The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix wrapped up a tough 24-race Formula 1 season, marking the final chapter for the current generation of F1 cars. The thrilling championship battle went down to the wire with three contenders vying for the title. We reviewed the performances to highlight the drivers and teams who exceeded expectations, as well as those relieved to get a winter break.<\/p>\n
Here are the key winners and losers from the 2025 F1 season:<\/p>\n
Winners \u2013 Lando Norris and McLaren<\/strong> Losers \u2013 Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton<\/strong> Winner \u2013 Max Verstappen<\/strong> Loser \u2013 Red Bull’s Number Two Driver<\/strong> Winner \u2013 Rookie Isaac Hajar<\/strong> Loser \u2013 Alpine<\/strong> Winner \u2013 Williams<\/strong> Loser \u2013 Aston Martin<\/strong> Winner \u2013 Racing Bulls<\/strong> Loser \u2013 Jack Doohan<\/strong> Fan Take:<\/strong> The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix wrapped up a tough 24-race Formula 1 season, marking the final chapter for the current generation of F1 cars. The thrilling championship battle went down to the wire with three contenders vying for the title. We reviewed the performances to highlight the drivers and teams who exceeded expectations, as well […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35823,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[3328,598,18,374,373,117,3255,745,8076,1044],"class_list":{"0":"post-35822","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-racing","8":"tag-brace","9":"tag-fans","10":"tag-formula-racing","11":"tag-hamilton","12":"tag-lewis","13":"tag-racing","14":"tag-recap","15":"tag-season","16":"tag-tribulations","17":"tag-triumphs"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35822"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35822\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nUnsurprisingly, Lando Norris and McLaren topped the winners\u2019 list. Norris clinched his first world championship, though he wasn\u2019t the standout driver of the year. After a flawless start, his title challenge stumbled during a difficult stretch when he made several errors despite driving the season\u2019s strongest car. Nonetheless, Norris exhibited remarkable resilience, overcoming setbacks including a surprising retirement at Zandvoort. His McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, who had led the championship for much of the season, faltered late on and exited the title fight, paving the way for Norris\u2019s rise. McLaren successfully defended their constructors’ title and secured their first drivers’ championship since 2008, all while maintaining solid team unity amid criticism.<\/p>\n
\nThis year might go down as one of Lewis Hamilton\u2019s toughest in Formula 1. His much-anticipated move to Ferrari turned into a disappointment, with no podium finishes and three consecutive Q1 failures during his debut campaign. The seven-time world champion lagged nearly 100 points behind teammate Charles Leclerc, who had a commendable year despite Ferrari\u2019s struggles resulting in their first winless season since 2021. Adjusting to a new team and car was challenging, but Hamilton\u2019s performances did not meet his usual standards, marking the lowest point of his F1 career. His lone bright spot was an impressive pole and sprint race win at the Chinese Grand Prix early in the season.<\/p>\n
\nMax Verstappen delivered arguably his finest season despite narrowly missing out on the title by just two points. The four-time champion faced setbacks, especially mid-season when Red Bull lagged 104 points behind the leader with nine races left. Yet Verstappen stayed persistent, benefiting from a Red Bull resurgence and errors from McLaren, propelling him into an unlikely title chase. He shone at the finale in Abu Dhabi, securing the most poles and wins (eight each) and leaving fans wondering what might have been if he\u2019d raced a McLaren.<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s been a tough year for Red Bull’s second driver role. Liam Lawson\u2019s time alongside Verstappen improved slightly after two disastrous outings before Hiroki Tsunoda took over. Tsunoda performed better but still struggled to make an impact, overshadowed by Verstappen\u2019s dominance. Despite promising moments, inconsistency plagued his season, which ended with him scoring 30 points against Verstappen\u2019s 421\u2014the widest teammate gap in F1 history. Lawson rebounded respectably at Racing Bulls, but Tsunoda\u2019s reputation was significantly damaged.<\/p>\n
\nIsaac Hajar emerged as the top rookie and earned a Red Bull seat for 2026. After a rough start with a crash in Australia, he bounced back strongly, showcasing speed and consistency, highlighted by a third-place podium at Zandvoort. Fellow rookies Kimi Antonelli and Olly Bearman experienced ups and downs but demonstrated potential, while Gabriel Bortleto, despite weaker machinery, impressed with standout drives including sixth in Hungary.<\/p>\n
\nAlpine had a dreadful 2025, finishing last in the constructors’ standings and scoring points just five times\u201448 points behind Sauber. Pierre Gasly was the sole point-scorer, with spirited performances including sixth at Silverstone and Q3 qualifications. Alpine decided early to focus on next year’s rule reset and will switch to Mercedes engines in hopes of a turnaround.<\/p>\n
\nAside from McLaren, Williams was the biggest success story, finishing fifth\u2014their best since 2017. The signing of Carlos Sainz paid off, and alongside Alex Albon, they formed a competitive pair, marking Williams\u2019s return to triple-digit points and positioning them for a promising future.<\/p>\n
\nAston Martin’s season was marked by disappointment despite Fernando Alonso\u2019s efforts, who finished seventh in the constructors\u2019 and scored 56 points, beating teammate Lance Stroll. Their best race finish was fifth in Hungary. With a new Honda engine and Adrian Newey\u2019s design input, expectations are high for 2026, leaving no room for excuses.<\/p>\n
\nRacing Bulls enjoyed a successful season, despite changes in drivers and management, finishing sixth with 92 points\u2014their best since 2021. Isaac Hajar was the team’s standout performer with a podium at Zandvoort. The team hopes new talent Arvid Lindblad can keep the momentum going.<\/p>\n
\nJack Doohan\u2019s debut season with Alpine was forgettable, marred by two major crashes and being replaced by Franco Colapinto after just six races without scoring points. His notable crashes included one in wet conditions at Australia and a dangerous one at Suzuka caused by a DRS failure.<\/p>\n
\nThis season’s mix of unexpected champions and rookie breakthroughs keeps Racing fans on the edge of their seats, promising fresh rivalries and exciting talent for the future. With team dynamics shifting and new talents emerging, the sport is set for a thrilling next chapter that could reshape the F1 landscape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"