Ranking the Teams in the 2025 Formula 1 Season: A Mid-Season Analysis

As we reach the midpoint of the 2025 Formula 1 season, it’s time to take a closer look at how the teams are stacking up against each other. The pre-season predictions have taken a surprising turn as some teams have shown their true potential, while others have fallen short of expectations.

Sauber: Struggling to Keep Up

Sauber was expected to languish at the bottom of the grid after a lackluster pre-season performance. However, Nico Hulkenberg’s seventh place finish in the wet Australia opener has given the team some hope. Yet, it remains the slowest team on the grid, with both drivers struggling to maintain their pace over a race distance.

Racing Bulls: A Promising Start

Racing Bulls‘ VCARB 02 has proven to be a rapid and malleable machine, helping Yuki Tsunoda secure a promotion to Red Bull. The team has shown impressive performance in qualifying, with Tsunoda qualifying fifth in Melbourne and rookie Isack Hadjar qualifying seventh in China and Bahrain. However, strategy mistakes have cost the team valuable points.

Haas: A New Era Under Ayao Komatsu

Haas is a completely different team under the leadership of Ayao Komatsu. The team struggled in Australia but has shown improvement since, with Esteban Ocon holding his own against the Racing Bulls and Williams cars, and Oliver Bearman scoring 10th on the road in China (upgraded to eighth after disqualifications). Komatsu believes the quick turnaround in revising its floor for Japan worked out, allowing Bearman to break into Q3 and score another point.

Aston Martin: A Holding Year

Aston Martin is having a holding year, waiting for its Adrian Newey-influenced, Honda-powered 2026 car to hit the ground running next year. The team sits where it left off last season, with Lance Stroll scoring all of the team’s points this year. Things have been brighter since, with Fernando Alonso showing promise despite poor luck in the opening rounds.

Williams: A Strong Start for Grove Squad

Williams has had a strong start to the season, with Alex Albon scoring points in all three grands prix and having the upper hand over Carlos Sainz. The team’s modernization under James Vowles seems to be paying off, as the 2025 began its life on the weight limit and has proven to be a benign-handling car that plays to Albon’s strengths.

Alpine: A Solid Midfield Contender

Alpine looked like a solid midfield contender in testing, but continued optimism at the start of the year has not been realized. Despite great pace, the team has struggled with poor luck and misjudgements, leaving it bottom of the pecking order. Bahrain offers the team a chance to reset, having shown up well in pre-season testing.

Mercedes: A Consistent Contender

Mercedes has finally produced a car capable of challenging for regular top results under this ruleset. George Russell has taken on the mantle of team leader with aplomb, while rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli has shown significant improvement. The team has so far not encountered any of the issues that have dogged it over the past few seasons.

Ferrari: A Rocky Start for the Prancing Horse

Ferrari hasn’t enjoyed the smoothest start to 2025, despite the hype of Hamilton’s arrival. The team has shown glimmers of speed but has struggled with teething issues and double-disqualifications in China. It remains to be seen if can challenge the current top three teams in the championship.

Red Bull: A Tight Ship Under Max Verstappen

Red Bull’s RB21 has been a mixed bag, with Sergio Perez struggling to keep up with Max Verstappen. However, Verstappen has shown glimpses of his true potential, taking pole position in Japan and dominating the race. Red Bull is ultimately shy of McLaren on outright performance, but the team runs a tight ship at the circuits – and the world-class talents of Verstappen can take the car to places it might not necessarily have assumed possible.

McLaren: The Quickest Car on the Grid

McLaren has kicked off the year with the quickest car, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri showing impressive pace in both qualifying and race trim. The team’s approach to the Japanese Grand Prix will be a topic of debate, but for now, it’s about banking the wins and podiums consistently.