2025 Formula One World Championship
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The 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship is the pinnacle of motorsport, a symphony of speed, strategy, and sheer human will. This is the 76th running of the championship, recognized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile as the ultimate test for open-wheel racing cars. Twenty-four Grands Prix, spanning the globe from March to December, will decide who will be crowned World Drivers' Champion and World Constructors' Champion. The reigning king, Max Verstappen, in his Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT, and the formidable McLaren-Mercedes, are the ones to beat.
But 2025 is a season of change. It's the final year for the current power unit configuration, paving the way for a radical new design in 2026. The ground-effect era, introduced in 2022, also comes to a close, as does the drag reduction system, or DRS, that has defined overtaking for over a decade. Get ready for active aerodynamics and moving wings in 2026! And for Renault, this marks their last season as an engine supplier for Alpine, as they cease engine production.
The grid itself has seen seismic shifts. Lewis Hamilton, a legend of the sport, embarks on a new chapter with Ferrari after twelve years at Mercedes. Carlos Sainz Jr. makes a surprising move to Williams, while Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli steps into the spotlight. Haas has an entirely new lineup with Nico Hülkenberg joining Sauber and Esteban Ocon replacing Kevin Magnussen. Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu depart Sauber, with Bottas returning to Mercedes as a reserve and Zhou joining Ferrari in a similar role. The young talent of Gabriel Bortoleto fills the vacant Sauber seat. And in a move that surprised many, Sergio Pérez leaves Red Bull Racing for Liam Lawson, with Isack Hadjar promoted to Racing Bulls.
The calendar remains a familiar, yet thrilling, 24-race schedule. Australia hosts the opening round for the first time since 2019, a strategic shift to avoid Ramadan. The sprint format returns at China, Miami, Belgium, the United States, São Paulo, and Qatar, promising even more action-packed weekends.
Technical regulations are evolving too. Minimum weight allowances have been adjusted to promote driver well-being, and a new driver cooling kit will be mandated in extreme heat. DRS parameters have been tightened, and wing flexibility is under even stricter scrutiny. The gearbox limit is gone, a testament to current reliability.
Sporting regulations have also seen key updates. The fastest lap point has been abolished, and driving standards guidelines are now public, fostering greater transparency. Young driver free practice requirements have increased, and restrictions on testing previous cars are now in place. Contingencies for qualifying cancellations are clearer, and grid formation protocols have been refined. Drivers face stricter regulations on public comments, with significant penalties for misconduct, though stewards now have more discretion. The Monaco Grand Prix introduces a mandatory two-stop strategy to spice up the racing. And in a crucial safety measure, severely damaged cars can now be instructed to retire by the race director, preventing dangerous situations. Pit lane starters must now participate in the formation lap, streamlining the start procedure.
The season kicked off with F1 75 Live, a spectacular collective launch event celebrating 75 years of Formula 1. Pre-season testing saw Carlos Sainz Jr. at Williams setting the fastest time.
The opening rounds have been electrifying! Lando Norris secured a stunning victory at the Australian Grand Prix, breaking Max Verstappen's streak of leading the Drivers' Championship. The Chinese Grand Prix saw Lewis Hamilton take sprint pole and Ferrari's first sprint win, followed by Oscar Piastri's maiden pole and a McLaren 1-2 in the main race, though disqualifications for underweight cars and excessive skid wear added drama. Verstappen returned to pole and victory in Japan, with Kimi Antonelli becoming the youngest driver to lead a race and set the fastest lap. Piastri continued his strong form with a win in Bahrain, despite a collision and disqualifications. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix saw Piastri take the championship lead for the first time, with a penalty for Verstappen and retirements for Gasly and Tsunoda. Miami delivered more excitement with Antonelli on sprint pole, a penalty for Verstappen, and a McLaren 1-2 in the main race.
