McLaren’s domination of the season so far has ensured its fellow frontrunners are enduring a rougher campaign than expected.
Red Bull Racing hasn’t rebounded to title contention. Mercedes’s early-season optimism was a false dawn. Ferrari’s year has been mostly grim.
But further back the number of good news stories might surprise you. McLaren isn’t the only team exceeding expectations.
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The midfield is getting tighter, and the rate of improvement among some former strugglers bodes well for an unpredictable second half of the season.
It’s only a shame that the sport is set for a major rules shake-up next season.
PIT TALK PODCAST: Michael and Matt are joined by F1 TV lead commentator Alex Jacques to rank the top 10 drivers of the Formula 1 season so far — and why their list doesn’t look much like the championship table. Listen to Pit Talk below.
McLAREN: A+
Championship: 1st, 559 points (this time in 2024: 2nd, 366 points)
Wins: 11
Poles: 8
Average gap to pole: 0.029 seconds (last five races: 0.065 seconds)
Development trend: degrading by 0.062 seconds
What’s gone well
McLaren’s delivered the fastest car, and every upgrade this year has hit the spot. The team has scored 86.4 per cent of the maximum possible points so far. It already has more than double the score of the next-best team and will win the constructors championship easily, and with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris almost 100 points clear of the next non-McLaren entry, the drivers championship is all but guaranteed too.
What’s not
Hardly anything. The team has underdelivered only once, in Canada. It could have won in Japan but for a sublime Max Verstappen qualifying performance. Norris’s early difficulties with the car appear cured, at least enough to have him just nine points down in the title fight.
Target for the rest of the season
To manage its drivers as they inch towards McLaren’s first individual title since 2007. While the personalities involved have made keeping a lid on things easy, both drivers will feel the heat eventually. CEO Zak Brown has also talked about how the team will deal with the outcome — for one of its drivers it will be their greatest day; for the other it will be a crushing low. The team’s response to the title decider will be critical to harmony in future campaigns.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are leading McLaren to new heights. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
READ MORE: Every driver in F1 ranked 1–21 as clear gulf beteween title rivals revealed
SAUBER: A
Championship: 7th, 51 points (this time in 2024: 10th, 0 points)
Best finish: 3rd (1)
Best qualifying: 7th (1)
Average gap to pole: 1.310 seconds (last five races: 1.047 seconds)
Development trend: improving by 0.450 seconds
What’s gone well
Sauber committed to developing this year’s car to prove it can still compete ahead of its Audi transition, and it’s made the point well. A big upgrade in Spain has turned the former backmarker into a consistent points threat and a regular Q3 interloper. The updated car appears to have few weaknesses, having performed now at a variety of circuits and in a variety of conditions, as evidenced by Nico Hülkenberg’s breakthrough podium in the wet in Silverstone and Gabriel Bortoleto’s one-stop gamble in Budapest. The all-new line-up has also impressed, with Hülkenberg the dependable bedrock and Bortoleto the impressive rookie, standing Audi in good stead for 2026.
What’s not
Considering the team’s low base, it’s hard to pick any key failures this season beyond a slow start with a car that struggled out of the box. So far it’s been all upside.
Target for the rest of the season
To finish fifth in the championship. It’s one of three teams with a reasonable shot at taking the best-of-the-rest position, particularly given its upwards trajectory and Bortoleto’s improving performances. Aiming high will be good practice for the expanding staff — Sauber is poaching more personnel seemingly daily, and fighting for points this season gives them a chance to gel under pressure.
Sauber has rocketed up the team rankings. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
WILLIAMS: A
Championship: 5th, 70 points (this time in 2024: 9th, 4 points)
Best finish: 5th (3)
Best qualifying: 5th (1)
Average gap to pole: 0.782 seconds (last five races: 0.894 seconds)
Development trend: degrading by 0.317 seconds
What’s gone well
Williams boss James Vowles has been clear that his job has been to make the team match fit for 2026, modernising processes and policies for the rule change. Validation of his work has come early, with this year’s car dramatically exceeding expectations for performance such that it’s on track for its highest finish in the championship since 2017. Alex Albon continues to prove he’s a frontrunner drive, while Carlos Sainz’s off-track contributions have been valuable to help the team along.
What’s not
Sainz’s transition has been slower than hoped for, but bad luck and unreliability has been as much a part of the story of his anaemic points haul. Reliability cost the team a remarkable three DNFs and one DNF in three rounds and continues to niggle in the background. Those issues have left Williams vulnerable to late surges from Aston Martin and Sauber, which have developed their 2025 cars more aggressively.
Target for the rest of the season
To finish fifth in the championship. Williams has been the midfield’s most consistent scorer and holds an 18-point advantage over the chasing pack. It has enough in its car to close the deal, and its drivers are capable — though extracting greater consistency from Sainz could be key.
