The 2025 F1 Miami GP marked the first quarter mark for the current season, and Pit Debrief writers have given their opinion on who has impressed (winners) and who has not (losers) ahead of the Imola GP this weekend.
Biggest winners in the 2025 F1 season to date
Isack Hadjar — David Coath
Isack Hadjar was one of the six rookies on the 2025 grid before Franco Colapinto replaced Jack Doohan.
Unfortunately for him, pressure was already on the Frenchman before the end of the first race of the season. As a result of a DNF before lights went out in Melbourne – the challenge ahead was clear. After all, as the saying goes, you are only as strong as your last race.
Getting off the mark
Obviously, the performances have not been perfect and his pace in qualifying was not always rewarded. However, after just missing out through a P11 in China, the Frenchman would get his first historical points in F1 at Suzuka. Only the third race of the 24-race F1 calendar.
A P8 finish (having started P7) at a circuit well known as ‘one where the driver makes the difference’. As Hadjar said at the time: “That was the perfect race today.” However, Suzuka also showed the maturity of Hadjar. He knew which of the cars around him were the ones that he was in a battle with – hence the line “We were not fighting Lewis today, obviously he was out of reach.”
Hadjar’s finishing positions which followed after Japan were: Bahrain P13 (started P12) Saudi Arabia P10 (started P14) and Miami P11 (started P11). The French driver finds himself P16 in the Drivers’ Standings and ahead of three of the rookies.
Unfazed by Helmut Marko
An impressive turnaround since Melbourne when it could all have been very different. In the wake of his regrettable DNF, Hadjar had to respond to the headline making comments from Dr Helmut Marko. The sight of the 20-year-old in tears walking through the F1 paddock prior to being consoled by Anthony Hamilton did not go down well with the Red Bull advisor.
He said In an interview with ORF: “Isack Hadjar did a little bit of crying after his crash. That was a bit embarrassing.” While other men may have crumbled under such scrutiny, Hadjar, when asked about the comments, said he agreed: “I mean, I found it embarrassing myself”. Such tone spoke volumes about the RB driver and his subsequent form has even had some in the media placing him in the conversation for getting a seat at Red Bull in future.
The Racing Bulls driver is certainly worthy of a place in the ‘winners’ category after the first races of the season. The 2024 Formula 2 championship runner up does not look out of place in Formula One.
Having been Red Bull-backed since 2022, there is no expectation to think that will end anytime soon.
Atlassian Williams Racing — Louise du Manoir
After an underwhelming 2024 season, marked by disappointing results and mid-season driver changes, Atlassian Williams Racing has staged one of the most compelling comebacks of 2025.
In the first six races of the 2025 F1 season, Williams have brilliantly scored 37 points and now stand fifth in the Constructors championship – a sharp rise from their ninth place finish last year.
The Carlos Sainz factor
Part of this resurgence can be credited to the acquisition of Carlos Sainz, a proven race winner and savvy tactician who joined Williams after losing his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton. Though the Spaniard needed a period of adjustment, he has contributed to Williams’ point scoring this season, in China, Saudi Arabia and Miami. While Sainz outscored his teammate only once in Jeddah so far, the pilot seems to be increasingly comfortable in the FW47 as Sainz secured two points finishes in the last two races.
Additionally, the Spanish driver is known to be a great strategist, further contributing to Williams’ progress. Notably, Sainz played a key strategic role from the pit wall in Australia after retiring early, helping guide Albon to a P5 finish – Williams’ best Grand Prix result since Lance Stroll’s podium in Azerbaijan back in 2017. Team Principal James Vowles praised Sainz’s strategic insight during the race.
Alex Albon impresses
Meanwhile, Albon, now in his fourth season with the team, continues to demonstrate why he is the backbone of the team. While some had questioned Alex Albon’s talent – suggesting that the gap between him and former teammates was more reflective of their shortcomings than his strengths – the Thai driver has emphatically silenced the critics.
