The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marked the tip of a grueling 24-race season, bidding farewell to the present era of F1 vehicles.
The eventful marketing campaign got here to an finish with a three-way title showdown that was determined till the very finish. We evaluated which drivers and groups have been pleased with their efforts and which groups have been grateful to have break day over winter break.
Listed here are the largest winners and losers of the 2025 F1 season…
Winner – Norris and McLaren
It is most likely no shock that Lando Norris and McLaren sit on the high of our picks for 2025 winners and losers.
Though Norris gained his first world championship, he was not one of the best driver of the season. After an ideal begin, Norris’ title bid faltered throughout a tough interval when he made too many errors in what was by far the dominant automobile at that time within the yr.
Regardless of this, Norris maintained his spectacular kind when it mattered most, displaying psychological energy and resilience in bouncing again from a number of setbacks, together with his shock retirement at Zandvoort.
The 26-year-old has capitalized on a nasty rut wherein his McLaren teammate and long-time championship chief Oscar Piastri ended his possibilities of successful a primary world title together with his late-season exit, with Norris rising as the favourite.
McLaren efficiently defended its constructors’ championship and gained its first drivers’ world title since 2008, sustaining concord throughout the group within the face of many critics.
McLaren wins double F1 championship
Loser – Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton
This was arguably Lewis Hamilton’s worst season in F1, and never simply statistically.
Hamilton’s dream transfer to Ferrari rapidly was a nightmare after a really disappointing debut season with no Grand Prix podium and three consecutive Q1 exits.
The seven-time world champion completed practically 100 factors behind teammate Charles Leclerc, who nonetheless had a powerful yr regardless of Ferrari’s aggressive woes in its first winless season since 2021.
Even considering the truth that Hamilton has needed to adapt to a brand new group, tradition and automobile, 2025 fell far wanting the excessive requirements the 40-year-old Briton units for himself. Even considering how unhealthy Ferrari’s SF-25 was, Hamilton’s repeated poor performances resulted within the lowest outcomes of his F1 profession so far.
The one actual optimistic was Hamilton’s classic efficiency on the second race of the season in China, taking pole place and successful the dash race. However that looks like a really very long time in the past.
Winner – Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen had arguably his greatest season as a driver who didn’t turn into world champion, coming simply two factors wanting finishing an unimaginable comeback that may go down in F1 historical past.
The four-time world champion missed out on a number of title alternatives all through 2025. Pink Bull particularly suffered a crushing defeat in the midst of the season, leaving them 104 factors behind the highest of the championship with 9 races remaining.
However Verstappen by no means gave up. He has been surprisingly constant, and a mixture of Pink Bull’s sensational comeback, McLaren’s driver errors and group errors have pulled the Dutchman again into an unlikely title race.
Extremely, Verstappen held on all the best way to the checkered flag on the remaining race in Abu Dhabi, outperforming any driver, and was capable of finish a season with essentially the most pole positions and wins (eight for each) with few regrets.
Think about what would have occurred if he had pushed a McLaren…
Verstappen was one of the best driver of 2025
Loser – Pink Bull’s second driver
It has been a depressing yr sitting within the second seat at Pink Bull. Liam Lawson’s stint alongside Verstappen was a bit higher after two disastrous races earlier than he was changed by Hiroki Tsunoda.
Tsunoda’s kind was not as unhealthy as Lawson’s, however he nonetheless struggled to make any influence alongside Verstappen, who was as soon as once more doing the heavy lifting at Pink Bull.
Though there have been some promising moments, they have been by no means constant and Tsunoda in the end missed his likelihood earlier than turning into the newest sufferer of Pink Bull’s second-seat ‘curse’.
Tsunoda solely scored 30 factors in comparison with Verstappen’s 421, giving him the biggest factors distinction between him and his teammate in F1 historical past.
Whereas Lawson bounced again from a humiliating demotion to sister group Racing Bulls with respectful performances by way of not less than the rest of 2025, Tsunoda’s fame was irreparably broken.
Each Tsunoda and Lawson failed at Pink Bull.
Winner – F1 Newcomer
Isaac Hajar completed 2025 as the highest rookie after which earned a drive for Pink Bull. The Frenchman’s season bought off to a foul begin with a crash on the formation lap in Australia, however his bounce again has been very spectacular.
Hajar was quick on the lap and really constant, scoring a powerful first podium with a 3rd place end in Zandvoort, one of the best results of all of the rookies.