Mid-season has been a rollercoaster of emotions. Piastri and Verstappen battled fiercely in Emilia Romagna, with Verstappen ultimately taking the win. Monaco introduced a mandatory two-stop strategy, with Norris taking victory. Piastri claimed another win in Spain, while a collision between Verstappen and Russell led to penalties. Russell secured Mercedes' first win of the season in Canada, a race marred by a late-race collision between Norris and Piastri. Norris triumphed again in Austria, a race of retirements and penalties for Red Bull. Verstappen found his groove again at the British Grand Prix, a wet-weather affair that saw Norris take a home victory and Nico Hülkenberg achieve his first career podium. Belgium saw Piastri win the sprint and Norris take the main race after a delay for heavy rain. Leclerc took his first pole in Hungary, but Norris clinched the win with a strategic one-stop. Piastri dominated the Dutch Grand Prix with a maiden career grand chelem, while Verstappen secured victory at the Italian Grand Prix after controversial team orders.
The closing rounds have intensified the championship battle. Verstappen achieved his sixth career grand slam in Azerbaijan, while McLaren's championship hopes were dented by Piastri's challenging weekend. Carlos Sainz Jr. and George Russell secured podiums for Williams and Mercedes respectively.
The championship is fiercely contested, with points awarded to the top ten in Grands Prix and the top eight in sprints. Tie-breakers are decided by Grand Prix wins, then second places, and so on. The World Drivers' Championship standings are a testament to the season's drama, and the World Constructors' Championship is equally thrilling, with teams battling for supremacy. This is Formula 1 – where legends are made and history is written, race by thrilling race.
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The 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship is an ongoing motor racing championship for Formula One cars and the 76th running of the Formula One World Championship. It is recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body of international motorsport, as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. The championship is contested over twenty-four Grands Prix held around the world. It began in March and will end in December.
Drivers and teams compete for the titles of World Drivers' Champion and World Constructors' Champion, respectively. Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT, is the reigning Drivers' Champion, while McLaren-Mercedes are the reigning Constructors' Champions.
The 2025 season is the last year to utilise the power unit configuration introduced in 2014. A revised configuration without the Motor Generator Unit-Heat (MGU-H), but with a higher power output from the Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K), will be introduced for 2026. 2025 also marks the final year of the ground-effect generation of cars introduced in 2022, and the last year of the drag reduction system (DRS) introduced as an overtaking aid in 2011. This is because cars with active aerodynamics and moveable wings are being introduced in 2026.
2025 marks Renault's final season as an active engine supplier for its team Alpine, with the manufacturer planning to discontinue engine production post-2025.
== Entries ==
All teams compete with tyres supplied by Pirelli. Each team is required to enter at least two drivers, one for each of the two mandatory cars.
=== Free practice drivers ===
On four occasions throughout the season, twice for each of its cars, each team has to field a driver who has not competed in more than two races, in one of the first two free practice sessions.
=== Team changes ===
RB discontinued its use of initialism and entered instead as Racing Bulls, thus changing its team and constructor name.
=== Driver changes ===
Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes after twelve seasons to join Ferrari, ending his record breaking streak of the most consecutive seasons driving for a single constructor, as well as competing in his first season without a Mercedes power unit. He replaced Carlos Sainz Jr., who left Ferrari after four seasons to join Williams on a multi-year deal. Sainz was initially set to replace Logan Sargeant, but Sargeant was replaced by Franco Colapinto midway through the 2024 season. Hamilton was replaced by Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli, who was promoted from Formula 2. In January 2025, Colapinto left Williams to join Alpine as a reserve driver.
Haas is fielding an all-new line-up in 2025; Nico Hülkenberg departed the team after two seasons to drive for Sauber, with whom he last competed with in 2013. He was replaced by Haas's reserve driver Oliver Bearman, who stepped up from Formula 2, having previously raced in the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for Ferrari, and in the 2024 Azerbaijan and São Paulo Grands Prix for Haas. Kevin Magnussen also departed the team after seven seasons across two stints. He was replaced by Esteban Ocon, who split from Alpine before the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after five seasons with them. Jack Doohan, who replaced Ocon for the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, obtained the seat at Alpine for 2025.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu both left Sauber after three years, the former rejoining Mercedes as a reserve driver after having previously raced for the team from 2017 to 2021, and the latter joining Ferrari as a reserve driver. The vacant seat alongside Hülkenberg was filled by reigning Formula 2 Champion Gabriel Bortoleto.
