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2025 Formula One World Championship
76th Formula One season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship was a motor racing championship for Formula One cars and the 76th running of the Formula One World Championship. It was recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body of international motorsport, as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. The championship was contested over 24 Grands Prix held around the world. It began in March and ended in December.
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Drivers and teams competed for the titles of World Drivers' Champion and World Constructors' Champion, respectively. The season saw Lando Norris win his first drivers' title in his seventh season in the sport, ending the four-year reign of Max Verstappen as champion.[1] The season was largely dominated by McLaren drivers Norris and Oscar Piastri, and reigning Drivers' Champion Verstappen, driving for Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT. All three were in the running for the World Drivers' Championship going into the season ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Norris in the championship lead and Verstappen having closed a gap of 104 points down to 12. Norris's third-place finish in the season finale was enough to win the title. Defending champion Verstappen won the race, allowing him to finish within two points of Norris in the championship. Piastri, who had led the championship for 15 rounds, finished the season in third, 13 points behind Norris. Norris became the 35th driver overall to claim the World Drivers' Championship, and the eighth to do so driving for McLaren. At the Singapore Grand Prix, defending Constructors' Champions McLaren successfully retained their Constructors' title moving them second on the all-time list with ten titles ahead of Williams. It was the first time they had secured both the Drivers' and Constructors' titles since 1998.[2]
Entries
All teams competed with tyres supplied by Pirelli.[3] Each team was required to enter at least two drivers, one for each of the two mandatory cars.[4]: Article 8.6
Free practice drivers
On four occasions throughout the season (twice for each car) in one of the first two free practice sessions of a Grand Prix weekend, each team had to field a driver who had not competed in more than two races.[4]: Article 32.4c Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar and Kimi Antonelli's participation at the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix fulfilled both of the required rookie sessions for their respective cars at Sauber, Racing Bulls and Mercedes. Jack Doohan's participation at the Australian Grand Prix fulfilled one of the required rookie sessions for his car at Alpine.[c][37]
| Constructor | Practice drivers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Driver name | Rounds | |
| Alpine-Renault | 62 61 |
 Ryo Hirakawa Paul Aron |
3 16, 20, 24 |
| Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes | 34 35 34 |
 Felipe Drugovich Jak Crawford Cian Shields |
4, 14 20, 24 24 |
| Ferrari | 38 38 39 |
 Dino Beganovic Antonio Fuoco Arthur Leclerc |
4, 11 20 24 |
| Haas-Ferrari | 50 | Ryo Hirakawa |
4, 9, 20, 24 |
| Kick Sauber-Ferrari | 97 | Paul Aron |
12, 14 |
| McLaren-Mercedes | 89 89 |
 Alexander Dunne Patricio O'Ward |
11, 16 20, 24 |
| Mercedes | 72 |  Frederik Vesti |
4, 20 |
| Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT | 40 | Ayumu Iwasa |
20, 24 |
| Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT | 37 36 |
Ayumu Iwasa Arvid Lindblad |
4 12, 20, 24 |
| Williams-Mercedes | 46 45 |
Luke Browning Victor Martins |
4, 20, 24 9 |
| Source:[20][38] | |||
Team changes
RB discontinued its use of initialism and entered instead as Racing Bulls, thus changing its team and constructor name.[28]
Driver changes
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Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes after twelve seasons to join Ferrari,[39] ending his record breaking streak of the most consecutive seasons driving for a single constructor.[40] He replaced Carlos Sainz Jr., who left Ferrari after four seasons to join Williams on a multi-year deal. Sainz was initially set to replace Logan Sargeant, before Sargeant was replaced by Franco Colapinto midway through the 2024 season.[41][42][43] Hamilton was replaced by Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli, who was promoted from Formula 2.[44][45] Colapinto left Williams to join Alpine as a reserve driver.[46]
Haas fielded an all-new line-up in 2025; Nico Hülkenberg departed the team after two seasons to drive for Sauber, he previously competed for the team in 2013.[47][48] He was replaced by Haas's reserve driver Oliver Bearman, who stepped up from Formula 2.[49] Bearman had competed in three Grand Prix in 2024 as reserve driver, once for Ferrari, at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and twice for Haas at the Azerbaijan and São Paulo Grands Prix.[50] Kevin Magnussen also departed Haas after seven seasons across two stints.[51] He was replaced by Esteban Ocon, who split from Alpine before the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after five seasons.[52][53] Jack Doohan, who replaced Ocon for the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, obtained the seat at Alpine for 2025.[54]
