As we pass the halfway point in the 2025 Formula 1 season, Katy Fairman picks out 12 of the biggest headlines from the first 12 races. From first podiums, to sacked team bosses, and dangerously close to a race ban, these are the headlines that have shaped the sport over the last six or so months.
Horner out at Red Bull
The latest scandal to hit Formula 1 came days after the British Grand Prix, when Christian Horner found himself dumped from the team with immediate effect. Despite holding the position for 20 years, and managing to stay in power despite several controversies directed his way, Horner was finally axed as Red Bull Racing’s team principal and CEO.
He was replaced by Racing Bulls team boss Laurent Mekies, but many of us ask the same question: why now? Did the texting scandal finally catch up to him, is it performance-related, or did he lose Max Verstappen to Mercedes? All answers we will find out over time.
The inevitable McLaren crash in Canada
We’ve seen it time and time again; two individuals in equal machinery, knowing their biggest threat to the title belongs on the other side of the team garage, and only one will become champion. That is the story of McLaren this season, and after Saudi Arabia big boss Zak Brown said, “I know everyone is waiting for that big moment, but I think it is going to be a bit of a non-event, and internally we know it’s more of a ‘when’ than an ‘if’.”
Well, it finally happened in Montreal when Lando Norris made a daft move for the final podium spot on Oscar Piastri as they approached Turn 1. In a crash that was almost identical to the 2011 Lewis Hamilton–Jenson Button incident, the drivers hit the pit wall and Norris was instantly out.
McLaren has always boasted about the fact their drivers can race one another, but this was the first time that mentally came back to bite. The two have come close again, Piastri almost wiping out Norris in Austria, and as the title fight heats up you can’t help but wonder how long before history repeats itself in these remaining 12 rounds…
Hamilton’s Shanghai Sprint win
It feels like a lifetime ago now, but we have technically seen Lewis Hamilton’s first win in red. The seven-time champion made the historic move to Scuderia Ferrari this season, but things haven’t quite started in the way both Hamilton and the tifosi hoped for.
He’s failed to finish on the podium for a grand prix with the Scuderia so far, but has come close, finishing fourth in the last two races, with his 106th Formula 1 win looking just out of reach for now.
But, Hamilton does technically have a win with Ferrari under his belt after converting the Sprint pole into the Sprint win in Shanghai, China. It looked to be the start of something special, but the dream has been put on hold for now. Can he finally stand on the top step of the podium for a grand prix victory in the remaining 12 races? Let’s see.
Verstappen nears a race ban
Reigning champion Verstappen could have 12 stories to himself in this listicle: from his takes on the FIA swearing ban, a controversial clash with George Russell in Spain or the talks of him leaving Red Bull for Mercedes next season, he’s keeping us journalists busy.
However, the standout factor here is that he is currently sitting on 11 penalty points – just one away from a race ban. We’ve seen drivers come close, and Kevin Magnussen got himself banned in Baku last season for exceeding the number of points, but this was a big talking point after his deliberate shunt with Russell in Barcelona.
He was handed three points, pushing his total to 11 and had to stay out of trouble in Canada and Austria to avoid a ban, which he did. Verstappen finished second in Canada, and was out by the first lap after contact with Kimi Antonelli in his Mercedes, meaning his points have gone down to nine. The next are due to expire in October, so there’s a chance Verstappen could still get himself a ban up until the Brazilian Grand Prix.