Despite a previously signed contract until 2026, Sergio Pérez left Red Bull Racing after the conclusion of the 2024 season. He was replaced by Liam Lawson, who was promoted from Racing Bulls after five Grands Prix with them in 2023 under the AlphaTauri moniker, and six Grands Prix in 2024 under the initialism RB. Red Bull Racing reserve and 2024 Formula 2 runner-up Isack Hadjar was promoted to Racing Bulls in his place.
==== In-season changes ====
Following the Chinese Grand Prix, Liam Lawson was demoted to Racing Bulls, with Yuki Tsunoda making his debut for Red Bull Racing at the subsequent Japanese Grand Prix.
Following the Miami Grand Prix, Jack Doohan was relegated to a reserve driver role for Alpine. His seat was given to former reserve driver Franco Colapinto on a "rotating seat" basis, with the latter debuting at the subsequent Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and being initially scheduled to race for the team until the Austrian Grand Prix. Before the race at Spielberg, it was confirmed that Colapinto would retain his seat with the team, effectively on a race-by-race basis. Colapinto previously raced for Williams in nine Grands Prix in 2024.
== Calendar ==
The 2025 calendar comprises the same twenty-four Grands Prix as the previous season. The Chinese, Miami, Belgian, United States, São Paulo and Qatar Grands Prix feature the sprint format.
=== Calendar changes ===
The Australian Grand Prix hosted the opening race of the 2025 season for the first time since 2019. For the past three years, it was scheduled as the third round of the season, following the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, respectively. In 2025, however, these races were pushed back to avoid conflict with Ramadan. The Russian Grand Prix was under contract to feature on the 2025 calendar. However, the contract was terminated in 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
== Regulation changes ==
=== Technical regulations ===
==== Minimum weight changes ====
The minimum driver weight allowance was increased from 80 kilograms (176.4 lb) to 82 kilograms (180.8 lb). Consequently, the overall minimum weight limit of the car, excluding fuel, rose from 798 kilograms (1,759 lb) to 800 kilograms (1,764 lb). The adjustment was implemented to promote driver well-being, particularly for individuals who are taller or heavier.
==== Driver cooling ====
A driver cooling kit has been introduced for 2025. The system will only be mandated by the FIA in extreme heat conditions, with the minimum weight of the cars increased correspondingly when applicable. This is aimed at avoiding a repeat of overheating of the drivers, as witnessed at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. When the FIA predicts a temperature of over 30.5 °C (86.9 °F), a "heat hazard" will be declared. This will require teams to equip the drivers with their cooling systems, and the minimum weight will be raised by 5 kilograms (11 lb) to compensate for the equipment.
==== Drag reduction system (DRS) parameters ====
The slot gaps for the rear wing between the two modes of the DRS have been changed, with the minimum gap reduced. It has been shrunk from 10–15 millimetres (0.39–0.59 in) to 9.4–13 millimetres (0.37–0.51 in); the upper boundary remains at 85 millimetres (3.3 in) with DRS open. The FIA has also tightened up the rules on the DRS modes, stating that there must only be two positions, and that ending the application of DRS must return the wing exactly as defined to the initial mode.
==== Number of gearboxes ====
There is no longer a limit on the number of gearboxes used by teams, as the reliability of current designs renders this restriction obsolete.
==== Wing flexibility ====
The FIA introduced stricter rear wing deflection tests that mandated the slot gap – the distance between the mainplane and rear-wing flap – be restricted to 2 mm (0.079 in) under a 2 kN (450 lbf) load, which was again reduced to 0.5 mm (0.020 in) from the Chinese Grand Prix onwards to counteract teams' usage of a "mini-DRS". Additional front wing tests were implemented in a four-month forewarned technical directive for the Spanish Grand Prix, reducing the deflection under a 1 kN (220 lbf) load from 10 mm (0.39 in) to 5 mm (0.20 in).
