F1 2025 Driver Ratings: Norris, Verstappen, Hamilton and more assessed

Lando Norris is the 2025 Formula 1 World Champion, but it was Max Verstappen who delivered the season's standout performance, dragging his Red Bull beyond its limits. Our grid-wide assessment reveals a year of dramatic turnarounds, rookie promise, and veteran struggles, with ratings reflecting both achievement and machinery.

Why it matters:

Driver ratings cut through the points table to evaluate performance against equipment and teammate benchmarks. In a season where car performance varied wildly, these scores highlight who truly maximized their package, who fell short, and which rising stars announced their arrival on the biggest stage.

The details:

• Lando Norris (McLaren - 8.5/10): A deserved champion who silenced critics with a spectacular comeback from a 34-point deficit post-Dutch GP. He dominated the run-in, made few errors, and mentally held strong during the car's difficult first half.
• Max Verstappen (Red Bull - 9.5/10): The clear benchmark. With the most wins, poles, and laps led in a car often second-best, his season was a masterclass. Only a moment of frustration in Spain against George Russell marred a near-perfect campaign.
• Oscar Piastri (McLaren - 8/10): Showed title-winning pace early with a hat-trick of wins but saw his challenge derailed by a poor run after a nightmare Baku weekend. Proved he has the raw speed to be champion with more experience.
• George Russell (Mercedes - 9/10): Arguably his best F1 season. Seized Mercedes' only two clear win chances in Canada and Singapore and was consistently excellent, though was occasionally bettered by his rookie teammate late on.
• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari - 8/10): Extracted seven podiums from the fourth or fifth fastest car for most of the year, completely dominating teammate Lewis Hamilton. He is the unequivocal team leader and a ready title contender.
• Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari - 6/10): A nightmare first year in red, by his own admission. Eyebrow-raising deficits to Leclerc and a shocking run of four consecutive Q1 exits to end the season overshadowed a solitary Sprint win in China.
• Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes - 7/10): Showed flashes of his immense potential with standout Sprint performances. While the gap to Russell was significant for much of the year, his recovery from a difficult mid-season slump showed promise for the 19-year-old.
• The Midfield Standouts: Carlos Sainz (Williams - 7.5/10) answered his critics with a strong second half, including two podiums. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls - 7.5/10) staked a claim for rookie of the year with a maiden podium. Pierre Gasly (Alpine - 7.5/10) was arguably the most underrated driver, snatching points from a poor car.
• The Strugglers: Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull - 5/10) found the step up to Verstappen's teammate too great, consistently off the pace. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin - 4.5/10) was hampered by a lack of raw speed, with 15 Q1 eliminations.

The big picture:

The 2025 ratings underscore a season of transition. Verstappen remains the ultimate pace-setter, but Norris has joined him at the pinnacle by conquering the championship pressure. The next generation, led by Piastri and Antonelli, is knocking on the door, while established stars like Hamilton faced unprecedented challenges. The driver market moves for 2026, with several rated performances here, will reshape team lineups for the new regulatory era.