RacingNews365's 2025 F1 Driver Ratings: P11-P20 Revealed

The final results of RacingNews365's 2025 Formula 1 driver ratings are in, with the lower half of the grid (P11-P20) reviewed. The rankings, compiled from post-race scores by the publication's team, reveal a season of stark contrasts, featuring veteran champions struggling and rookies making their mark.

Why it matters:

Driver ratings offer a consolidated, performance-based perspective beyond the championship standings, highlighting who consistently over or under-delivered relative to their machinery. For drivers like Lewis Hamilton, a low ranking underscores a disastrous season that puts immediate pressure on his 2026 campaign with Ferrari.

The details:

• Fernando Alonso (11th - 6.5): Secured a top-10 championship finish with a strong Abu Dhabi result, but missed major points due to DNFs in Monaco and Italy. His qualifying dominance over teammate Lance Stroll was absolute, ending the season 24-0 in Grand Prix sessions.
• Nico Hulkenberg (12th - 6.1): His season was defined by a long-awaited maiden podium at a wet-dry British Grand Prix. Performance was inconsistent against rookie teammate Gabriel Bortoleto but served as a building year for Audi's works team arrival.
• Lewis Hamilton (13th - 6.0): Branded a "dreadful" year that started with a Sprint win in China. His form collapsed after the summer break, culminating in three consecutive Q1 eliminations to end the season. The report states 2026 "must be better straight away, or he won't stick around for long."
• Esteban Ocon (14th - 5.8): A respectable season was disrupted by a persistent brake issue from the Italian GP onward, as teammate Oliver Bearman began to outperform him. He rallied with points in three of the final five races.
• Liam Lawson (15th - 5.8): Found his form after a suspension upgrade in Austria, securing several big points finishes. However, his rating was severely impacted by two poor substitute outings for Red Bull in Australia and China.
• Pierre Gasly (16th - 5.7): Delivered world-class drives in an uncompetitive Alpine, scoring points where none seemed possible, notably in Bahrain and Britain. He emerged as the clear team leader in a forgettable season for the squad.
• Gabriel Bortoleto (17th - 5.2): The rookie started slowly but hit a strong mid-season stride, even outperforming the experienced Hulkenberg in qualifying. His year ended with costly errors in Brazil and Las Vegas.
• Lance Stroll (18th - 5.2): Showed occasional brilliance, like in Hungary and Abu Dhabi, but was consistently and comprehensively out-qualified by teammate Alonso across the season.
• Yuki Tsunoda (19th - 5.2): His rating was crushed by a difficult stint in the second Red Bull seat. A major crash in Imola qualifying set him back, and a standout drive in Azerbaijan was the exception in a season that sees him off the grid for 2026.
• Franco Colapinto (20th - 4.3): The part-time driver took time to settle and, in a car Gasly scored points with seven times, failed to do so himself. His highest mark came for a promising performance in Canada.

The bottom line:

The ratings paint a picture of a transitional 2025 season. Established stars like Hamilton endured profound struggles, while rookies like Bortoleto showed promise amidst inconsistency. For those at the bottom, the pressure is now immense to reverse their fortunes with the 2026 regulation changes on the horizon.