=== Sporting regulations and related material ===
==== Fastest lap point ====
The point awarded to drivers finishing in the top ten positions for setting the fastest lap in the race, which was reintroduced in 2019, has been abolished.
==== Driving standards guidelines publication ====
Ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, the FIA released the latest version of its driving standards guidelines into the public domain. Originally introduced in 2024, these written guidelines aimed to provide drivers with a clearer understanding of the expected racing etiquette during on-track battles. Making the guidelines publicly available was intended to help fans and media better understand the rationale behind the FIA's decision-making and race officiating processes.
==== Young driver free practice requirements ====
The requirement for teams to run a young driver during free practice sessions was increased from once to twice per season per car.
==== Testing of previous cars ====
The sporting regulations introduced stricter limitations on "testing of previous cars" (TPC), defined as cars designed and constructed to the technical regulations of any of the three championships run from 2 to 4 years prior to the current championship. A cap of twenty days was imposed on TPC activities, with championship drivers restricted to a maximum of 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) across four days of testing. Testing was permitted at any circuit holding FIA Grade 1 or FIA Grade 1T license, but with specific restrictions relating to testing on the circuits included on the current year's calendar (namely, it was prohibited at circuits scheduled to host a race within sixty days of the test, or if the circuit was not used in the previous season at all or if it was deemed by the FIA to have undergone significant modifications since its use in the previous season).
==== Qualifying contingencies ====
The sporting regulations now include specific provisions for setting the starting grid in the event that qualifying sessions for either the sprint or the main race are cancelled. In such cases, the starting grid will be determined based on the Drivers' Championship standings. Previously, when a qualifying session could not be held, the starting order was left entirely to the discretion of the stewards. If the championship standings cannot be used to determine the grid, the decision remains at the discretion of the race stewards.
==== Starting grid formation ====
The protocol for closing up the grid when some cars do not make it to the start of a race was amended following the starting grid formation for cars withdrawn before the start of the 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix. The final grid will now be determined one hour before the start of the race. Cars that are withdrawn up to 75 minutes before the start will not be included in the final grid, and the following cars will all move up the relevant positions.
==== Regulation of public comments ====
Drivers' comments are due to be subject to more stringent regulation and stricter punishment. The issue had first come to light when Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said in an interview that he wanted to see less bad language in Formula One. This was closely followed by Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, both being investigated and punished for swearing in Formula One interviews. The penalties for "driver misconduct" covers "language, [...], gesture[s] and/or sign[s] that is offensive, insulting, coarse, rude or abusive and might reasonably be expected or be perceived to be coarse or rude or to cause offense, humiliation or to be inappropriate", as well as assault and "incitement to do any of the above". A first offence would incur a €40,000 fine; a second, an €80,000 fine and one-month suspension; and a third, a €120,000 fine, one-month suspension, and point deduction. The same penalty scale will apply to any "moral injury or loss" to the "FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers" or its values. The making of "political, religious and personal statements or comments" which contravenes the FIA's neutrality will also be subject to the same penalties, with the added caveat that drivers will be required to make a full apology and retract their statement. Prior to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the FIA softened its stance, allowing race stewards more discretion in determining whether it is necessary to punish a driver for inappropriate language, and giving officials the option to suspend penalties in cases of mitigating circumstances.
==== Monaco Grand Prix ====
A minimum two-stop strategy, in both wet and dry conditions, was implemented for the Monaco Grand Prix in an effort to promote better racing. Teams were also mandated to use at least three sets of tyres in the races, with a minimum of two different tyre compounds for a dry race.
==== Protocol for damaged cars ====
Following concerns raised during the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, where Sergio Pérez controversially returned to the pits to avoid a safety car deployment, helping teammate Max Verstappen win the race, the FIA has now introduced a new regulation to prevent severely damaged cars from attempting to return to the pits. Previously, drivers could navigate back to the garage even if their cars were damaged and posed a safety risk to others on track. The updated rule now allows the race director to instruct teams to retire a car if it has substantial structural damage or a critical failure that could endanger others or hinder competition. In such cases, the driver must pull over at the nearest safe location rather than continue towards the pit lane.
