 2023. How does a team with this much backing and this much personnel do so badly? 1/10 is generous. The season is practically already over - they would be best served focusing fully on 2026 with Newey - please for Fernando's sake do it!

 Fernando Alonso - 3/10 - Yeah not a great start whatsoever. Quali pace has been decent but that   Alonso luck strikes again. Miami sprint was heartbreaking as points were 100% on. Other than   that a lot of uncharacteristic mistakes have crept in. I get it, the car is terrible, motivation is low.   We know what Fernando can do. But it feels like 2026 is the last time we'll see him in F1.

 Lance Stroll - 3/10 - The luckiest driver in the world. HOW DOES HE HAVE 14 POINTS????? This   guy literally gets a free seat every year and has somehow stumbled his way into carrying the   team to 7th. His quali pace has been non-existant and all of his points have come through safety   car luck/DSQ's to other drivers. But fair enough. He's overhated. Maybe Lance deserves a bit of   love.

Racing Bulls - 4/10 - This team has the worst strategists in F1. And what's the point of them anyway. A bit of a rant here, but I'm sick and tired of this team. They're never gonna compete up top. It's literally just a feeder team for Red Bull to stick drivers in there. I would love for someone who actually wants to compete to take the team over. It's almost a waste of a spot on the grid at this point.

 Isack Hadjar - 7/10 - Another really talented rookie. Australia mistake aside, his raw speed is   simply wonderful. One of my personal favourites to watch at the moment. 2 points finishes is   good, and again, he is a rookie. Mistakes will come. I really like how he's bounced back from   Australia and not let it affect his confidence. I just hope Red Bull doesn't kill his career like so   many others.

 Liam Lawson - 1/10 - I tried. I tried to be impartial. But man this guy sucks. He was genuinely the   worst driver at a top team I've probably ever seen since Luca Badoer in 2009 for Ferrari. And   even at RB his pace compared to Hadjar is nothing. He's constantly making mistakes and causing   incidents in every race. I think he's warming the seat for Lindblad next year. Needs to improve   and FAST!

Alpine - 2/10 - Car performance has regressed TERRIBLY compared to the good progress made last year. And Flavio is back. Classic F1 fans know that chaos is coming. Once again Alpine is upheaving everything. It's a yearly tradition at this point. Honestly though? I wouldn't count them out for 26 with Merc engines. Say what you want about Flavio and his evil ways, but he can get results.

 Pierre Gasly - 5/10 - This is mainly for Bahrain. A great performance from Gasly there, but it   seems he just has to hang on for another year at Alpine. This is a really great driver - one I rate   highly than most. Not much else to say really - I can see this being a frustrating year.

 Jack Doohan - 2.5/10 - Just not good enough. I sympathize with him - the dropping was very   harsh. But F1 is a results based business. Gasly decimated him. And he always felt like a   placeholder to Colapinto. The death threats he recieved explains a lot. I really feel for Jack and I   hope he has sorted that out. But at the end of the day he wasn't quick enough to keep the seat.

Sauber - 5/10 - Better than expected. This is kind of a dead rubber season for them - waiting for that thrilling Audi takeover next year. The car is at least competitive in the lower midfield compared to last year, but race pace needs to improve if more points are to come. A building year for the big transition coming up.

 Nico Hulkenberg - 6/10 - Classic Nico here. Australia's result was spectacular, and overall pace has   been really good. Sadly the car just doesn't have the pace (story of his career), but his experience   to a team experiencing a shift and overhaul will be welcome. He's kind of taking on the Michael at   Mercedes role here, and I love it for him. (I just need that podium before the end).

 Gabriel Bortoleto - 3.5/10 - Kinda disappointing from the F2 champion? I know he's a rookie and   that the car isn't great. But I at least need flashes of something. I guess quali pace has been   alright. I just hope a season of struggling like this doesn't ruin his F1 career.

Thank you for reading me rambling on about my favourite sport! The season has started surprisingly well for such a McLaren dominated one, but all the storylines have been epic! I can't wait for the European leg of races - some of my favourite circuits are there.