2025 F1 Half-Term Report

As F1 returns from the summer break, it is time to reflect on the first half of the season across every team with half-term reports.

Whilst McLaren have been dominant from the get-go, some teams have surprised more than others in different ways across sprint and Grands Prix as some rookies arrived in F1 to shake up the order amidst driver switches.

The season also saw off-track dramas for some teams in a campaign which has certainly proven memorable in different ways in terms of stories.

Now as teams gear up for the final ten rounds of the season, it made sense to dish out half-term reports ahead of the trip to Zandvoort, Netherlands.

*Sprint and GP results are combined for Qualifying and race head-to-head statistics.

 

McLaren

Lando Norris	Driver	Oscar Piastri
275	Points	284
6	Wins	6
8	Podiums	9
8	Race H2H	9
1st x 6	Highest Finish	1 x 6
11	Qualifying H2H	6
4	Pole Positions	5
2nd	Championship Position	1st

.’Domination’ is the only word to sum up McLaren’s season so far as there isn’t much to separate both drivers in terms of performance, with fair play to the pit wall for not utilising team orders in favour of a fair title battle.

My only niggle though lies in their decision-making in Canada because when they chased Andrea Kimi Antonelli for third in the closing phase, McLaren could of swapped Piastri and Norris around with a clear instruction to switch back if Norris didn’t pass the Italian by the final lap.

That way they could of maximised their points haul as a team whilst being fair in attempting to snatch a podium finish with promise of a switchback if unsuccessful, instead of the contact which ended Norris’ race and cost them a further ten points in the constructors’ standings.

Norris though does have a tendency to make small errors in Qualifying and at race starts which has to be polished up if he is to claim a maiden title, but he has done well to often recover from those errors although Miami undoubtedly wasn’t really his fault due to a shove from Max Verstappen.

Dominant wins in Australia, Monaco and Austria though showed what Norris can achieve at his best, whilst he lucked in at Silverstone before he craftily executed an one-stopper to take a deserved win in Hungary to keep himself right on Piastri’s heel through the summer break.

Piastri meanwhile has displayed the coolness of a cucumber to maximise his results even when not winning, although I personally thought that his ten-second time penalty for erratic breaking on safety car restart at the British GP was harsh because Valtteri Bottas did worse at 2020 Tuscan GP and wasn’t penalised.

The Aussie also nearly collided with Norris in Austria and Hungary but showed maturity in displaying instant apologies on team radio at the former race, whilst he kept his cool in the latter but couldn’t make a clean pass so sensibly accepted second to minimise the drop in his title lead.

All in all, this season so far has been superbly impressive but there is plenty of room for improvement on the pit wall and track, as highlighted by their indecisive strategy decision making in Canada particularly.

Grade = B

 

Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton	Driver	Charles Leclerc
109	Points	151
1	Wins	0
0	Podiums	5
4	Race H2H*	12
1st	Highest Finish	2nd
5	Qualifying H2H	12
1	Pole Positions	1
6th	Championship Position	5th

*Both Hamilton and Leclerc were disqualified from Chinese GP.

Despite sitting second in the constructors, Ferrari can’t rest on their laurels because there has been plenty of basic errors in wet conditions like delayed pit stops in Australia or incorrect gambles at Silverstone, amidst poorly-timed pit stops in dry races.

Their general pace also has been pretty disappointing given the quality driver pairing that they have but credit to Hamilton for winning the Chinese Sprint in their sole highlight so far, which showed some potential which was squandered by an excessive plank wear and underweight car in the main race.

Not even Leclerc’s pole in Hungary disguised their issues because of various issues on the car which prevented him from matching McLaren’s pace as he had done for the first two-thirds of the race, whilst his plus Hamilton’s team radios highlighted a disconnect between strategists and drivers.

With Mercedes just 24 points behind in third, Ferrari certainly have a lot to do to cling onto second because they need to somehow keep clawing as many points as they can on both sides of the garage, whilst ideally targeting more regular podiums and perhaps luck into a win if possible.

Strategical decision-making though needs major revision because too many sloppy errors and failing to fully listen to driver demands could ultimately be their undoing if not careful, in what has been a fairly decent season otherwise.

Grade = C

 

Mercedes

Andrea Kimi Antonelli	Driver	George Russell
64	Points	172
0	Wins	1
1	Podiums	5
0	Race H2H	17
3rd	Highest Finish	1st
2	Qualifying H2H	15
1	Pole Positions	1
7th	Championship Position	4th

Currently in a new era without Hamilton at the wheel, Mercedes have done well to adjust with Russell in particular finding higher peak ceilings in his performance, aside from a dip after his dominant victory in Canada, which has been evident in how he dominated Antonelli.

As for Antonelli, I had my doubts about his promotion to F2 at the start of 2024 without doing F3 and although his rookie year was solid, I do think that he could of done with a second season at that level because he has simply failed to match Russell’s performance level.

His Miami Sprint pole though showed a glimpse of what he is capable of but with new regulations next season, this year is really a campaign of learning and practical work so judgement is still out on Antonelli but he could do with making progress as his and Russell’s seats aren’t confirmed.