==== Formation lap for pit lane starts ====
Drivers starting from the pit lane are now required to take part in the formation lap, marking a departure from previous seasons in which they were permitted to remain in the garage until the race began. Under the updated regulation, once all cars on track have passed the pit exit, pit lane starters must leave in the prescribed order – unless delayed – before re-entering the pit lane at the end of the formation lap. The change was intended to streamline race starts and establish a more consistent pre-race procedure.
== Season summary ==
=== Season launch ===
As part of the series' celebration of the sport's 75th anniversary, all ten teams took part in a collective season launch event called F1 75 Live at The O2 Arena in London on 18 February 2025. Each team unveiled its car liveries for the season while its drivers and team principals were interviewed in front of a live audience. Additionally, other live entertainment and previews of the Formula One film were shown too. The event was broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and ESPN in the United States, as well as Formula One's social media accounts. On YouTube, the event surpassed Formula One's previous live events' viewership records, with 1.1 million concurrent viewers.
=== Pre-season ===
A single pre-season test was held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on 26–28 February. Carlos Sainz Jr., driving for Williams, set the fastest time in the three-day test.
=== Opening rounds ===
McLaren's Lando Norris took pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, which was held under changing, intermediate conditions. Isack Hadjar did not start the race, crashing his Racing Bulls during the formation lap. Norris led a majority of the race, but he briefly lost the lead when he and teammate Oscar Piastri lost control in intermediate conditions. Because of this, Piastri was beached for a short time before he freed himself, dropping to thirteenth and later recovering to ninth. Max Verstappen, in the Red Bull, was trailing Norris as the race reached its closing stages. Norris kept Verstappen behind to win the Grand Prix, bringing McLaren its first win in Australia since 2012. In doing so, Norris also broke Verstappen's reign of consecutive days leading the Drivers' Championship, which the Red Bull driver had held since the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli recovered twelve places from his sixteenth-place start to finish in fourth. Five further retirements were observed: Jack Doohan for Alpine, Carlos Sainz Jr. for Williams, Fernando Alonso for Aston Martin, Gabriel Bortoleto for Sauber, and Verstappen's teammate, Liam Lawson.
Lewis Hamilton took sprint pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix, which he converted into Ferrari's first sprint victory ahead of Piastri and Verstappen. Norris qualified in sixth for the sprint and finished in eighth. Piastri then took pole for the main race, achieving his maiden career pole position. Piastri controlled the race from start to finish, leading a 1–2 with teammate Norris, who was fighting a late-stage brake failure, followed by George Russell in third for Mercedes. This race marked McLaren's 50th 1–2 finish since joining the sport. Following the race, Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly were disqualified due to their cars being underweight, while Hamilton was disqualified for excessive skid wear.
Verstappen took his first pole position of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix, marking the first time he started on pole since the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix; Yuki Tsunoda joined him from Racing Bulls as his new teammate, with Lawson being demoted in his place. Verstappen finished the race with a commanding victory, ahead of the two McLarens – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Antonelli, driving for Mercedes, became both the youngest driver to lead a race and to set the fastest lap in Formula One history. The race featured no retirements.
Piastri took his second pole position of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix and controlled the race to win ahead of Russell, whose car was suffering from numerous electrical issues, and Piastri's teammate, Lando Norris. Williams's Carlos Sainz Jr. was the sole retiree during the race, having suffered a collision with Tsunoda. Nico Hülkenberg was disqualified after the race due to excessive skid wear.
Verstappen took his second pole position of the season at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, while Norris crashed out in Q3, leaving him tenth; he recovered to fourth during the race. Piastri, who started second, won the race ahead of Verstappen, who was given a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage early in the race. Leclerc took Ferrari's first Grand Prix podium of the season. Following the race, Piastri took the lead of the World Drivers' Championship for the first time in his career, making him the first Australian to lead the championship since his manager Mark Webber at the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix. Gasly and Tsunoda were the only retirements from the race following a first lap collision between the pair.