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu both left Sauber after three years.[55] Both moved to reserve driver roles; Zhou at Ferrari and Bottas at Mercedes, where he raced from 2017 to 2021.[56][57] The vacant seat alongside Hülkenberg was filled by reigning Formula 2 Champion Gabriel Bortoleto.[58]
Despite a previously signed contract until 2026, Sergio Pérez left Red Bull Racing after the conclusion of the 2024 season.[59] He was replaced by Liam Lawson, who was promoted from Racing Bulls after five Grands Prix with them in 2023 under the AlphaTauri moniker, and six Grands Prix in 2024 under the RB moniker.[60] Red Bull Racing reserve and 2024 Formula 2 runner-up Isack Hadjar was promoted to Racing Bulls in his place.[61]
In-season changes
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Following the Chinese Grand Prix, Liam Lawson was demoted to Racing Bulls, with Yuki Tsunoda making his debut for Red Bull Racing at the subsequent Japanese Grand Prix.[62] The move came after analysis of Lawson's performance across the opening two rounds and testing showed that he was not performing to a high enough level.[63]
Following the Miami Grand Prix, Jack Doohan was relegated to a reserve driver role for Alpine. His seat was given to former reserve driver Franco Colapinto on a "rotating seat" basis, with the latter debuting at the subsequent Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and being initially scheduled to race for the team until the Austrian Grand Prix. Before the race at Spielberg, it was confirmed that Colapinto would retain his seat with the team, effectively on a race-by-race basis, Colapinto retained the seat for the entire season.[64] Colapinto previously raced for Williams in nine Grands Prix in 2024.[65]
Calendar
The 2025 calendar comprised the same twenty-four Grands Prix as the previous season.[66][67] The Chinese, Miami, Belgian, United States, São Paulo and Qatar Grands Prix featured the sprint format.[68][69]
Calendar changes
The Australian Grand Prix hosted the opening race of the 2025 season for the first time since 2019. For the previous three years, it was the third round of the season, following the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, respectively. For 2025, these races were pushed back to avoid conflict with Ramadan.[70][71] The Russian Grand Prix was under contract to feature on the 2025 calendar,[72] the contract was terminated in 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[73]
Regulation changes
Technical regulations
Driver well-being
The minimum driver weight allowance was increased from 80 kilograms (176 lb) to 82 kilograms (181 lb). Consequently, the overall minimum weight limit of the car, excluding fuel, rose from 798 kilograms (1,759 lb) to 800 kilograms (1,764 lb). The adjustment was implemented to promote driver well-being, particularly for individuals who are taller or heavier.[74][75][76] A driver cooling kit was introduced for 2025. The system would only be mandated by the FIA when the temperature was forecast to exceed 30.5 °C (86.9 °F), with the minimum weight of the cars increased by 5 kilograms (11 lb) to compensate for the equipment.[77] This was aimed at avoiding a repeat of driver overheating cases, as witnessed at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.[78]
Car design and maintenance
The limit on the number of gearboxes teams can use throughout a season was removed, the limit was considered obsolete given the increased reliability of gearboxes.[79] The FIA introduced stricter rear wing deflection tests that mandated the slot gap deflection be restricted to 2 mm (0.079 in) under a 2 kN (450 lbf) load, this was further 0.5 mm (0.020 in) from the Chinese Grand Prix onwards to counteract teams' usage of a "mini-DRS".[80] Additional front wing tests were implemented in a four-month forewarned technical directive for the Spanish Grand Prix, reducing the deflection under a 1 kN (220 lbf) load from 10 mm (0.39 in) to 5 mm (0.20 in).[81]
Sporting regulations
The point awarded to drivers finishing in the top ten positions for setting the fastest lap in the race, which was reintroduced in 2019, was abolished.[82][83]
Drivers
Drivers' comments were subject to more stringent regulation and stricter punishment. The issue had first come to light when Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said in an interview that he wanted to see less bad language in Formula One.[84] This was closely followed by Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, both being investigated and punished for swearing in Formula One interviews during the 2024 campaign.[85][86] The penalties for "driver misconduct" covered "language, [...], gesture[s] and/or sign[s] that [are] offensive, insulting, coarse, rude or abusive and might reasonably be expected or be perceived to be coarse or rude or to cause offense, humiliation or to be inappropriate", as well as assault and "incitement to do any of the above".[84] A first offence would incur a €40,000 fine; a second, an €80,000 fine and one-month suspension; and a third, a €120,000 fine, one-month suspension, and a championship point deduction. The same penalty scale would apply to any "moral injury or loss" to the "FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers" or its values. The making of "political, religious and personal statements or comments" which contravened the FIA's neutrality would also be subject to the same penalties, with the added caveat that drivers will be required to make a full apology and retract their statement.[84] Prior to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the FIA softened its stance, allowing race stewards more discretion in determining whether it is necessary to punish a driver for inappropriate language, and giving officials the option to suspend penalties in cases of mitigating circumstances.[87]
Ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, the FIA published the latest version of its driving standards guidelines to the public. Originally introduced in 2024, these guidelines aimed to provide drivers with a clearer understanding of the expected racing etiquette during on-track battles. Making the guidelines publicly available was intended to help fans and media better understand the rationale behind the FIA's decision-making and race officiating processes.[88]
The requirement for teams to run a young driver during free practice sessions was increased from once to twice per season per car.[89]
Cars
The sporting regulations introduced limitations on "testing of previous cars" (TPC). Teams would only be allowed to test using cars that had competed between two and four seasons "preceding the year of the Championship." A cap of twenty days was imposed on TPC activities, with championship drivers restricted to a maximum of 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) across four days of testing. Testing was permitted at any circuit holding FIA Grade 1 or FIA Grade 1T license, but with specific restrictions relating to testing on the circuits included on the current year's calendar.[e][4]: Article 10.2 [90]
Following concerns raised during the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, where Sergio Pérez controversially returned to the pits to avoid a safety car deployment, helping teammate Max Verstappen win the race, the FIA has introduced a new regulation to prevent severely damaged cars from attempting to return to the pits. Previously, drivers could navigate back to the garage even if their cars were damaged and posed a safety risk to others on track. The updated rule allowed the race director to instruct teams to retire a car if it has substantial structural damage or a critical failure that could endanger others or hinder competition. In such cases, the driver must pull over at the nearest safe location rather than continue to the pit lane.[91]
Starting procedures
The sporting regulations included specific provisions for setting the starting grid in the event that qualifying sessions for either the sprint or the main race were cancelled. In such cases, the starting grid would be determined based on the Drivers' Championship standings. Previously, when a qualifying session could not be held, the starting order was left entirely to the discretion of the stewards. If the championship standings could not be used to determine the grid, the decision remains at the discretion of the race stewards.[4]: Article 42.1 [92]
The protocol for closing up the grid when cars do not make it to the start of a race was amended. The final grid would now be determined one hour before the start of the race. Cars that are withdrawn up to 75 minutes before the start would not be included in the final grid, and the following cars would all move up the relevant positions. Previously, this timeline was longer.[78]
Drivers starting from the pit lane were now required to take part in the formation lap, marking a departure from previous seasons in which they were permitted to remain in the garage until the race began. Under the updated regulation, once all cars on track have passed the pit exit, pit lane starters must leave in the prescribed order – unless delayed – before re-entering the pit lane at the end of the formation lap. The change was intended to streamline race starts and establish a more consistent pre-race procedure.[91]
The rules surrounding tyres and safety car starts for wet races were tweaked. Since Formula One reverted to a sole tyre supplier in 2007, if a race held in wet conditions started behind the safety car, the FIA mandated the use of full wet tyres. In 2025 competitors were no longer forced to fit full wet tyres for wet safety car starts.[93] The revised regulations give the FIA the flexibility to mandate the use of full wet tyres for race starts should race officials deem it necessary for safety reasons.[4]: Article 49.1
Regulations for specific events
A minimum two-stop strategy, in both wet and dry conditions, was implemented for the Monaco Grand Prix in an effort to promote better racing.[79] Teams were also mandated to use at least three sets of tyres in the races, with a minimum of two different tyre compounds for a dry race.[94]
In response to concerns regarding damage to the tyres during the Qatar Grand Prix, a limit of 25 laps was introduced for each set of tyres. The 25 laps for each set of tyres did not have to be consecutive. As the Grand Prix was run over 57 laps, each driver going full race distance had to change tyres at least twice.[95] Unlike the 2023 race, laps run under the safety car or virtual safety car counted towards the limit.[96]
Season summary
Pre-season
