F1 has put on another must-see show this season, with a fascinating championship battle, ultra-close margins and unexpected results all featuring. As the drivers and teams enjoy their summer break, we run through some telling statistics from the campaign so far ahead of what looks set to be an edge-of-your-seat 10-round run to see out the year\u2026<\/p>\n
— 0.010 —<\/p>\n
We start with the smallest pole position-winning margin, which came at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. After Lando Norris<\/a> crashed out in Q3, it was Max Verstappen<\/a> who snatched pole for Red Bull over the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri<\/a> by 10 thousandths of a second.<\/p>\n — 0.126 —<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia has not been the only close Qualifying session this season, with plenty of examples across the first 14 rounds highlighting how small the field spread now is. Last time out in Hungary, for example, just 0.126s covered first to sixth<\/a> on the grid.<\/p>\n — 0.543 —<\/p>\n That Hungaroring session also brought us the closest top-10 Qualifying classification in the 75-year history of the sport, with little more than half a second covering Charles Leclerc<\/a> on pole to Isack Hadjar<\/a> in 10th.<\/p>\n — 0.698 —<\/p>\n While McLaren have consistently led the way in 2025, Norris and Piastri are providing plenty of entertainment. On race day in Hungary, the one-stopping Briton crossed the line less than a second ahead<\/a> of his two-stopping team mate, who had put on a late charge.<\/p>\n It goes down as the closest finish to a race this season that did not occur behind the Safety Car \u2013 Mercedes driver George Russell<\/a> took the chequered flag 0.228s ahead of Verstappen at the Canadian Grand Prix, but they were following Bernd Maylander<\/a> at the time.<\/p>\n — 5 —<\/p>\n Piastri, Norris and Verstappen are all on four Grand Prix pole positions apiece this year, with the aforementioned Russell and Ferrari\u2019s Leclerc taking one each. It means five drivers from four different teams have started a race at the front of the pack.<\/p>\n If we include Sprint weekends, the number of drivers increases to seven: Lewis Hamilton<\/a> achieving his first pole for Ferrari during Sprint Qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix and rookie Kimi Antonelli<\/a> surprising the field at the Miami Grand Prix.<\/p>\n — 7 —<\/p>\n When it comes to podium finishes, seven drivers from five different teams have reached the rostrum up to this point, including emotional firsts for Antonelli in Canada and Kick Sauber\u2019s Nico Hulkenberg<\/a> \u2013 on what marked his 239th start<\/a> \u2013 in Britain.<\/p>\n — 8 —<\/p>\n Even more drivers have led a race at some stage. Piastri comfortably heads the list over team mate Norris, followed by Verstappen, Leclerc, Russell, Antonelli and Hamilton, with Williams\u2019 Alex Albon<\/a> also logging a lap at the front of the field during the Chinese Grand Prix.<\/p>\n — 9 —<\/p>\n After 14 rounds, the gap between Piastri and Norris in the Drivers\u2019 Championship<\/a> is just nine points, with 10 Grands Prix (including three Sprint weekends) still to come.<\/p>\n — 10 —<\/p>\n Underlining how competitive the sport has become, all 10 teams managed to get points on the board<\/a> between Australia and Hungary \u2013 every squad scoring on at least five different weekends and recording a best finish of at least sixth position.<\/p>\n — 19 —<\/p>\n Continuing along that theme, of the 21 drivers to start a Grand Prix this season, 19 have got points on the board. Only Jack Doohan<\/a> (who contested the first six rounds with Alpine) and Franco Colapinto<\/a> (who took the Australian\u2019s spot from the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix) are on zero.<\/p>\n — 23 —<\/p>\n In an ebbing and flowing championship battle, the gap between the McLaren drivers has never been greater than 23 points, when Norris took an early lead via his victory and Piastri\u2019s dramatic spin from second place at the rain-hit Australian Grand Prix opener.<\/p>\n Piastri turned the tables across the next few rounds to move 22 points clear leaving Canada, where the McLarens clashed<\/a> and Norris retired, but his advantage is back under double figures thanks to his team mate\u2019s run of three victories at the last four Grands Prix.<\/p>\n — 35 —<\/p>\n