Now competing alongside Carlos Sainz, a proven Grand Prix winner, Albon has consistently delivered points for Williams. He’s regularly positioned the FW47 in the mix with the Ferraris and Mercedes—sometimes even ahead of them—demonstrating not only his pace but also his growth as a top-tier driver. Together, Sainz and Albon form one of the most balanced and competitive pairings on the grid.
Williams may not be challenging for wins just yet, but they are no longer the underdog—they are a team on the rise, with the results and ambition to back it up. As confirmed by the Spaniard, the Williams team is looking ahead to the new upcoming regulations. Sainz indeed decided to join Williams this season owing to their “vision” and long term project.
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team — David Coath
In the last three seasons, Haas F1 Team has shown gradual improvement. In 2023, they struggled with consistency, finishing bottom of the pile due to horrendous tyre deg in races.
The 2024 season brought better performance, with more points finishes, thanks to significant car upgrades. They also benefited from new leadership in the team following the removal of Guenther Steiner and promotion for Ayao Komatsu.
Bearman and Ocon doing a good job
Now, in 2025, the team has built on this momentum, securing competitive positions and showcasing promising talent in Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon.
When it comes to Ocon, the Frenchman always seems to driver in a way as if he has a point to prove. Having done so (since leaving Alpine) he sits P9 in the standings. Meanwhile, Bearman has improved his consistency – after some expensive crashes. Now, the British rookie is in P15 in the standings.
However, seeing how P11 in the Drivers’ Championship is held by Yuki Tsunoda on 11 points – the compactness of the midfield is clear to see. As such, one good weekend can see a considerable jump in the standings.
Haas have certainly had their fair share of bad luck over the years. The infamous “we could have looked like rockstars” line from Steiner certainly comes to mind. This was after Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean were on course for a shock fourth and fifth in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, but errors fitting the wheels in each of their stops saw both ultimately retire.
A remarkable Chinese GP
However, a slice of luck in China this year saw an incredible P5 and P8 come the way of the team after the double disqualifications for Ferrari. That is a staggering amount of points for a midfield team and even allows the luxury to have some bad weekends and not miss out in the standings too much. That is certainly how Miami and Saudi Arabia before that could have been labelled.
A strong mental capacity will be vital over a 24-race season when you will always have weekends that don’t go your way. Bearman displayed this in Miami after his recent DNF.
Prior to their dip in form across Saudi Arabia and Miami, double points for Haas had come in Bahrain (P8 Ocon – P8 Bearman). This coupled with their points haul in China has ensured that the team has a hold of P6 in the Constructors’ Championship.
Even so, with Aston Martin just 6 points behind, if the American team wish to remain in the ‘winners’ category, consistency will be key moving forward.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team — Louise du Manoir
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team entered 2025 under a cloud of uncertainty, following a disappointing 2024 campaign and the departure of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Replacing a legend is never easy, but Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff took a bold step by promoting rookie Kimi Antonelli, betting on raw talent and long-term potential. That vision has paid off, with Antonelli delivering a remarkable debut season behind the wheel of the W16.
The Italian has quickly silenced doubters, currently sitting sixth in the drivers’ Championship, just two places behind teammate George Russell. The 18-year-old driver stunned the paddock at Suzuka, where he led his first 10 laps in Formula 1 and set the fastest lap of the race – becoming the youngest driver ever to lead a Grand Prix.
Russell takes on the lead driver role
George Russell has emerged as the team’s leader, showcasing reliability and strategic acumen. Mercedes’ now senior driver, Russell testified to his great driving abilities while Hamilton was still part of the team, outqualifying his countryman in 18 of the 24 races and outscoring him by 22 points overall.
Russell presently stands fourth in the driver rankings owing to his consistently strong performances. With four podiums out of the first six races, the British driver further demonstrated his reliability and consistency.
Between them, the duo has elevated Mercedes to second in the Constructors’ standings, a notable rebound from their fourth-place finish in 2024. Following Mercedes’ lowest ranking in the Constructors’ championship last season since 2013, the team have picked up the pace and are now in a secure second position.
Although McLaren has dominated the early season, Mercedes is firmly in the fight. With Antonelli’s precocious form and Russell’s consistency, they may yet challenge for wins as the season unfolds.