As part of the series' celebration of the sport's 75th anniversary, all ten teams took part in a collective season launch event called F1 75 Live at The O2 Arena in London on 18 February 2025. Each team unveiled its car liveries for the season while its drivers and team principals were interviewed in front of a live audience. Additionally, other live entertainment and previews of the Formula One film were shown too. The event was broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and ESPN in the United States, as well as Formula One's social media accounts.[97][98] On YouTube, the event surpassed viewership records of Formula One's previous live events, with 1.1 million concurrent viewers.[99][100] A single pre-season test was held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on 26–28 February.[101] Carlos Sainz Jr., driving for Williams, set the fastest time in the three-day test.[102]
Opening rounds
McLaren's Lando Norris took pole position for the season opening Australian Grand Prix, ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri and defending champion Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull.[103] The race was held under changing, intermediate conditions. Isack Hadjar crashed on the formation lap. The opening lap saw Verstappen move into second. The following laps saw Norris, Verstappen and Piastri keep close together, and opening a gap to George Russell in fourth. On lap 17, Verstappen made a mistake, running wide, allowing Piastri to overtake him for second. Verstappen would lose ground to the McLaren drivers quickly after this mistake. Norris and Piastri followed each other across the following laps although Piastri was unable to attempt to take the lead. A safety car for the crash of Fernando Alonso closed the field back together. On lap 44, another spell of rain hit the circuit, both McLaren cars ran wide at turn 13. Norris was able to rejoin the track in the lead, while Piatri was briefly stuck in the grass in the outside of the penultimate corner, dropping him to 15th. Norris was closely followed by Verstappen over the closing laps, but with Verstappen unable to overtake he settled for second, behind Norris and with Russell finishing fourth. Antonelli finished fourth on his Formula One debut, having started 16th. Piastri recovered to finish ninth.[104][105][106] In the Drivers' Championship, Norris led on 25 points, broking Verstappen's streak of consecutive days leading the Drivers' Championship, which the Red Bull driver had held since the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix. Verstappen was on 18 points, with Russell third on 15; Piastri was ninth on two points. In the Constructors' Championship, reigning champions McLaren were first on 27 points, with Mercedes second, also on 27, and Red Bull third on 18.[107]
Lewis Hamilton took sprint pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix, ahead of Verstappen and Piastri. Championship leader Norris qualified sixth for the sprint.[108] In the sprint, Hamilton led from start to finish to take Ferrari's first sprint victory. Verstappen ran in second for most of the race, before being overtaken by Piastri in the closing laps. Piastri therefore finished second with Verstappen third. Norris dropped to ninth at the opening corner; Norris recovered to take the final points paying position in eighth.[109] Piastri took pole for the main race, achieving his maiden career pole position, Russell qualified second ahead of Norris and Verstappen.[110] At the race start, Russell initially attacked Piastri for the lead. Russell backed out, but this allowed Norris into second. Leclerc and Hamilton both made it past Verstappen at the start. Leclerc then damaged his front wing driving into the back of Hamilton; Leclerc did not pit for repairs. When the leaders made their pit stops on lap 18, Russell briefly took second from Norris, by way of an undercut, with Norris retaking the position within a lap. Verstappen moved back up into fifth when Hamilton made a second pit stop and moved into fourth by overtaking Leclerc on lap 53. From there, the top five remained unchanged with Piastri winning. Norris finished second, despite suffering a brake issue. Russell finished third ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen.[111] Following the race, Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly were disqualified due to their cars being underweight,[112] while Hamilton was disqualified for excessive skid wear on the bottom of his car.[113] Following the race, Norris maintained his championship lead. Verstappen was second, eight points behind. Russell and Piastri were third and fourth, one and two points behind Verstappen respectively. In the Constructors' Standings, McLaren moved to 78 points, ahead of Mercedes on 57 and Red Bull on 36.[114]
Verstappen took his first pole position of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix, marking the first time he started on pole since the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix; Yuki Tsunoda joined him from Racing Bulls as his new teammate, with Lawson being demoted in his place. Verstappen finished the race with a commanding victory, ahead of the two McLarens – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Antonelli, driving for Mercedes, became both the youngest driver to lead a race and to set the fastest lap in Formula One history. The race featured no retirements.[115]
Piastri took his second pole position of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix and controlled the race to win ahead of Russell, whose car was suffering from numerous electrical issues, and Piastri's teammate, Lando Norris. Williams's Carlos Sainz Jr. was the sole retiree during the race, having suffered a collision with Tsunoda.[116] Nico Hülkenberg was disqualified after the race due to excessive skid wear.[117]