The driver market situation though does make an exit look unlikely for both drivers with Mercedes perhaps having an eye on 2026, so it has been a case of delivering strong performances and use any learnings they can for next season’s regulations.

Grade = C

 

Red Bull

Max Verstappen	Driver	Liam Lawson
36	Points	0
3	Race H2H	0
6th	Highest Finish	12th
3	Qualifying H2H	0

2025 certainly started as bit of an annus horribilis for Red Bull as Lawson unsurprisingly proved a poor replacement for Sergio Perez, which exposed the team’s issue in favouring the car’s design towards Verstappen alone as Lawson showcased the true fragility and issues of the car.

Verstappen though enjoyed a better time partnered with Lawson as he looked very strong and capable of mounting another title defence, even if you could argue that it maybe had the feels of Sebastian Vettel’s 2012 title which didn’t start with a win.

Red Bull though were pretty harsh to demote Lawson after three races in the opening two rounds because he clearly needed support and the first fortnight break of the season to work on his weaknesses, as he otherwise could of produced an improvement in Japan.

Max Verstappen	Driver	Yuki Tsunoda
151	Points	10
12	Race H2H	2
1st x 3	Highest Finish	6th
14	Qualifying H2H	0

Red Bull nevertheless promoted Tsunoda who hasn’t exactly done much of immense note other than score some points, even though he needed a time penalty and retirement for his two head-to-head wins over Verstappen which highlighted how deep the differences between both cars are.

Simply put it this way, Red Bull are extremely lucky to have Verstappen because his control in Japan plus opportunistically brilliant overtakes in Emilia Romagna GP and Belgian Sprint got them three wins, which I don’t think would of happened under any other driver as he has single-handedly put the team fourth in the standings.

Christian Horner also got the axe after the British GP which showed how much of a mess the team are in performance wise even compared to last season, and a C grade therefore is down to Verstappen’s quality alone.

Grade = C

 

Williams

Alex Albon	Driver	Carlos Sainz
54	Points	16
0	Podiums	0
11	Race H2H*	5
5th x 3	Highest Finish	8th x 2
10	Qualifying H2H	7
8th	Championship Position	16th

*Excluding Austria as neither driver finished the Grand Prix.

Sat fifth at the summer break in their best start to the season for nine years, Williams can be pleased with their campaign so far because they’ve been competitive more even though I would of liked to see them maintain some of their practice pace more into qualifying at times.

Sainz’s arrival in particular has brought plenty of experience and quality which has motivated Albon to new competitive heights than in recent seasons, but the Spaniard though hasn’t exactly settled in strong enough to be hitting those heights and pushing Albon harder.

I however do hope that the break has allowed Sainz to regroup because he clearly has better performances in him and although he has had plenty of time to adapt to his new environment, he now needs to step up if Williams are to build upon the positives of an improved season.

Albon meanwhile has been quite a solid team leader during Sainz’s transitory phase so it will be interesting to see how he progresses in the second half of the season, especially if Sainz can get on level performance terms in coming races.

Nevertheless a season of positives and progress but Williams just need to continue improving and build on their learnings with one eye on 2026, especially given how well they adapted to the last major regulations revamp in 2014 before a lengthy slide in form.

Grade = C

 

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso	Driver	Lance Stroll
26	Points	26
0	Podiums	0
8	Race H2H*	8
5th	Highest Finish	6th
16	Qualifying H2H	1
11th	Championship Position	12th

*Stroll sat out the Spanish GP due to a wrist injury.

Having drifted away from the frontrunners since last season, this campaign feels like a transitory season for Aston Martin as they gear up for 2026 which not only sees new regulations but the first Aston Martin car designed by Adrian Newey following his arrival earlier this year.

On-track, Alonso has dominated the team’s Qualifying head-to-head but to Stroll’s credit, the Canadian has found a way to get on par with the two-time champion in race trim when it comes to head-to-head comparison but that doesn’t disguise the team’s poor form which has clearly drawn their drivers closer together.

Either way, it does feel like Aston Martin has one eye on 2026 but they are still 18 points off fifth-placed Williams so it’s all to play in the final ten rounds if can find some improvement, but a good solid job so far although they ideally need to find more speed given that Sauber are steadily climbing the standings.

Prediction = C

 

Sauber

Gabriel Bortoleto	Driver	Nico Hulkenberg
14	Points	37
0	Podiums	1
7	Race H2H*	9
6th	Highest Finish	3rd
10	Qualifying H2H	7
17th	Championship Position	9th

*Excluding Bahrain due to Hulkenberg’s disqualification.

Sauber initially didn’t look very competitive but Bortoleto and Hulkenberg has quietly grafted away whilst the team’s upgrades have certainly been beneficial, as evidenced by points in their last six races and a well-executed strategic podium for Hulkenberg at Silverstone from 19th on the grid.

Bortoleto though has been like a dark horse quietly settling into F1 with little pressure which has paid dividends with 14 points in his last four rounds, which has been well-earned on merit especially his sixth-placed in Hungary fending off drivers like Verstappen and Stroll.

