F1 2025 REPORT CARDS: PASSES, FAILS, AND CLICHÉS THAT NEED A RESET

A tight, strange season—at times even contradictory. That’s exactly why it deserves to be told without filters. What follows are not absolute verdicts, but personal evaluations, inevitably subjective. If you disagree, that’s perfectly fine: motorsport thrives on that too.

LANDO NORRIS – 8

He achieved what every driver dreams of: becoming world champion. And he did it by staying true to himself, without bending to outside pressure or denying who he is. The first part of the season was far from flawless: the tricky feel of McLaren’s highly sensitive front end led him into several mistakes, especially in qualifying, slowing his title charge.

From his retirement at Zandvoort onward, though, Norris shifted gears—not so much in pure speed, but mentally. Weekends built with clarity, solid performances even when he wasn’t the favorite, and finally the maturity of a champion. He beat both his teammate—often labeled the “chosen one”—and a generational talent like Verstappen, each armed differently. If this isn’t a legitimate world champion, then we need to rewrite the dictionary.

MAX VERSTAPPEN – 9

An elite-level season, with moments that defy ordinary understanding. In the first half of the year, Red Bull was inconsistent and struggled to match the McLarens on many tracks, but when conditions allowed, Max was ruthless. Suzuka and Imola were perfect examples.

After the summer break, with an RB21 that was kinder on its tires and further developed, Verstappen became almost unstoppable. Between others’ mistakes and monstrous performances of his own, the title remained undecided for a long time. The grade isn’t perfect only because of a few hard-to-justify episodes, like Barcelona: flashes of total dominance alternating with unnecessarily over-the-top moves. A superstar, but not untouchable.

OSCAR PIASTRI – 7.5

He’s probably the real loser of 2025. Amid Norris’ struggles, retirements, and favorable circumstances, he had a concrete opportunity to capitalize on his strong start to the season. Instead, between Baku and Brazil, his performance collapsed.

Claims of internal favoritism don’t hold up: McLaren had no reason to undermine the driver leading the championship. Simply put, Piastri missed the moment when it mattered most, making costly mistakes. A missed opportunity more than a bad season.

GEORGE RUSSELL – 7

Consistent, quick, solid. Russell makes few mistakes and brings home points with impressive regularity. He talks a lot over the radio, sure—but on track, he commands respect. Attempts to downplay him in light of Antonelli’s strong performances don’t hold up: George remains championship material, in both character and output.

CHARLES LECLERC – 7

A season similar to Russell’s, but with a few extra mistakes that weigh on the final balance. Miami and Silverstone remain avoidable low points. The biggest regret is Monaco, where he dominated every session except Q3, when Norris delivered an extraordinary lap.

Leclerc often made the difference, but the idea that he’s the only one capable of challenging Verstappen is overstated.

LEWIS HAMILTON – 6-

An overall disappointment. A few positive flashes, some respectable races, but nothing that justifies the expectations attached to his name. Silverstone was probably his best weekend.

His gradual closing in on Leclerc is an encouraging sign, but the end of the season weighs heavily on the evaluation. Between difficult qualifying sessions and flat performances, it was often borderline embarrassing. 2026 will need to tell a different story.

KIMI ANTONELLI – 6.5

Debuting alongside Russell, in a very demanding seat and in an extremely competitive championship, isn’t easy. A passing grade is deserved, even if a few more flashes of brilliance might have been expected. The talent is there, but a significant step forward is needed.

ALEX ALBON – 6

An excellent start to the season, backed by a surprisingly competitive Williams. As the races went on, however, the comparison with Sainz increasingly tilted in the Spaniard’s favor. Slightly more was expected.

CARLOS SAINZ – 7

A pleasant surprise. After an initial adaptation phase, he took control and made the most of his experience and composure. There were a few favorable episodes, but the results also stem from speed and race management. He confirmed his value.