Verstappen took his second pole position of the season at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, while Norris crashed out in Q3, leaving him tenth; he recovered to fourth during the race. Piastri, who started second, won the race ahead of Verstappen, who was given a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage early in the race. Leclerc took Ferrari's first Grand Prix podium of the season. Following the race, Piastri took the lead of the World Drivers' Championship for the first time in his career, making him the first Australian to lead the championship since his manager Mark Webber at the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix. Gasly and Tsunoda were the only retirements from the race following a first lap collision between the pair.[118]
Antonelli took pole position for the sprint at the Miami Grand Prix, but dropped to seventh following an unsafe pit release with Verstappen, who was given a penalty and dropped to last – the first pointless finish for the latter in any race format since the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix. After Fernando Alonso suffered a heavy crash, a late safety car was called. Norris ended up undercutting Piastri to win the race; Hamilton rounded off the podium,[119] while Leclerc crashed during a reconnaissance lap and did not take part in the sprint.[120] For the main race, Verstappen took pole ahead of Norris and Antonelli; Piastri and Norris were able to pass him and take a 1–2 finish, with Russell rounding off the podium. Four retirements were observed, those being Haas's Oliver Bearman, Doohan in his last and most recent Formula One race start, Bortoleto, and Lawson.[121]
Mid-season rounds
Piastri took pole position in the final running of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, but lost the lead to Verstappen in Red Bull Racing's 400th Grand Prix start,[122] by making a move into the Tamburello chicane. He kept the lead all the way to the chequered flag ahead of Piastri and Norris. After a poor qualifying, Tsunoda recovered to tenth, Hamilton and Leclerc climbed to fourth and sixth, respectively and Antonelli suffered Mercedes's first retirement of the season due to a mechanical failure.[123] Additionally, Doohan was substituted with Franco Colapinto at Alpine.[65] Colapinto finished 16th after suffering a poor qualifying result.
The Monaco Grand Prix saw the introduction of a mandatory two-stop strategy in an effort to promote closer racing. Norris took pole position and converted it into victory ahead of Leclerc and teammate Piastri. As a result of the mandatory two-stop strategy, certain teams chose to have one of their drivers block others in an attempt to prevent their teammate from losing track position. Gasly retired after a collision with Tsunoda after leaving the tunnel whilst Alonso retired due to engine issues.[124]
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Oscar Piastri returned to pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix, which he converted into a victory ahead of his teammate Lando Norris and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Following a retirement of Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes – caused by mechanical failure – a safety car was brought out on lap 53. Shortly after the race resumed on lap 60, Max Verstappen collided with Antonelli's teammate George Russell, after the former was told to give the position back to the Mercedes driver after he overtook Russell off track. Verstappen then received a ten-second time penalty which resulted in him dropping to tenth. Nico Hülkenberg was one of many beneficiaries, finishing in fifth place and earning Sauber's highest finish since the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso, who finished in ninth place, scored his first points of the season eight races in, equalling 2015 for his worst start to a season.[125]
Russell became the first non-McLaren and non-Red Bull driver of the season to take pole position, doing so at the Canadian Grand Prix. Piastri started third with teammate Norris starting seventh after making a mistake in his flying lap. In a race ultimately defined by strategy calls, Russell won out in the end following a late safety car period, marking Mercedes's first win of the season – finishing ahead of Verstappen and Antonelli, the latter recording his maiden career podium in third to become the third-youngest podium finisher in Formula One history. The race ended under the safety car after Norris rammed Piastri's diffuser while attempting an overtake on the pit straight, forcing the former into the wall and inflicting terminal damage to his MCL39 – his and the McLaren team's first retirement since the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. He would still be classified in 18th following two other retirements: the Williams of Alex Albon and Lawson.[126]
Norris was back on pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix. Following an aborted start due to issues with Carlos Sainz Jr.'s brakes, the McLarens broke out ahead while Antonelli locked up and hit Verstappen, forcing both to retire and the safety car to be deployed; Verstappen's Red Bull teammate did not fare any better, with Tsunoda finishing sixteenth – the last of the finishing cars – after receiving a time penalty. Due to this, Red Bull failed to score any points of any kind, the first since the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. After leading a majority of the race, Norris converted pole position into his third win of the season ahead of teammate and championship leader Piastri, and Leclerc. Gabriel Bortoleto scored his first points in the championship while Hülkenberg finished ninth, marking the first double points finish for Sauber since the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.[127]
