The 2025 season has come to an end: it gave us excitement, twists and turns, unexpected podiums and a truly fierce world championship battle. Of its twenty drivers, some stood out for their competitiveness and consistency, while others were inconsistent and unsuccessful. Today, let's take a look at who made the grade this season.
Lando Norris
For the record, first place has to go to the new world champion, Lando Norris. The Briton won his first world title in a championship that initially showed his greatest weaknesses. At the halfway point of the season, everything changed, as he proved to be more consistent and competitive, overtaking Oscar Piastri, the world championship leader at the time, in just a few races. A well-deserved title for a driver who managed to break out of his shell. From 2026, he will be the team's technical reference point: will he be able to confirm his status?
Max Verstappen
The most exciting season for the Dutchman who, with a car that was not always up to par, managed to shine and enchant. The pace he showed in the second half of the championship is proof of this: Verstappen has demonstrated that numbers do not always reflect a driver's true value, and he knows full well that he is the strongest on the field. Despite missing out on the title, for many he is the “moral champion” of 2025. He entertained us and made us dream, reigniting a championship that seemed like a Papaya challenge.
George Russell
A solid and competitive season for the Brit, who proved to be a more than reliable driver for Kimi Antonelli. His two victories set him apart from the rest, proving himself to be the only one capable of interrupting the battle between Verstappen and the McLaren duo. The W16 was not a car worthy of the world title, but everything could change in 2026, bringing Mercedes back to glory.
Kimi Antonelli
An exciting debut season for the Italian driver, who experienced both solid and extremely difficult moments. In these 24 races, he managed to learn and grow, and the results he achieved are proof of that. The joy of his first career podiums, as well as the satisfaction of his superb comebacks (such as the one in Singapore, from seventeenth to fourth position), have consolidated Antonelli's competitiveness as one of the best rookies of the year.
Charles Leclerc
One of the most difficult seasons for the Monegasque driver, who found himself struggling in his SF-25 after dreaming of the world championship. Despite this, we cannot fail to praise the podiums he achieved and the battles he fought throughout the season. With the hope that next year will be the right one, Charles Leclerc has once again proven himself to be the only real spearhead at Ferrari.
Carlos Sainz
Until a few months ago, we would have put him among the failures, but the Spaniard has reshuffled the cards. The second half of the season was excellent for #55, who managed to secure two podiums, plus one in the Austin Sprint, bringing Williams back to the top. After a difficult start and with Alex Albon seemingly the team's only star, Carlos, initially disoriented, was able to react with performances worthy of his talent, ending the season with high expectations for the future.
Isack Hadjar
One podium, many top 10 finishes and promotion to Red Bull: the French driver's debut season was incredible. And to think that in Melbourne he made a serious mistake on the formation lap, forcing him to retire. From that moment on, everything changed: Hadjar proved that he deserved not only his seat at Racing Bulls, but also a move to Red Bull in just one year. Who knows if he will be able to keep up with Max Verstappen in 2026.
Oliver Bearman
A solid and competitive season for the young Brit, who beat Esteban Ocon on several occasions. Fourth place in Mexico was the seal on a championship full of pitfalls aboard the Haas, a car that was unpredictable and difficult to understand. Added to this were the skirmishes with the FIA, which was often overly harsh on him. A talent to watch for the Prancing Horse, which sees Ollie as the future of Ferrari.
Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto
We close with the Sauber duo, who proved to be close-knit, solid and profitable. Both had an excellent season, with the German climbing onto the podium for the first time and the Brazilian, despite some moments of disappointment, managing to achieve good results both on the flying lap and over long distances. In Abu Dhabi, both said goodbye to the Sauber brand, with Audi ready to take its place. A new adventure to be experienced, with this line-up capable of surprising.
Read also: Does safety or spectators matter more? The choice made by the FIA in Abu Dhabi