McLaren Racing — Maahika Banerjee
McLaren has been the star of the 2025 Formula 1 season. With five wins in the first six races and consistently high finishes, they’ve taken control of both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships, solidifying their position as the fastest and most consistent team on the grid.
Much of this success is thanks to the incredible performance of the McLaren MCL39 — currently considered the fastest and most well-rounded car this season. It flies on the straights, hugs the corners with precision, and stays consistent across different circuits.
One of the key innovations setting McLaren apart is their brake system, which uses phase change materials — a high-tech solution that keeps tyre temperatures stable during races. This small but powerful upgrade makes a big difference in grip and long-run performance.
Drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have been on fire, with Piastri currently leading the Drivers’ Championship after four wins, with Norris following closely behind. Their synergy with the car, combined with improved race strategy and flawless pit stops, has given McLaren an edge over rivals like Ferrari and Red Bull.
They have achieved all this despite restrictions on wind tunnel testing, meaning they’ve had to be extra smart with design and development. Their focus on aerodynamics, tyre management, and race-day execution has paid off massively.
Biggest losers in the 2025 F1 season to date
Scuderia Ferrari — Syrine Ferchichi
After finishing just 14 points behind McLaren in 2024, expectations for Ferrari’s 2025 campaign were justifiably high. But following a lacklustre qualifying session in Miami, where they ended up eighth, behind both Williams cars and nearly six tenths off pole, it’s clear the SF-25 needs urgent reassessment ahead of the crucial European leg of the season.
The car’s performance has been erratic at best. While Hamilton’s Sprint win in China and Leclerc’s strong phases in Saudi Arabia hint at underlying potential, Ferrari has yet to unlock consistent pace. The lingering ride-height issue, stemming from Hamilton’s disqualification earlier in the season, forced the team to raise the car, sacrificing aerodynamic efficiency and straight-line speed, one of their few early advantages.
In pursuit of greater high-speed stability, Ferrari now finds itself grappling with overheating tyres during race stints, which severely compromises race-day performance. Compounding this is the SF-25’s inability to extract peak grip from fresh Pirelli tyres in qualifying, limiting both Hamilton and Leclerc’s ability to secure competitive starting positions in a season where overtaking remains a significant challenge due to persistent dirty air effects.
Strategic missteps continue to haunt the team. Poor decisions in wet sessions, in particular, have cost Ferrari valuable points, mistakes unbecoming of a top-tier outfit in a closely contested championship.
With new aerodynamic regulations coming into force at Barcelona, particularly around wing design, Ferrari faces a pivotal opportunity. But unless they can implement smart, effective upgrades and finally bring together car performance, tyre management, and strategy, they risk falling further behind in a season that promised so much more.
Red Bull Racing — Shermaine Wong
Red Bull’s current season is a far cry from where they were after the 6th round of the 2024 season. At the start of the last campaign, reigning champion Max Verstappen had won 4 out of the first 5 races. Despite Verstappen picking up a victory at the 2025 Japanese GP it is evident that Red Bull’s performance is nowhere as competitive as they were at this stage in 2024 in race trim.
The team is currently P3 in the constructors’ Championship with a total of 105 points as their drivers continue to struggle with the RB21 each weeken, whereas last season the Milton Keynes-based team found themselves with 239 points just after the 2024 Miami GP.
A big contributing factor to their lack of points is the Red Bull second seat. Having swapped Liam Lawson out for Yuki Tsunoda following the Chinese GP, the Japanese driver had to learn and adapt to driving the RB21, having done his pre-season preparation in his former team-Racing Bull’s VCARB 02.
After 4 rounds in the Red Bull, Tsunoda has only scored 6 points for the team, as opposed to former Red Bull driver, Sergio Pérez who contributed 103 out of the 239 points Red Bull scored just after 6 rounds last season. Pérez even joined Verstappen on the podium for all 4 of his early season wins.