Verstappen found himself on pole position for the British Grand Prix after the cars he was battling with – the McLarens and Ferraris – made mistakes during their flying laps. The race was began in wet conditions on intermediate tyres, but the Mercedes of Russell, Leclerc, Hadjar, Bortoleto, and Bearman opted to start from the pit lane after swapping to slick tyres following the formation lap. The slicks, however were ineffective on the track, which remained damp. On the first few laps, green flag running was limited; Bearman's teammate Esteban Ocon squeezed himself between Tsunoda and Lawson, with the latter being the first to retire after suffering damage to his rear-left suspension. Soon afterward, Bortoleto then found himself in the wall with damage to his rear wing, and during a sustained period of heavy rain, Hadjar himself had a heavy hit into Copse corner after ramming Antonelli's diffuser and spinning off the track, facilitating a safety car period. Race leader Oscar Piastri braked erratically during this safety car period and was awarded a ten-second time penalty. As the race entered its closing stages, the track began to dry, and drivers returned to slick tyres. With Piastri serving his penalty, Norris took the race lead; he went on to become the thirteenth British driver to win their home race. He finished ahead of Piastri and Nico Hülkenberg, the latter of whom enjoyed his first career Formula One podium after a record 239 race starts, starting from 19th and last on the grid.[128]
Piastri took pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix sprint, but lost out to Red Bull's Verstappen. Norris then took pole position for the main race, which was delayed due to heavy rain. The race began under a rolling start behind the safety car, where Piastri immediately overtook Norris and held the lead to win the race as Leclerc finished in third.[129]
Leclerc took his first pole position of the season for the Hungarian Grand Prix, ahead of the two McLarens. Norris went on to win the race, after deciding to risk a one-stop strategy to get ahead of teammate whilst title rival, Piastri, was on a two-stop and finished second. George Russell completed the podium and finished third after battling with Leclerc.[130]
Piastri took another pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix and led the race from start to finish, scoring his maiden career grand chelem ahead of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar, the latter achieving his maiden career podium after starting from fourth, his highest starting position to date. Three retirements were observed during the race, with both the Ferrari drivers hitting the wall at the banked turn 3 – one by driver error and the other due to contact with Antonelli, whilst Norris experienced an oil leak on lap 65.[131]
After taking the fastest pole position lap in Formula One history, Verstappen converted it into his and Red Bull's third win of the season at the Italian Grand Prix, ahead of Norris and Piastri. Controversial late-stage team orders were given to the latter, following his teammate's slow pit stop resulting in the former overtaking him for second. Alonso suffered the race's only retirement, after his Aston Martin suffered a suspension failure; Hülkenberg did not start the race after experiencing hydraulic issues, pulling into the pit lane with his Sauber.[132]
Closing rounds
Verstappen converted his pole position at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix into his career sixth grand slam, and Red Bull's first consecutive win of the season. McLaren had an opportunity to secure the Constructors' Championship in this race, but was unable to. Norris did not score sufficient points and his teammate Piastri had a mistake-laden weekend as he crashed out in qualifying, jumped the race start, stalled, and dropped to last in an attempt to correct his mistake, before ultimately crashing out on the first lap. Carlos Sainz Jr., who started second, scored Williams's first podium since the rain-curtailed 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.[133]
McLaren clinched the title at the Singapore Grand Prix, their tenth title and second in a row – the first time the team won consecutive championships since 1991.[134][135] Meanwhile, Russell converted his pole position into his and Mercedes's second win of the season, with Verstappen finishing in second.[135][136]
Verstappen dominated both the sprint and race at the United States Grand Prix from pole position, while the McLarens retired in the sprint, and finished second (Norris) and fifth (Piastri) in the race, narrowing the competition at the top of the Drivers' Championship. After a late safety car caused by Stroll during the sprint race, Sainz scored Williams's first sprint podium.[137]
Norris converted pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix to a win ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen. Piastri finished in fifth, which meant Norris took the lead of the Drivers' Championship by one point, the first time he led since the Bahrain Grand Prix. Holding off Piastri before a late virtual safety car period neutralised the race, Oliver Bearman recorded his highest career finish and a joint-best finish for Haas in fourth, matching Romain Grosjean's record at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix.[138]
