As the ground-effect Formula 1 era comes to an end and the 2025 World Champion is crowned, who ended the season on a high and who’s happy for it to be over?
Max Verstappen: 10
Three wins in a row to end 2025 were not enough for Max Verstappen to steal a fifth consecutive title as the Dutchman dominated the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
A sublime pole lap set Verstappen up perfectly to put pressure on the McLaren duo, but while he converted that with ease, he came up two points short in the end.
An eighth win sees Verstappen end 2025 as the driver with the most victories – and the most laps led – as he came so close to completing a remarkable turnaround.
Yuki Tsunoda: 6
Despite working his hardest to aid his team-mate’s title quest, Tsunoda ended his time as a Red Bull driver without a point.
Having lined up 10th, Tsunoda was penalised when he weaved with Lando Norris closing in, prompting him to drop to 14th.
Oscar Piastri: 9
Despite starting on the Hard compound, Oscar Piastri made a bold pass around his team-mate’s outside at Turn 9 on the opening lap to move into second place.
But despite going an alternate route to the Red Bull ahead, Piastri and McLaren didn’t have the speed to trouble Verstappen, with the Australian a distant second.
Having appeared the stronger McLaren driver earlier in the campaign, the long-time championship leader concluded his third season in the sport 13 points short.
Lando Norris: 8
The pressure was all on Norris going into the weekend as he had a 12-point advantage over his closest rival, but he soaked that up and qualified on the front row.
Norris lost a place to Piastri in a pre-discussed move. However, he held his nerve as Charles Leclerc applied pressure to retain the third place that sealed the title.
Charles Leclerc: 9
Despite a valiant drive, Leclerc ended this era without a podium. The Monegasque passed George Russell at the start and then proved to be a thorn in Norris’ side.
The Monegasque’s challenge waned as Ferrari’s competitiveness restricted him, underlining one last time in 2025 how much he has been let down with the SF-25.
Lewis Hamilton: 6
Lewis Hamilton’s wretched end to the season continued in Abu Dhabi as he endured a third consecutive Q1 exit, leading him to start the race down in 16th place.
The Briton mounted a decent comeback as some clinical overtaking and slick work on the Ferrari pit wall saw him end a below-par campaign eighth on the road.
George Russell: 8.5
Russell crossed the line in No Man’s Land as he finished over a pitstop behind Leclerc, despite completing one less stop, but he was never troubled from behind.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli: 5
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was unable to continue his strong end to 2025, being knocked out in Q2 in 14th and crossing the line a disappointing 15th on the one stop.
Fernando Alonso: 9.5
Fernando Alonso came in clutch when Aston Martin needed him to and concluded the season with a strong top-six finish, executing a one-stop race to perfection.
A stunning start saw the Spaniard pass Russell and duel Leclerc on the opening lap. That was never going to be sustainable, but he maximised his possible result.
Lance Stroll: 7.5
Lance Stroll was not on Alonso’s level at the Yas Marina Circuit, being knocked out with the slowest time in Q2 and sealing a 24-0 whitewash from his team-mate.
However, a prolonged stint on the Hard compound set him up to produce a spirited charge with several overtakes to end a challenging season with one last point.
Esteban Ocon: 9
Esteban Ocon admitted he was lost as he struggled during the opening two practice sessions, but changes to his Haas car saw him take eighth place on the grid.
The Frenchman was unable to get close enough to ex-team-mate Alonso to breach the top six, but he resisted a charging Hamilton to cling onto seventh position.
Oliver Bearman: 7
Despite missing out on Q3 by seven thousandths of a second, Oliver Bearman was looking good to secure another points finish, running ninth in the latter stages.
However, a five-second penalty from his duel with Stroll saw him slip out of the top 10 come the chequered flag, ending his rookie season with a 12th-place finish.
Nico Hulkenberg: 8
Nico Hulkenberg was bound to have work cut out starting down in 18th place, but the call to commit to a two-stop race inspired him to end the season with points.
The German didn’t do enough on track to cross the line inside the top 10. However, Bearman and Stroll’s penalties promoted him to ninth in Sauber’s last-ever race.
Gabriel Bortoleto: 7
Despite advancing through to Q3 in seventh, Gabriel Bortoleto was unable to convert that, as extreme bouncing during the race saw him slump back to 11th place.
Carlos Sainz: 6
Following his podium heroics in Qatar the previous week, Carlos Sainz ended the season on a quieter note with a 13th-place finish, having started one place ahead.
Alex Albon: 5
Much like Sainz, Alex Albon rounded out a strong season outside the points, although the Anglo-Thai driver’s weekend was notably more difficult than the Spaniard’s.
Having been knocked in Q1, Albon collected a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane that dented his slim hopes of a top 10 finish as he crossed the line 16th.
Isack Hadjar: 6.5
Despite starting ninth, Isack Hadjar went backwards on race day as a combination of poor pace from his Racing Bulls car and the one-stop strategy saw him come home 17th.
Liam Lawson: 5
Much like his team-mate, Liam Lawson also slipped back from his starting position of 13th to a disappointing 18th come the chequered flag.
Pierre Gasly: 5
A five-second penalty for exceeding track limits did little to dampen the spirits of Pierre Gasly as the Frenchman ended Alpine’s dreadful 2025 with a 19th-place finish.
Franco Colapinto: 4.5
Last in both qualifying and the race saw Colapinto end 2025 as one of only two drivers not to score a point, with the other being the driver he replaced early on in Jack Doohan.
READ MORE – Max Verstappen wins Abu Dhabi GP, Lando Norris third to seal F1 title
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