FERNANDO ALONSO – 5

A grade that will spark debate. The start of the season was disappointing, with avoidable mistakes and unconvincing performances. The finale allowed him to limit the damage, overtaking Hülkenberg in the standings, but the overall picture remains dull.

He races for a team rich in resources, with a structure built around him and a teammate rarely incisive. Despite that, his performance has been declining for years. Today he’s a normal driver portrayed as extraordinary.

NICO HÜLKENBERG – 8

One of the best of 2025. In a Sauber, he remained firmly in the top ten of the standings for much of the season. Solid, consistent performances, often underrated. The crash in Qatar weighs on the record, but it doesn’t erase what he achieved. Audi made an excellent choice.

ISACK HADJAR – 7.5

One of the surprises of the year. He didn’t demolish Lawson in comparison, but he showed very interesting peaks. The risk is that alongside Verstappen he may struggle to stand out. Let’s hope he doesn’t get burned too quickly.

OLIVER BEARMAN – 7

A positive season, with several high-quality moments. The points haul doesn’t put him far ahead of Ocon, but the potential shown justifies a slightly higher grade. Still, let’s be cautious with comparisons and excessive expectations.

LIAM LAWSON – 6

Overall solid performances, but the disastrous start at Red Bull weighs heavily on the final judgment. 2026 will be decisive.

ESTEBAN OCON – 6

He scored roughly the same as Bearman, but slightly more was expected. A valuable driver, yet the season leaves more regrets than certainties.

LANCE STROLL – 5

In line with expectations. He’s not incompetent, but neither is he a driver who adds anything to the category’s future. It’s probably time to turn the page.

YUKI TSUNODA – 5-

The most thankless seat on the grid—but also the least forgiving. A step forward was expected, and it didn’t come. Another victim of the Red Bull system.

PIERRE GASLY – 6.5

A vote of confidence in a disastrous technical context. He needs a truly convincing season to confirm his real value.

GABRIEL BORTOLETO – 5

He showed some interesting flashes, but the comparison with his teammate doesn’t flatter him. Slightly below passing.

FRANCO COLAPINTO – 4

He had more opportunities than many others and showed his limitations. A harsh but consistent assessment.

JACK DOOHAN – N/A

In the wrong place at the wrong time.

Honorable Mentions

FORMULA ONE GROUP / LIBERTY MEDIA CORPORATION – 5.5

More noise than substance, more spectacle than competition. A management approach that can’t quite earn a full pass from those who truly understand motorsport. The F1 product continues to lean into entertainment, while what actually happens on track progressively loses bite. The cars were born from a flawed concept and developed even worse, resulting in races that were often flat and hard to interpret.

Sporting management remains a sore point: penalties handed out with elastic criteria, similar situations judged in opposite ways, decisions that change from one weekend to the next. Some improvement over the past has to be acknowledged, but the feeling remains of a confused system where guidelines exist only on paper. Hamilton’s episode at Zandvoort remains emblematic.

The grade doesn’t fall further only thanks to a few well-executed side initiatives—like the near-constant presence of historic cars during GP weekends—which, however, add nothing to real motorsport.

Expectations for the new regulations are high, although as long as the numbers remain in their favor, we’re unlikely to hear talk of any “crisis.”

ITALIAN MEDIA – 2

An entire winter break spent building unrealistic expectations around Ferrari, followed by months insisting on the importance of “not putting pressure” on Kimi.

Too bad that, when it mattered, Ferrari disappointed—and responsibility was systematically shifted onto alleged statements, often exaggerated if not entirely fabricated, from the men in red.

Antonelli, by contrast, lived under a constant magnifying glass: praised at the first positive sign and burdened with expectations that inevitably turned against him.

The treatment reserved for McLaren drivers completes the picture. A script we’ve seen before, repeated with remarkable punctuality.

To be clear, this refers both to “professional” sports journalists and to most of the countless independent projects that survive on clicks, often copying and pasting from vague sources, creating cascade effects already seen in other fields—effects that, frankly, motorsport could do without.

© Simone Marchetti Cavalieri