It has been a curler coaster season of ups and downs for Kimi Antonelli, however the 19-year-old rookie has bounced again admirably from a daunting mid-season hunch and proven glimpses of the potential Mercedes noticed in him within the first place.
Like Antonelli, Olly Bearman’s season has been a sophisticated and at instances chaotic one. However his uncooked velocity was by no means in query. The Briton set some nice laps in qualifying and ended up placing in a collection of stable point-scoring performances in the direction of the tip of the yr, ending with a powerful fourth place in Mexico Metropolis.
Bearman may very well be a future Ferrari star
On paper, Gabriel Bortleto had the least spectacular season of any rookie, however that is not a completely truthful reflection contemplating he was within the worst automobile. Bortleto, who entered F1 like the present F2 champion, underlined his potential with various excellent drives, together with a sixth place end in Hungary.
The Brazilian put up a very good battle in qualifying towards extremely rated teammate Nico Hulkenberg. Two brutal crashes and different notable errors throughout a nightmarish weekend in his dwelling nation of Brazil haven’t detracted from what in the end turned out to be a robust introduction to F1.
Loser – Alpine
Alpine endured a horrific 2025 season that you’re going to wish to neglect in a rush.
The season bought off to a poor begin for Alpine, and the struggles worsened because the A525 proved to be the slowest of all classes.
Alpine completed the yr backside of the constructors’ championship, scoring factors solely 5 instances, a whopping 48 factors behind ninth-placed Sauber.
Pierre Gasly’s sturdy efficiency was the one spotlight. The Frenchman scored all of the factors for Alpine, together with an outstanding drive to complete sixth at Silverstone, dragging the automobile into Q3 ten instances.
They made the choice to desert 2025 early in favor of F1’s guidelines reset, and will likely be fitted with Mercedes engines. have To enhance subsequent yr. It may possibly’t get any worse than this, proper?
Alpine had a stunning season
Winner – Williams
McLaren apart, Williams completed the season in one of the best place behind the highest 4 groups, making them the excellent success story of 2025.
Williams secured their greatest championship end since 2017 with an sudden rise to fifth place. Carlos Sainz’s sensible signing was a spectacular success, with the English group scoring in triple figures for the primary time since 2016.
Sainz and Alex Albon kind one of the vital formidable driver duos on the complete grid, and Williams will likely be heading into a brand new daybreak in F1 not solely on the rise however understandably stuffed with confidence for the longer term.
Sainz scores two podiums with Williams
Loser – Aston Martin
‘Disappointing’ is probably one of the best ways to explain Aston Martin’s 2025 season.
Aston Martin’s current struggles have continued, however the group can largely thank Fernando Alonso for his greatest end of seventh within the constructors’ championship. The 2-time world champion scored 56 factors, forward of teammate Lance Stroll’s 33, and achieved Aston Martin’s greatest consequence with fifth place in Hungary.
With a brand new engine partnership with Honda and Adrian Newey’s design, expectations are greater than ever and there will likely be no hiding place for Aston Martin in 2026.
Aston Martin was underwhelmed and underdelivered.
Winner – Racing Bulls
The 2025 season was an enormous success for the Racing Bulls, regardless of adjustments to the driving force line-up and group administration all year long.
Racing Bulls scored 92 factors, their highest factors tally since 2021, and secured sixth place within the Constructors’ Championship.
Hajjar has been the star of the season for the Racing Bulls, delivering the group’s greatest spotlight of the yr with a podium end in Zandvoort.
The one draw back is that Hajar had a powerful rookie season that ended with him shedding out to Pink Bull. Racing Bulls will likely be hoping Pink Bull’s subsequent protégé, Arvid Lindblad, can obtain related success.
Hajjar shined with Racing Bulls
Loser – Jack Doohan
It is easy to neglect that Jack Doohan entered F1 this season, however his affect at Alpine was enormous.
The 22-year-old Australian was changed after a disastrous six-game defeat as Alpine drafted Franco Colapinto.
Doohan was held scoreless within the loss to teammate Gasly. His quick sojourn within the Alps will most likely be remembered for 2 main crashes.
He misplaced management within the moist on the primary lap of his debut on the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and two races later, on the Japanese Grand Prix, he suffered a severe crash throughout observe.
Doohan’s crash at Suzuka was attributable to failing to shut the DRS overtaking help earlier than getting into high-speed Flip 1.
