By Ben Langley
F1’s Post-Season Awards: Who Impressed and Who Disappointed?
Another season of Formula 1 has been and gone, as Lando Norris clinched his maiden World Championship by a mere two points over Max Verstappen. It is now time to reflect on the season and give out the awards to those who stood out in 2025 and to those who had a year to forget.
Best driver – Lando Norris
Going back just four months ago as F1 headed into the summer break, it was Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri who was the standout driver in the entire grid. The Aussie was leading the championship and showed no signs of feeling the pressure of his first title fight, whereas there were some moments of carelessness for Norris. However, the form of the Brit has been polarising compared to Piastri’s collapse in form since his last win in Zandvoort.
When you look at where Norris showed his championship credentials, his dominant back-to-back wins in Mexico City and Brazil are the key weekends where he put himself in the position to win the title.
There is no doubt a case for Max Verstappen to win this award, after his incredible comeback in the second half of the season. His wins in six of the last nine races shows he is still the benchmark for the rest of the grid to reach. To finish just two points behind Norris in a car that was uncompetitive in various periods of the season is more proof of the Dutchman’s immense skill.
However, Norris’ ability to deal with the pressure that many thought he wouldn’t, coupled with his fightback from his misfortune in Zandvoort, proves he is a worthy champion.
Worst driver – Yuki Tsunoda
It has been a season to forget for Tsunoda, and it is a season that has resulted in him not having a race seat for 2026. After Liam Lawson’s disastrous short time in Red Bull, Tsunoda was rightly given his chance in the senior team that arguably should have been his from the beginning. However, the second seat curse was evident once again as Tsunoda never got to grips with the difficult handling of his Red Bull.
His total of 33 points saw him finish 17th in the Drivers’ Standings, a whopping 388 points behind Verstappen. It was a battle Tsunoda was losing from the start as driving a car made for the four-time champion has been a near-impossible task for all who have tried. He showed glimpses of promise, but they were very rare, and Lawson’s upturn in form with Racing Bulls means the Japanese driver will be sent to the sidelines for next season.
Biggest overperformer – Alex Albon
When Carlos Sainz joined Williams, Albon finally had a credible teammate that he could measure up against and to prove his skill and this he did. His early-season form was up there amongst the best on the grid as he delivered three 5th-place finishes in the first seven rounds of the season. He spent various periods of the season ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli in the standings, despite the inferior car performance of his Williams.
Albon’s form curtailed towards the end of the season, but mainly due to various instances of bad luck. Sainz struggled with bad luck of his own at the beginning but after the summer break he stood out like Albon did at the start of the season. His two podium finishes and a 3rd-place finish in the Austin Sprint were the high points of Williams’ terrific season. However, despite this Albon’s early season consistency saw him finish above Sainz in the standings which conveys what a strong season the Thai driver has had.
Biggest underperformer – Lewis Hamilton
The excitement around Hamilton’s first season with Ferrari was unprecedented. His season started well, securing a Sprint win in China. However, this victory would be his and Ferrari’s only win in the entire season. He showed great consistency throughout the season, but his form significantly dropped off in the final rounds.
The seven-time champion failed to make Q3 in any of the final four race weekends, including Q1 eliminations in the final three. Hamilton had no confidence in the car, and this was being exposed due to how close the entire grid was in performance. Hamilton finished 86 points behind Charles Leclerc and is a season that has to be seen as his worst in his entire Formula 1 career.
Rookie of the year – Isack Hadjar
There were five rookies heading into the 2025 season, and the most impressive has to be Hadjar. His season began in disastrous circumstances, crashing out of the formation lap in Melbourne. However, since that moment he has showed immense talent that has earnt him a seat with Red Bull for next season. He showed great consistency throughout the season, securing 6th in Monaco, 7th in Spain and 6th in Las Vegas. However, the highlight of his season was Zandvoort where he secured an amazing podium finish, holding off the likes of George Russell. His performance means he is fully worthy of the Red Bull seat.
A new era of Formula 1 awaits in 2026, and if the title fight is as close as this season, it looks set to be a thriller.
WHEEL2WHEEL REPORTS 