Antonelli took pole position for the sprint at the Miami Grand Prix, but dropped to seventh following an unsafe pit release with Verstappen, who was given a penalty and dropped to last – the first pointless finish for the latter in any race format since the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix. After Fernando Alonso suffered a heavy crash, a late safety car was called. Norris ended up undercutting Piastri to win the race; Hamilton rounded off the podium, while Leclerc crashed during a reconnaissance lap and did not take part in the sprint. For the main race, Verstappen took pole ahead of Norris and Antonelli; Piastri and Norris were able to pass him and take a 1-2 finish, with Russell rounding off the podium. Four retirements were observed, those being Haas' Oliver Bearman, Doohan in his last and most recent Formula One race start, Bortoleto, and Lawson.
=== Mid-season rounds ===
Piastri took pole position in the final running of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, but lost the lead to Verstappen in Red Bull Racing's 400th Grand Prix start, by making a move into the Tamburello chicane. He kept the lead all the way to the chequered flag ahead of Piastri and Norris. After a poor qualifying, Tsunoda recovered to tenth, Hamilton and Leclerc climbed to fourth and sixth, respectively and Antonelli suffered Mercedes' first retirement of the season due to a mechanical failure. Additionally, Doohan was substituted with Franco Colapinto at Alpine. Colapinto finished 16th after suffering a poor qualifying result.
The Monaco Grand Prix saw the introduction of a mandatory two-stop strategy in an effort to promote closer racing. Norris took pole position and converted it into victory ahead of Leclerc and teammate Piastri. As a result of the mandatory two-stop strategy, certain teams chose to have one of their drivers block others in an attempt to prevent their teammate from losing track position. Gasly retired after a collision with Tsunoda after leaving the tunnel whilst Alonso retired due to engine issues.
Oscar Piastri returned to pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix, which he converted into a victory ahead of his teammate Lando Norris and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Following a retirement of Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes – caused by mechanical failure – a safety car was brought out on lap 53. Shortly after the race resumed on lap 60, Max Verstappen collided with Antonelli's teammate George Russell, after the former was told to give the position back to the Mercedes driver after he overtook Russell off track. Verstappen ultimately received a ten-second time penalty, which resulted in him dropping to tenth. Nico Hülkenberg was one of many beneficiaries, finishing in fifth place and earning Sauber's highest finish since the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso, who finished in ninth place, scored his first points of the season eight races in, equalling 2015 for his worst start to a season.
Russell became the first non-McLaren and non-Red Bull driver of the season to take pole position, doing so at the Canadian Grand Prix. Piastri started third with teammate Norris starting seventh after making a mistake in his flying lap. In a race ultimately defined by strategy calls, Russell won out in the end following a late safety car period, marking Mercedes's first win of the season – finishing ahead of Verstappen and Antonelli, the latter recording his maiden career podium in third to become the third-youngest podium finisher in Formula One history. The race ended under the safety car after Norris rammed Piastri's diffuser while attempting an overtake on the pit straight, forcing the former into the wall and inflicting terminal damage to his MCL39 – his and the McLaren team's first retirement since the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. He would still be classified in 18th following two other retirements: the Williams of Alex Albon and Lawson.
Norris was back on pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix. Following an aborted start due to issues with Carlos Sainz Jr.'s brakes, the McLarens broke out ahead while Antonelli locked up and hit Verstappen, forcing both to retire and the safety car to be deployed; Verstappen's Red Bull teammate did not fare any better, with Tsunoda finishing sixteenth – the last of the finishing cars – after receiving a time penalty. Due to this, Red Bull failed to score any points of any kind, the first since the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. After leading a majority of the race, Norris converted pole position into his third win of the season ahead of teammate and championship leader Piastri, and Leclerc. Gabriel Bortoleto scored his first points in the championship while Hülkenberg finished ninth, marking the first double points finish for Sauber since the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.