Liam Lawson — Shermaine Wong
Liam Lawson isn’t new to the grid having stepped in as a reserve driver for Racing Bulls formerly known as AlphaTauri for a total of 5 races in 2023. He would later replace Daniel Riccardo’s seat at Racing Bull after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
Lawson also isn’t a stranger to scoring points as he would go on to score a total of 4 points by the end of the 2024 season. He had finished in points in both the United States GP and the 2024 Brazilian GP.
However, 2025 is set to be the New Zealander’s first full season in Formula One. Having started the season with top team, Oracle Red Bull Racing and having finished in points the season prior, expectations of Lawson were high.
Lawson would later be demoted back to Racing Bull after just 2 races with Yuki Tsunoda taking over his Red Bull seat. This harsh decision came after his struggles to keep up with Max Verstappen. Lawson had qualified a shocking P18 and P20 during his two qualifying sessions for Red Bull. Finishing both Grand Prix out of points, his seat was in danger from the start.
Now that Lawson is back in Racing Bull, many expected an improvement in his performance. Especially since the VCARB 02 seems to be a better drive as compared to the RB21. However, Lawson has yet to outqualify his new rookie teammate Isack Hadjar in the Racing Bull.
Granted, Lawson had faced technical issues with his battery at the Miami GP. Despite this, Hadjar’s average grid position of 11 is still higher than Lawson’s average of 14.5. He is under huge pressure.
BWT Alpine F1 Team — Disha Rawal
After a strong end to the 2024 season, many expected to see Alpine leading this year’s midfield battle. Unfortunately for them, the team currently sits P9 in the World Constructors’ Championship, one point ahead of Sauber in P10.
Alpine’s start to the season has been riddled with incidents and controversies. Gasly has shown glimpses of potential in the car, with Q3 qualifying appearances in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. He even managed to score points in Bahrain and Miami’s sprint race.
Unfortunately, luck hasn’t been on Gasly’s side. At the Chinese GP, he was disqualified for his car being underweight. In Saudi Arabia, Gasly was involved in a Lap 1 incident with Red Bull Racing driver Yuki Tsunoda, prematurely ending his race.
Rookie Jack Doohan’s luck has been considerably worse than his teammate’s, having been replaced by reserve driver Franco Colapinto six races into the season. Doohan failed to score points during his short stint with Alpine. He had two Lap 1 DNFs — at his home race in Australia and final race in Miami. Most notable was Doohan’s mistake during practice in Suzuka — he left his DRS wing open into Turn 1, causing a heavy crash into the barriers. While mechanics were able to repair the car for qualifying, it was clear that Doohan had lost some confidence in his performance.
The Oakes troubles
Alpine’s troubles don’t end on track. Team Principal Oliver Oakes resigned amidst rumours of legal troubles concerning his brother. Executive Advisor and former Team Principal for Renault Flavio Briatore has taken over the team in the interim.
With Colapinto stepping into the car in Imola, let’s see if Alpine can bring back its momentum from late 2024.
Aston Martin — Lucrezia Costa
Another team which has been having an hard time adjusting to the specifics of the 2025 Formula 1 season is Aston Martin.
The Silverstone-based team’s struggles had begun already in the past season, a far cry from the battles for podiums which had characterized its recent past.
Nevertheless, the driver duo consisting of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso had still managed to score 94 points in P4 to put the team right in the middle of the Constructors’ standings with a P5 in 2024.
This time around, the situation is more severe for the team who has recently signed Adrian Newey from Red Bull. In fact, only twice was Lance Stroll in the points in 2025, with a total of 9. Fernando Alonso is still on 0.
While twice he had come extremely close to his first spoils, with two P11 finishes in Japan and Saudi Arabia, a combination of factors has contributed to his no points streak.In fact, in the opening Australian round Alonso had surprisingly crashed out in a retirement-packed event, whereas in the following Chinese weekend he had suffered instead from a brake issue.
Focusing on 2026
Admittedly per the drivers’ words, Aston Martin is rather focused on the regulation changes set to happen in 2026, which will feature the first car entirely projected by Newey.
On the other hand, 2025 might turn out to be a very long season with such a goal in mind. It might be up to the drivers to try and extract more from their challenger, or to bide their time until March next year.
