2025 F1 Driver Grades

As the F1 season starts back up post Summer Break, I decided to grade the drivers on their performances so far this season! This is purely opinion-

based and how I have felt based on drivers’ performance so far.

A+ Grades:

Oscar Piastri: Minus the mistake in Australia and the penalty that cost him a

win in Silverstone, Piastri has been near flawless this season. He has had

plenty of pace and been able to keep up with current teammate Lando Norris.

What he needs to do? Piastri will need to maintain this championship to

Norris otherwise he may lose it. He will be pushed to his limits to maintain it,

but this will ultimately turn him into a driver with plenty of promise for the

future of the team.

A Grades:

Max Verstappen: Once again, this is a driver who is carrying the team on his shoulders, staying in contact with both mclaren drivers for the championship, Verstappen has plenty of speed and we know that. With errors that were not the result of him in Austria, and penalties after frustration took over in Spain, there is room to improve, but we know Verstappen will do exactly that. 

What he needs to do? For him, this second half will prove plenty for him and who he is as a driver, aiming to gain on Lando Norris in the championship.

Lando Norris: Having made a fair few mistakes, It definitely is not easy to compete. He can have a brilliant race with a good result like Great Britain and Hungary with the 1 pit stop decision. But with races like Canada and Belgium with the unfortunate race start, it may make things tough for him. 

What he needs to do? Norris will need to focus more on himself, and the team instead of aiming to please. This will ensure he can stay within touching distance of teammate Oscar Piastri and further distance himself from Verstappen and Russell. 

B+ Grades:

George Russell: Once again with mixed race results including DNFs and no points weekends, it can be difficult. He does have ability to race and get good results, he is very talented, but he will need to pull focus and work very hard to stay in touch. 

What he needs to do? Russell will need to keep working hard for himself and the team, by getting good results and keeping up with the Mclarens and Ferraris ahead. He will also have to fight Verstappen for the P3 in the championship. 

Charles Leclerc: Charles Leclerc has had a mixed season, but had opportunities for podiums, Leclerc is looking for more. Whether it be more pace, more podiums or both. He has capability that we have seen plenty of times before. Is Ferrari ruining him as a driver or is this the mould that will make him into a championship winning driver? 

What he needs to do? His aim for the remainder of the season, will be for both Ferrari drivers to work together and maintain that P2 in the constructors as well as close the gap to Russell. 

B Grades:

Isack Hadjar: Being a rookie in a car that may not be the quickest on the grid, He has been forced to work for everything. Hadjar has not only shown speed and pace, but also plenty of potential and possible team swaps in the future. He is a young talent and has proved that plenty of time this season, being the 2^nd highest scoring rookie driver (behind Kimi Antonelli). 

What he needs to do? He will be aiming to push that team further in the championship and chase down Stake and Aston Martin. 

Lewis Hamilton: With a change to the Scuderia Ferrari team, there was excitement for Lewis Hamilton. Soon after joining, he ensured he was able to show his ability with a sprint win in China. He has also shown his capability to overtake with an impressive 11 place race in Belgium. 

What he needs to do? He will be hoping to continue the momentum with the team, but we also know that Hamilton will not give up and will continue to push his teammate and the team to be better. 

B- Grades:

Kimi Antonelli: The best rookie driver based on scoring, he has been an impressive driver to watch. But with mixed race results nearing identical to his teammate, including a DNF in Austria, Spain and Great Britain, has not looked good. However, to be the only rookie with a podium so far this season, pushes those thoughts away.

What he needs to do? Antonelli will be pushed to new limits as a driver, and will need to catch Lewis Hamilton if he wants any shot of improving in the championship. He will also want to take different opportunities and figure out what may work for him. 

Nico Hulkenberg: From a slow start for Hulkenberg to a shocking podium finish in Great Britain (which was super impressive). Hulkenberg has shocked the fans this season with his brilliant results, including various points finish (and double points with Bortoleto). 

What he needs to do? Keep this pace up. He is such a talented driver in a team that does sometimes have difficulty in getting points, but with a driver like Hulkenberg, they have lots going for them. 

C+ Grades:

Alex Albon: A very quiet driver, with so much going on. I have been quietly impressed with Albon so far. With a few mishaps, due to mechanical error and such, which were tough to witness. He still manages to make good of the season and this team. 