Williams is exceeding expectations. (Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
ASTON MARTIN: B
Championship: 6th, 52 points (this time in 2024: 5th, 73 points)
Best finish: 5th (1)
Best qualifying: 5th (2)
Average gap to pole: 1.035 seconds (last five races: 0.932 seconds)
Development trend: improving by 0.312 seconds
What’s gone well
Aston Martin’s season was dramatically turned around by an upgrade in Spain, since when it’s scored at every race but one — arguably the first major upgrade that’s improved the car’s performance since 2023. In Hungary, a circuit that suits the car well, Aston Martin fielded the second fastest car over a single lap, a remarkable boost. The new parts have enlivened not just the car but also Fernando Alonso, who looks back to his conniving best with some standout drives, including fifth in Budapest to make his team the equal second highest scorer of the weekend.
What’s not
Despite the improved form, the AMR25 is still desperately inefficient — it was the slowest in the field in Belgium, just one week before Hungary — signalling work still to do. It’s also a step backwards on last year. Lance Stroll continues in his role as the grid’s most forgettable driver — despite equalling Alonso on points, he’s being belted by his teammate on every meaningful pace metric, which begs the question of much better the team could be doing with a more even line-up.
Target for the rest of the season
To finish fifth in the championship. Aston Martin is on the right trajectory and is already Williams’s closest challenger, being just 18 points behind.
Aston Martin is salvaging its season. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
RACING BULLS: C+
Championship: 8th, 45 points (this time in 2024: 6th, 34 points)
Best finish: 6th (2)
Best qualifying: 5th (1)
Average gap to pole: 0.819 seconds (last five races: 0.849 seconds)
Development trend: degrading by 0.195 seconds
What’s gone well
Isack Hadjar has been one of the revelations of the season and is a strong contender for rookie of the year. Liam Lawson is also getting to grips with his demotion and delivering more frequently. The team has been a close match for Williams on pace all season, and in the last five rounds on average it’s been the fifth-quickest car outright. It’s on track for its highest score since 2021.
What’s not
Swapping out Tsunoda for Lawson early damaged the team both by subtracting Tsunoda’s regularly and reliably good form for Lawson’s lacklustre early results. Racing Bulls has also proved itself still prone to random strategic gambles that don’t pay off, leaving points on the table. As a result it’s failed to capitalise on Williams’s period of struggle, slipping to eighth in the championship and 25 points adrift of fifth.
Target for the rest of the season
To move forwards in the championship. Fifth is likely too much of a stretch, while Aston Martin and Sauber’s forward momentum will make seven sixth and seventh difficult, but with Lawson improving and Hadjar reliably good, it should at least be able to mix into the battle and avoid the lower reaches of the table.
Racing Bulls has slipped since its strong start to the year. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
MERCEDES: C+
Championship: 3rd, 236 points (this time in 2024: 4th, 266 points)
Wins: 1
Poles: 1
Average gap to pole: 0.371 seconds (last five races: 0.397 seconds)
Development trend: degrading by 0.272 seconds
What’s gone well
The season started strongly with a drivable and consistent car, solving key problems from previous seasons. George Russell has taken a big step up to capitalise on those virtues, collecting four podiums from the first six races and winning in Canada. Teenage rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli took sprint pole in Miami and his first podium in Canada to validate his promotion.
What’s not
Performance took a sharp downturn from around May with a misfiring series of developments that led the team down a dead end until it rolled some upgrades off the car in Hungary, a familiar issue under these regulations. Antonelli has struggled badly during the European campaign, scoring just twice for 16 points in eight rounds. Team boss Toto Wolff allowed his unlikely pursuit of Verstappen to become a distraction during this time too.
Target for the rest of the season
To beat Ferrari to second in the constructors championship. To do so will require lifting Antonelli back to form given his understandably thin scoring record is making the difference against a team with a better-balanced line-up. Helping the Italian end his year on a high will also boost him for what could be a crucial second campaign in a car that could contend for the championship.
The Mercedes campaign has been up and down. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
FERRARI: C
Championship: 2nd, 260 points (this time in 2024: 3rd, 345 points)
Best finish: 2nd (1)
Poles: 1
Average gap to pole: 0.443 seconds (last five races: 0.442 seconds)
Development trend: degrading by 0.053 seconds
What’s gone well
Ferrari is holding second in the standings, albeit only 24 points ahead of Mercedes. Charles Leclerc has rediscovered his qualifying mojo with a sensational pole in Hungary. Frédéric Vasseur got a much-needed vote of confidence via a rumoured three-year contract extension to continue his project towards the 2026 rule changes.
