As the Formula One (F1) season reaches its midway point, the battle for the drivers’ championship intensifies with each race providing drama, surprises and standout performances.

Australia

The first race of the season had a chaotic start as rain poured onto the track and caused six drivers to retire. Mclaren’s Lando Norris still managed to claim victory, ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, even after a slow pit stop. George Russell finished in third for Mercedes followed by his rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli in fourth. In his home race, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was in contention for a podium finish, but a spin out late in the race left him in ninth place. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished eighth and 10th after the team’s call to stay out on slick tires despite the rainy conditions.

China

Piastri turned his first pole position in Shanghai into his first Grand Prix win of the year and claimed a McLaren 1-2 with Russel finishing in third. Hamilton, who had won his first race with Ferrari in the Sprint Race earlier that weekend, was disqualified due to excessive skid wear. Leclerc and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly were also disqualified due to having underweight cars.

Japan 

After starting from pole position, Verstappen earned his first win of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix after holding off Norris and Piastri who followed closely behind. Ahead of the race, Red Bull announced a driver change as Yuki Tsunoda moved into Liam Lawson’s seat. Lawson would be moved down to Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls. While Tsunoda finished in 12th place and in a better position than Lawson at 17th, he still landed outside of the points and far from podium contention.  

Bahrain 

Piastri dominated from pole and took his second win of the season, along with McLaren’s first win at the circuit. Russell came in second while Norris finished in third even after a five second penalty. With his second race as a part of Red Bull Racing, Tsunoda landed his first points for the team in ninth. Ferrari had a strong start leaving Leclerc and Hamilton to finish in fourth and fifth.  

Saudi Arabia 

Piastri became the new Drivers’ Championship leader with a win in Jeddah. Verstappen was penalized five seconds for forcing Piastri off at Turn 1 and placed second. Leclerc scored Ferrari’s first podium of the season in third. Alpine’s Jack Doohan was replaced midweek by Franco Colapinto, marking a major shake-up for the struggling French team. 

Miami 

Piastri won the Grand Prix and Norris claimed the Sprint as McLaren dominated in Miami. Verstappen managed a podium but continued to deal with team errors. Alpine officially cited poor performance in their decision to replace Doohan. 

Emilia-Romagna 

Red Bull fought back at Imola, where Verstappen overtook Piastri early and held on to win. Norris and Piastri followed in second and third. It was a tactical victory for Red Bull, giving them their second win of the year. 

Monaco 

Norris claimed victory on the streets of Monte Carlo after managing two stops and pressure from Leclerc. Verstappen briefly led with an alternate strategy before falling to fourth after a late pit stop. Piastri took third, keeping the McLaren duo close in the championship. 

Spain  

Piastri returned to the top step with another McLaren 1-2. Leclerc finished third and Verstappen was left out of podium contention after another strategy mishap. Ferrari showed signs of improvement, but not enough to challenge McLaren consistently. 

Canada  

George Russell won pole in Montreal as Verstappen finished second. Antonelli scored his first career podium in third. The McLaren drivers collided in the final laps, Norris retired, and Piastri finished fourth. Hamilton could only manage sixth as Ferrari’s frustrations continued. 

Austria  

Norris added another win to his season in Spielberg. Leclerc finished third, and Verstappen was eliminated on the opening lap after minor contact with Piastri. Nico Hulkenberg finished sixth, the highest that a Sauber had placed in the season. 

Great Britain  

In front of his home crowd, Norris won at Silverstone after Piastri was given a 10 second penalty for a safety car infringement. The highlight came behind them with Hulkenberg’s first podium finish after 15 years in the sport.  

For Red Bull fan, Alyssa Acosta, watching Hulkenberg get a podium after 239 races was a moment that brought the F1 community together.  

“This last race weekend I think had some of the best moments,” Acosta said. “For me, Nico Hulkenberg getting third was great, everyone I know who watches F1 was happy about that, it was such a feel-good moment.” 

McLaren has dominated the top of both constructors and drivers’ championship tables with the battle between the two teammates intensifying. Piastri leads ahead of Norris by just eight points. While Verstappen has shown his persistence and strength as a driver, Red Bull’s internal issues and strategy mistakes have kept him from dominating like in the past years.  

For Ferrari fan and student at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Alex Acevedo, Ferrari’s performance has been less than ideal. While Leclerc has managed to earn two podiums, Hamilton has struggled to adapt to the car and strategy errors that have put the team behind. 

“Ferrari has been disappointing, especially because I went in with a lot of hope since they did pretty good last year and they were bringing in Lewis,” Acevedo said. “I think it has just been some bad strategy calls and a car that hasn’t been strong, but I hope that they can turn it around soon.” 

The drama continued off track as Christian Horner’s dismissal as Red Bull Racing’s team principle and CEO left many fans shocked and uncertain about the team’s future.  

“I have heard of the problems with Horner before, but I did not think they would actually get rid of him so suddenly,” Acosta said. “I feel like we still don’t know a lot about why he was fired or what will happen with the team, or if we will see better results.” 

As the season continues, fans will hope their team will come out on top, but in the world of Formula One, fans have learned to expect the unexpected.  

“I don’t know how this season will end, as a Ferrari fan I want one of those drivers to make a comeback, but McLaren is constantly winning but I also think you can never forget about Verstappen,” Acevedo said. “I think that’s what I really like about F1 you really never know how it will end, it’s unpredictable.”  

With the Belgium Grand Prix on July 27, the championship remains a close battle and the second half of the 2025 season promises even more unpredictability.  

Ximena Cordero is the web and copy editor for The Prospector and may be reached at [email protected]