What he needs to do? Albon needs to continue at the pace he is at. He can do so much more, however now, this might be the point that Williams can maintain and do lots with it. With talented drivers, they can reach for the stars.

C Grades:

Carlos Sainz: The change to Williams from Ferrari was a big one, he is a great driver, still with plenty to prove. He has had some good results so far including, Saudi Arabia, Imola and even Monaco being able to defend against the angry Mercedes. 

What he needs to do? Carlos needs to maintain his strength for this team and work alongside Albon to continue extending away from the Aston Martin duo who are slowly catching them. 

Lance Stroll & Fernando Alonso: I'm grouping both Aston Martin drivers together as the have had the same up and down season. With a mix of on and off race weekends, it has ensured both drivers are tied as of mid-season in the championship.

What they need to do? For Stroll, He will want to push himself to be better than his teammate and work to build the team and their potential for 2026 with the new regulation changes. For Alonso, he has something to prove against the younger driver and must show who he is, whilst also being a team player and working hard with the team. 

Yuki Tsunoda: With a good start to the year at Racing Bulls, it began to drop when he was switched to the RedBull team. Alongside Max Verstappen, his season does not look as competitive as it should be. He is a pocket rocket driver with capability beyond what we have seen. It is tough that the car is not easy to drive at all. 

What he needs to do? He needs to push himself as a driver, he knows what he can do and I am sure that we are yet to see his true pace. He can be a very competitive person when given the opportunity, we saw it in the Racing Bulls, so hopefully we’ll see it again soon. 

C- Grades:

Liam Lawson: For Liam Lawson, being he was moved from RedBull early on, he has shown great potential since with many points scoring weekends and great results for the team.

What he needs to do? Liam Lawson will want to chase his teammate Isack Hadjar and push himself, as he has good talent and can be very good. Lawson has to assert dominance over his rookie teammate and prove himself as a team leader.

Pierre Gasly: For Pierre Gasly, he currently is carrying the Alpine team, slowly they are catching the rest of the midfield, but it will take more than just one driver. But Gasly must take control as he is the team leader and with the midfield being so close even having a "Good" weekend can still mean 0 points.

What he needs to do? Pierre Gasly needs to continue scoring points for the team if they want to stay in the fight for the midpack. Even with a less than stellar teammate he can't write the season off he has to push and find his old form. And to be honest he can't be average anymore.

Esteban Ocon: Similar to Bearman, it has been a difficult season with dicey results. Ocon is very capable and can pull some great results, even with the tough car he is driving. With points early on in China and Bahrain he has shown what he can do in any type of car. 

What he needs to do? He will want to push this team for greatness, being the older and more mature driver out of the two. The team has plenty more opportunities for points before the end of the season, so making an aim for that. 

Gabriel Bortoleto: Although Bortoleto has had a rocky start to the season, by mid-year, he was starting to show plenty of pace, keeping up with the likes of Fernando Alonso and more. We know based on previous seasons that Bortoleto can be an extremely fast and capable driver with overtaking and pure pace. 

What he needs to do? He will be continuing his push in the championship, improving his skill and getting prepared for the new regulations with Audi. 

Oliver Bearman: The Haas is not an easy car to drive and Bearman has proved that, with a few scoring opportunities, he has shown good potential for the future. With double points for Haas in China and Japan, he has created a good starting point.

What he needs to do? Bearman will have to work extremely hard to have a chance at getting more points for himself and the team. I think he should lean on Ocon and learn how to navigate the midfield. He has to take steps before he's ready for Ferrari.

F Grades:

Franco Colapinto: As Jack Doohan’s replacement, there was an expectation. Has it been met yet? Probably not, having not received any points yet, It’s a tough time for Colapinto. He has made mistakes throughout the year leaving his teammate an extordinary task of getting Alpine points.

What he needs to do? His best bet, is to try his best and work hard to try and get the team points. And he has to stop crashing at crucial points. I hope things improve he's still young. I also think he's preoccupied with getting 2026 sorted and is trying to hard to push himself take things one lap at a time.

Jack Doohan: With an expectation of getting sacked looming on Doohan’s head, it was hard to focus on anything other than that. A tough start to the season with a sad ending to his time at Alpine. He showed some improvement from race 1 to race 5 but his fate was already decided in the preseason.

What he needs to do? He just has to be himself and work hard, he entered a weird situation where he wasn't even wanted.