Verstappen found himself on pole position for the British Grand Prix after the cars he was battling with – the McLarens and Ferraris – made mistakes during their flying laps. The race was began in wet conditions on intermediate tyres, but the Mercedes of Russell, Leclerc, Hadjar, Bortoleto, and Bearman opted to start from the pit lane after swapping to slick tyres following the formation lap. The slicks, however were ineffective on the track, which remained damp. On the first few laps, green flag running was limited; Bearman's teammate Esteban Ocon squeezed himself between Tsunoda and Lawson, with the latter being the first to retire after suffering damage to his rear-left suspension. Soon afterward, Bortoleto then found himself in the wall with damage to his rear wing, and during a sustained period of heavy rain, Hadjar himself had a heavy hit into Copse corner after ramming Antonelli's diffuser and spinning off the track, facilitating a safety car period. Race leader Oscar Piastri braked erratically during this safety car period and was awarded a ten-second time penalty. As the race entered its closing stages, the track began to dry, and drivers returned to slick tyres. With Piastri serving his penalty, Norris took the race lead; he went on to become the thirteenth British driver to win their home race. He finished ahead of Piastri and Nico Hülkenberg, the latter of whom enjoyed his first career Formula One podium after a record 239 race starts, starting from 19th and last on the grid.
Piastri took pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix sprint, but lost out to Red Bull's Verstappen. Norris then took pole position for the main race, which was delayed due to heavy rain. The race began under a rolling start behind the safety car, where Piastri immediately overtook Norris and held the lead to win the race as Leclerc finished in third.
Leclerc took his first pole position of the season for the Hungarian Grand Prix, ahead of the two McLarens. Norris went on to win the race, after deciding to risk a one-stop strategy to get ahead of teammate whilst title rival, Piastri, was on a two-stop and finished second. George Russell completed the podium and finished third after battling with Leclerc.
Piastri took another pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix and led the race from start to finish, scoring his maiden career grand chelem ahead of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar, the latter achieving his maiden career podium after starting from fourth, his highest starting position to date. Three retirements were observed during the race, with both the Ferrari drivers hitting the wall at the banked turn 3 – one by driver error and the other due to contact with Antonelli, whilst Norris experienced an oil leak on lap 65.
After taking the fastest pole position lap in Formula One history, Verstappen converted it into his and Red Bull's third win of the season at the Italian Grand Prix, ahead of Norris and Piastri. Controversial late-stage team orders were given to the latter, following his teammate's slow pit stop resulting in the former overtaking him for second. Alonso suffered the race's only retirement, after his Aston Martin suffered a suspension failure; Hülkenberg did not start the race after experiencing hydraulic issues, pulling into the pit lane with his Sauber.
=== Closing rounds ===
Verstappen converted his pole position at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix into his career sixth grand slam, and Red Bull's first consecutive win of the season. McLaren had an opportunity to secure the Constructors' Championship in this race, but was unable to: Norris was unable to score sufficient points and capitalise on a mistake-laden weekend for his teammate, defending race winner and championship leader Piastri, who crashed out in qualifying, jumped the race start, stalled and dropped to last in an attempt to correct his mistake, and crashed out again on the first lap. Carlos Sainz Jr., who started second, scored Williams' first podium since the rain-curtailed 2021 Belgian Grand Prix. Incidentally, Russell, who finished in second in that race, also finished in second in this race.
== Results and standings ==
=== Grands Prix ===
=== Scoring system ===
Points are awarded to the top ten classified drivers, and the top eight of the sprint. In the case of a tie on points, a countback system is used where the driver with the most Grand Prix wins is ranked higher. If the number of wins is identical, then the number of second places is considered, and so on. Points are awarded using the following system:
=== World Drivers' Championship standings ===
Notes:
† – Driver did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.
=== World Constructors' Championship standings ===
Notes:
† – Driver did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.
Rows are not related to the drivers: within each constructor, individual Grand Prix standings are sorted purely based on the final classification in the race (not by total points scored in the event, which includes points awarded for the sprint).
== Notes ==
== References ==
== External links ==
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