Norris controlled both races at the São Paulo Grand Prix from pole position to further strengthen his lead in the Drivers' Championship, while Piastri crashed out of the sprint and finished fifth, and Verstappen finished fourth and third, the latter from a pit lane start, respectively. Gabriel Bortoleto had two sets of crashes with the walls which ended his races prematurely, the first one during the sprint thoroughly destroying his car and taking him out of qualifying, while Kimi Antonelli bettered his Canada result by consistently finishing in second in the sprint and the main race.[139]
Norris took pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but made a mistake on the race start. Max Verstappen capitalised from the mistake to take a controlling lead and, eventually, his second win in Las Vegas. Norris and George Russell initially rounded off the podium,[140] but following the race, Norris and teammate Piastri were disqualified due to a skid wear infringement, elevating Russell to second and Kimi Antonelli, who qualified seventeenth and carried a five-second penalty to the line, to third.[141] The disqualification had a significant impact on the Drivers' Championship, as it tied the amount of points between Verstappen and Piastri, with Norris's gap being reduced to only 24 points.[142]
Piastri won the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race from pole position, while Verstappen won the main race from third on the grid. Following an early safety car deployment, McLaren used a different strategy compared to the rest of the grid, offsetting Norris and Piastri from the rest of the grid. Third-placed Sainz scored his second podium of the season with Williams, securing the team's highest finishing position since 2017.[143] Norris had the possibility of clinching the championship from the race but did not finish high enough in comparison to Verstappen and Piastri. Verstappen's win moved him up to second in the Drivers' Championship, 12 points behind Norris. Piastri moved down to third, four points behind Verstappen.[144][145]
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Norris, Verstappen and Piastri all entered the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a chance to win the Drivers' Championship. Verstappen qualified on pole position, ahead of Norris in second and Piastri in third.[146] Piastri overtook Norris for second halfway through the first lap. Norris faced pressure from behind by Charles Leclerc, and was later investigated for overtaking Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda off the track. Tsunoda was penalised for the incident, and the top three held onto their positions by the end of the race. Verstappen won the race from pole position, with Piastri in second and Norris in third. Norris clinched his first World Championship, securing McLaren's first Drivers' Championship since 2008 also becoming the 35th different driver in 75-year history of the sport to win the title. Norris is also the eleventh Briton to win an F1 drivers' title and the eighth McLaren driver to achieve this feat.[147][148]
Results and standings
Grands Prix
Scoring system
Points were awarded to the top ten classified drivers, and the top eight of the sprint.[151][h] In the case of a tie on points, a countback system was used where the driver with the most Grand Prix wins is ranked higher. If the number of wins was identical, then the number of second places was considered, and so on.[151] Points were awarded using the following system:
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Sprint | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Source:[151] | ||||||||||
World Drivers' Championship standings
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Notes:
- † – Driver did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.
World Constructors' Championship standings
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Notes:
- † – Driver did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.
- Rows are not related to the drivers: within each constructor, individual Grand Prix standings are sorted purely based on the final classification in the race (not by total points scored in the event, which includes points awarded for the sprint).
Notes
- Lance Stroll was entered into the Spanish Grand Prix, but later withdrew due to pain in his hand and wrist.[12]
- Jack Doohan's participation at the Chinese Grand Prix did not count as it was his third Grand Prix start, with Doohan having made his race debut at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
- Saturday race.
- Testing at "circuit[s] hosting [...] the Championship" was prohibited under three conditions. Firstly, if the circuit was due to host a Formula One race within 60 days of the test. Secondly, if the track had not been used in the previous season (i.e. for testing taking place in 2025, teams could not test at a track from the 2025 calendar if the venue had not also been used in 2024). Thirdly, if it were deemed by the FIA that the circuit had undergone significant modifications since the previous season.[4]: Article 10.2 [90]
- Lewis Hamilton originally set the fastest lap, but was later disqualified as the thickness of the plank assembly was below the minimum thickness required.[113] Lando Norris, initially having the second-fastest lap, was recognised for setting the fastest lap of the race.[149]
