Yearly Components 1 at all times delivers loads of drama and 2025 was no completely different with a title struggle that went all the way down to the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Lando Norris finally prevailed in a three-way struggle towards McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri and Pink Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen.
But it surely wasn’t nearly what occurred on the entrance, as there was drama all through the grid. So, listed here are our writers’ favorite storylines of the 2025 F1 marketing campaign.
Nico Hulkenberg does the sudden – Jake Boxall-Legge
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Photograph by: Andy Hone/ LAT Photos through Getty Photos
From a feel-good standpoint, it must be the conclusion to the 15-year-long quest that Nico Hulkenberg endured to lastly attain the F1 podium.
Hulkenberg’s talent and expertise had by no means been unsure throughout that point, however it appeared that his time had come and gone; alternatives with Drive India went begging, his Renault profession petered out because the group started to search out type vaguely resembling competitiveness, and his F1 profession appeared as if it was over earlier than being known as upon to exchange Racing Level’s COVID-sidelined drivers in 2020.
Even when Hulkenberg got here again to F1, his emergence at Haas had by no means appeared like a podium mixture – and given Sauber’s type in 2024, even perhaps much less so when he rejoined the Swiss outfit for this season forward of its Audi transition.
When it was arguably least anticipated, Hulkenberg’s long-awaited go to to the podium emerged like a rainbow within the wake of the dismal situations at Silverstone. The essential half was holding Lewis Hamilton off with weary intermediates, forcing the world champion to cease too early for the dry tyres.
But when we’re extending it to all sports activities, then I am selecting Valentin Vacherot’s Shanghai Masters win. Having entered the match because the world No. 204, Vacherot beat the likes of Alexander Bublik, Holger Rune, and Novak Djokovic on his path to a ultimate match-up with cousin Arthur Rinderknech. No less than one Monegasque gained one thing this yr…
Max Verstappen levels an unimaginable comeback to virtually steal the F1 title – Ed Hardy
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
Photograph by: Mark Thompson / Getty Photos
The final two real F1 title fights couldn’t have been extra completely different. First there was that battle in 2021, Hamilton versus Verstappen, the grasp versus the apprentice – and what an almighty struggle it was. Drama, fights, crashes, two drivers on the peak of their powers and ranges above the competitors.
Then there was this yr. Initially, Norris versus Piastri, a a lot tamer struggle between the McLaren pair by which one may very a lot argue they weren’t ranges above the competitors with three drivers – Verstappen, George Russell and Charles Leclerc – performing higher.
It was fairly a boring battle to start with, missing any actual oomph, however then the ultimate third of the season noticed Verstappen fortunately enter the combo. This may be put all the way down to upgrades Pink Bull delivered to spherical 16 at Monza, thus reworking its season because the four-time world champion reduce a 104-point deficit to nonetheless be within the title dialog come Abu Dhabi.
A win on the finale, his sixth in 9, nonetheless wasn’t sufficient to say a fifth title as he completed two factors behind Norris, however the way in which Verstappen fought again and adjusted conversations surrounding the championship struggle was unimaginable to look at.
It put all people on edge, prompted them to suppose twice about the place the title is perhaps heading, and the ‘may he actually do that’ query dominated workplace speak. In the end it wasn’t to be, however Verstappen’s resurgence is what I’ll keep in mind most about 2025. Had he turn into world champion, it will have gone down as one of many best ever title-winning campaigns.
Colton Herta bids for F1 – Ben Vinel
Colton Herta, Hitech TGR
Photograph by: James Sutton / Components 1 / Components Motorsport Ltd through Getty Photos
These days, it’s fairly uncommon for F1 drivers to have forays into different classes, and even scarcer for racers who’re established in different sequence to offer all of it up as they dream of F1.
That’s why Colton Herta’s determination is so thrilling. The 2024 IndyCar runner-up may simply have continued his profession stateside, however the 25-year-old is playing on a Cadillac check driver position and a transfer to F2 – which can be significantly tough, given he has no expertise of Pirelli rubber. 2023 Tremendous GT and Tremendous Components champion Ritomo Miyata has been making an attempt the identical and it’s spectacularly backfiring thus far, with a single podium end to his title in his first two campaigns.
Herta has rather a lot to lose in his bid for a 2027 F1 seat, however he’s nonetheless doing it. It is going to be fascinating to see how he will get on – similar to WRC champion Kalle Rovanpera. The Finn is switching from rallying to Tremendous Components for 2026 as he makes an attempt to succeed in the best attainable degree in single-seaters; let’s see how far he can go.
Lando Norris comes of age to turn into F1 world champion – Filip Cleeren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photos through Getty Photos
I wrote a piece on this elsewhere, however having first coated Norris on the 2017 Pau Grand Prix – relaxation in peace, Euro F3 – it was intriguing to comply with his progress over the previous few years, significantly the final two.
How would he reply to having a profitable automotive at his disposal and subsequently come beneath strain to win and to race Verstappen wheel-to-wheel?
There have been loads of wobbles in 2024, and some extra within the first half of 2025, however these actually helped form him right into a world champion. The very best half is he did it his personal manner, as he says, with out the same old ruthlessness or the concept that a world champion must be a bulletproof robotic.
Good on you, Lando.
We need to hear from you!
Tell us what you want to see from us sooner or later.
– The Autosport.com Staff