Sauber though are in the interesting situation of having Audi take over their entry next season under new regulations, which allows them leeway to focus on further developing this year’s car longer, and I can’t wait to see what they can do on current form as other turn focus to next year.

Grade = C

 

Racing Bulls

Isack Hadjar	Driver	Yuki Tsunoda
0	Points	3
1	Race H2H	2
11th	Highest Finish	6th
1	Qualifying H2H	2

Due to being Red Bull’s sister-team under the trigger-happy watch of Helmut Marko, Racing Bulls were always likely to see at least one driver change if Lawson’s promotion proved unsuccessful, but aside from Tsunoda’s sixth-placed in the Chinese GP – there wasn’t much to celebrate in his two rounds against Hadjar.

Hadjar though deserved credit for how he bounced back in China after his formation-lap crash in Australia which left him devastated, because he rebounded with seventh in GP Qualifying before he just missed out on his first points in the main race which is no easy feat for a rookie.

The Frenchman though came on leaps and bounds following his change of teammate as Lawson arrived following a switch with Tsunoda, who in-turn got promoted to Red Bull.

Isack Hadjar	Driver	Liam Lawson
22	Points	20
9	Race H2H*	4
6th	Highest Finish	6th
11	Qualifying H2H	3

*Neither Hadjar or Lawson finished British GP.

Although Hadjar and Lawson are only split by two points after 12 rounds together, they have gelled quite well under the radar with some solid drives amidst the inconsistency in race results, which masked the true quality of both drivers this season at Racing Bulls.

Hadjar in particularly has stood out in an underrated manner because temperament and frustration control were his main issues last season in F2, yet he seems like a maturely transformed driver because he has been more composed and calm in his racecraft since that debut error in Melbourne.

Lawson meanwhile knuckled down following his demotion when he could of easily lost total confidence and is reaping the reward now, with 16 points in three of the last four Grands Prix which is a mark of his maturity to quietly regroup after a nightmare stint at Red Bull and deliver his best again.

The inconsistency in results though can’t be ignored even despite Team Principal, Laurent Mekies’ promotion to Red Bull after Silverstone, because it should really be challenging for points for more given its relatively easier driveability compared to the Red Bull.

Hadjar and Lawson’s development though is saving them from a D because both drivers are doing a great job despite the various changes that unfolded in the first half of the season, especially when consider the starts that the pair both had to the campaign.

Grade = C

 

Haas

Oliver Bearman	Driver	Esteban Ocon
8	Points	27
0	Podiums	0
6	Race H2H	11
8th	Highest Finish	5th
6	Qualifying H2H	11
19th	Championship Position	10th

Going for an all-new line-up with a rookie paired with an experienced driver is a risk with no continuity is always a massive risk, of which Haas probably can be relatively pleased because Bearman and Ocon have settled in well despite often not having the luck with one-lap pace.

Their racecraft however has been more competitive with Ocon’s experience naturally the difference against Bearman who has made some typical rookie errors, such as his pit-entry spin in FP3 at Silverstone under red flags which earned him a ten-place grid penalty at his home race and ultimately no points.

2026 though brings a technical regulations revamp so I wouldn’t be surprised if Haas’ focus is already on preparations for next season, but they’ve done a decent if unspectacular job so far given how uncompetitive they were in Australia although their grade would be better if had more luck.

D grade therefore feels fair because whilst there has been improvements with a double top-seven finish in the Belgian Sprint, Haas have been just too inconsistent and outside of the points often.

Grade = D

 

Alpine

Pierre Gasly	Driver	Jack Doohan
7	Points	0
5	Race H2H*	2
7th	Highest Finish	13th
6	Qualifying H2H	2

*Gasly was disqualified from Chinese GP due to underweight car.

2025 certainly was a disastrous start for Alpine with just seven points from the first six rounds – of which six of those points came from a superb drive for Gasly in Bahrain to qualify fifth and finish seventh, before he then snatched the final point in Miami sprint through penalties for other drivers.

Doohan though just lacked the ability needed to match Gasly which in part could of been down to having spent 2024 on the sidelines aside from his F1 debut in Abu Dhabi, so a change was wise if Alpine were to improve their chances of achieving points.

Pierre Gasly	Driver	Franco Colapinto
13	Points	0
5	Race H2H	4
6th	Highest Finish	13th
7	Qualifying H2H	2

That change however doesn’t seem to have done much because Colapinto barely has made much impact other than getting closer to Gasly in the race head-to-head stats, but he still needs to show more speed and quality if he is to break through into the top ten.

Gasly though has continued to carry the team with his experience which particularly showed in a weather-affected British GP, but his performances doesn’t disguise how poor the car has been despite Alpine being the highest-scoring last-placed team at the summer break.

Huge improvement and another slice of luck akin to Brazil last season will be needed if Alpine are to avoid finishing last in the constructors’ standings, but a D is all they deserve in terms of grade due to mixture of Gasly’s performances and willingness to make a change out of pure hope.

Grade = D