What’s not
This is far from the season Ferrari wanted. Having fallen 14 points short of last year’s title, it has failed to kick on with McLaren. Not only that, but it’s 2025 car has been a step backwards — a less reliable performer that’s more difficult to drive. It’s the only frontrunner yet to win, and that Hungary pole came despite being the fourth-fastest car over one lap. All this is bad news for Lewis Hamilton, whose first season has been weighed down equally by his own struggles adjusting to his new team as well as Ferrari’s patchy campaign.
Target for the rest of the season
To defend second in the standings, at least allowing Ferrari to save face while arguing 2026 was always the target anyway. Getting Hamilton onto the podium — retaining his career-long streak — will be a crucial milestone in the Englishman’s acclimatisation; failing to do so will pile on unhelpful pressure for next year.
Ferrari has taken a step backwards in 2025. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
HAAS: C
Championship: 9th, 35 points (this time in 2024: 7th, 27 points)
Best finish: 5th (1)
Best qualifying: 8th (2)
Average gap to pole: 1.168 seconds (last five races: 1.010 seconds)
Development trend: improving by 0.442 seconds
What’s gone well
Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman have settled into their roles at the team well, with the Frenchman playing the dependable experienced driver and the latter the fast but unfinished rookie. They’ve combined to give the team a decent haul of points that could see it finish eighth in the championship. That would be a significant turnaround on expectations after its disastrous first race in Melbourne, where the car was far slower than pre-season testing had suggested, forcing significant work at base to save the season.
What’s not
The car has been an inconsistent performer, bouncing around from being fifth fastest in Silverstone to slowest at a handful of other venues. While Bearman has been quick enough to challenge Ocon every week, he’s been scrappier than expected at times — he’s already picked up two red flag infringements that have proved massively costly personally and in terms of points.
Target for the rest of the season
To finish eighth in the championship. While this would be stagnation after last year’s eighth-place finish, it would be a decent result considering where the team started this year and given the focus directed at the 2026 car. It will require greater consistency from both drivers, however, and in particular Bearman to achieve it.
Haas has shown glimpses of promise this year. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
RED BULL RACING: D
Championship: 4th, 194 points (this time in 2024: 1st, 408 points)
Wins: 2
Poles: 4
Average gap to pole: 0.276 seconds (last five races: 0.415 seconds)
Development trend: degrading by 0.421 seconds
What’s gone well
Verstappen’s recommitment to the team has ensured that its most performant part will remain for at least another season. The Dutchman has continued performing at an extremely high level, winning in Japan when he shouldn’t have done and taking three other unlikely poles. His victory in Imola was also extremely impressive.
What’s not
The design office without Adrian Newey at the helm clearly hasn’t understood the development issues that became clear last year. It’s raised doubts about the design office’s ability to bounce back under new rules next year, which in turn has led to the wavering of faith in the Verstappen camp that could result in the ultimate vote of no confidence next year. RBR’s difficulty fielding a competitive second car has hit a new low this year, with just seven of the team’s 194 points scored by Yuki Tsunoda. The sudden axing of Christian Horner by head office in Austria also raises questions about how the team will be run in coming years.
Target for the rest of the season
To prove it still knows how to be competitive. That means getting more out of this year’s car without compromising development for 2026 and, crucially, helping Tsunoda find form in the sport’s biggest career-killing role.
Max Verstappen’s title defence never really got going. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
ALPINE: E
Championship: 10th, 20 points (this time in 2024: 8th, 11 points)
Best finish: 6th (1)
Best qualifying: 5th (1)
Average gap to pole: 0.981 seconds (last five races: 1.009 seconds)
Development trend: degrading by 0.219 seconds
What’s gone well
Pierre Gasly continues to squeeze improbable performance from a car that’s often not been up to scratch. The Frenchman has made Q3 at half the races so far and has racked up 20 points across only five scoring weekends, sparing the team some of its blushes.
What’s not
Just about everything else. The car has been wayward and uncompetitive for most of the year and at three weekends this season has been the outright slowest. Results haven’t been helped by the fruitless driver change after six rounds, dumping the improving Jack Doohan for the cashed-up Franco Colapinto. While the Argentine looks like he might finally be turning a corner, one wonders how many points have been wasted through blooding a new driver unnecessarily — and rumours continue that Colapinto could be turfed anyway for an experienced alternative. The team’s off-track turmoil continues with the loss of another team principal, Oliver Oakes, in sudden and unusual circumstances, bringing the controversial Flavio Briatore further into the spotlight.
Target for the rest of the season
To not finish last in the championship. Alpine represents Renault, one of the biggest manufacturers in the world with a long and decorated Formula 1 history. Being comprehensively beaten by so many independent teams would be embarrassing.