2025 Season Analysis… (SO FAR) By Joe Man
Nine races into the 2025 season—exactly one‑third of the way—it already feels like a two‑horse race between McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Max Verstappen remains in the hunt, but his Spanish Grand Prix meltdown has left him with a mountain to climb. Ferrari, meanwhile, look utterly lost and may soon shift all their focus to 2026—but more on them later.
A captivating start
The opening phase has belonged to Piastri. Norris has shown flashes of brilliance, and Verstappen has dragged his Red Bull to places it scarcely deserves, yet Oscar’s consistency stands out. A few rounds ago it seemed he might break away, but Norris rediscovered his rhythm at Imola and Monaco, trimming Oscar’s advantage—until Barcelona, where Piastri delivered a masterclass and pushed his lead back to 10 points. Norris ran a touch off the pace all weekend, and missing out on second at the start cost him any chance to attack his teammate.
Verstappen’s Mario Kart Moment
Verstappen’s self‑inflicted wounds
The new front‑wing regulations haven’t dented McLaren’s form, and things got even rosier when Verstappen lost his cool. Up to Spain he remained a constant irritant to the papaya pair, but ramming George Russell in what looked like revenge erased a podium and left him almost two race wins behind Piastri. Add a skittish RB21 and Yuki Tsunoda’s struggles, and Red Bull suddenly look fragile.
Ferrari and Mercedes fade
Hopes of a multi‑team title fight have fizzled. Ferrari, the biggest disappointment, have squandered pre‑season hype and left Charles Leclerc unable to showcase his prodigious talent. On the other side of the garage, Lewis Hamilton grows more irritable by the week. Only next year’s regulations—and the promise of a more compliant car—seem to keep him going; age appears to be catching up.
Mercedes have had bright spots
George Russell’s deft drives and Kimi Antonelli’s poised debut—but pace and reliability are tailing off, hinting they too are pivoting to 2026.
Midfield surprises
One revelation is Isaac Hadjar. After a nightmare debut in Melbourne he has been superbly consistent, habitually qualifying well and finishing just behind the front‑runners. He must dread a call‑up to Red Bull’s cursed second seat; for his development, he needs to stay put at Racing Bull.
Williams lead the midfield, while Aston Martin, Haas, Kick Sauber and Alpine scrap for crumbs—clearly shifting attention away from 2025.
The road ahead
Even without a true multi‑team scrap, the championship promises a titanic duel. The McLaren duo will push each other to the limit; Verstappen isn’t out of it, but he needs to close the gap fast. Most observers feel it’s Piastri’s to lose: raw pace is near‑equal, but Norris makes more errors. Unless one driver strings together a winning streak, this fight should go down to the wire—and it will be fascinating to see who emerges on top.
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