Mid-season review: Team duels

In Formula 1, a driver’s first opponent is often their own teammate. After 12 Grand Prix weekends, it’s time to review the internal team battles to identify those who are shining at the start of the season… and those who are struggling.

McLaren: A Very Close Duel Between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

This season the team is dominating and can rely on its two drivers to shine on the track. While the advantage currently belongs to Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ championship, his British teammate is closing the gap and is only eight points behind the Australian, who leads the standings. The McLaren team’s rules are clear: fight but don’t collide, despite some mistakes on both sides, exemplified by the collision at the Canadian Grand Prix, we witness a great battle between the two drivers every weekend. It leaves the suspense over who will win the 2025 championship.

Lando Norris / Oscar Piastri

Points: 226 / 234

Withdrawals: 1 / 0

Qualifications: 5 / 7

Course: 6 / 6

Ferrari: Charles Leclerc ahead of Lewis Hamilton

This start of the season has been quite complicated for the Scuderia, which is struggling to find performance during races. The main problem is the strategy, which does not allow for the expected results. Nevertheless, Ferrari is still second in the constructors’ championship. The disqualification in China was also very costly. Charles Leclerc remains ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the race.

Charles Leclerc / Lewis Hamilton

Points: 119 / 103

Abandons: 0 / 0 (Except for one disqualification for both in China)

Qualifications: 8 / 4

Course: 10 / 2

Mercedes: George Russell stronger than Kimi Antonelli

Halfway through the championship, Mercedes holds the 3rd place in the constructors’ standings, behind McLaren and Ferrari. The team has regained a good level of competitiveness, but not yet returned to the top of the hierarchy. George Russell is emerging as the natural leader of the team. He is very consistent and performing well, with several podiums to his credit. Kimi Antonelli has shown some good moves but still lacks experience.

George Russell / Kimi Antonelli

Points: 147 / 63

Abandons: 0 / 4

Qualifications: 11 / 1

Course: 12 / 0

Red Bull: Max Verstappen, the best of the others

The team, accustomed to dominating in recent years, now finds itself third in the constructors’ championship, behind McLaren and Ferrari. The pace is no longer as overwhelming as before, and the competition has taken advantage. Max won two races at the beginning of the season but was unable to continue the momentum like in previous years. Liam Lawson started the season alongside Max Verstappen, but his disappointing performances led the team to replace him with Yuki Tsunoda from the Japanese Grand Prix onward.

Liam Lawson during two races: 0 points, 1 retirement in Australia, and a 12th place in China.

Max Verstappen / Yuki Tsunoda

Points: 129 / 7

Abandons: 1 / 1

Qualifications: 10 / 0

Race: 9/1

Williams: Alex Albon just ahead of Carlos Sainz

After a difficult 2024 season, Williams impressively turned things around in 2025. Midway through, the team holds a solid fifth place in the constructors’ championship, well-positioned in the midfield pack and regularly in contention for points. Alex Albon continues to demonstrate his consistency and ability to extract the maximum from the car. He dominates his teammates in both qualifying and races and has secured several points finishes. His consistency is one of the team’s major assets. Carlos Sainz is struggling much more with his car.

Alex Albon / Carlos Sainz

Points: 46 / 13

Abandons: 3 / 3

Qualifications: 7 / 5

Course: 9 / 3

Sauber: Nico Hülkenberg with an important podium at Silverstone

Back at Sauber, he plays a key role in the team’s progression. He scored almost all of the team’s points during the first half of the season, including a superb and memorable podium at Silverstone. The Brazilian rookie shows great promise; after an adaptation phase at the start of the season, he scored his first points in Austria.

Nico Hülkenberg / Gabriel Bortoleto

Points: 37 / 4

Withdrawals: 0 / 3 (A disqualification for Nico Hülkenberg in Bahrain)

Qualifications: 6 / 6

Course: 8 / 4

Racing Bulls: Isack Hadjar ahead of Liam Lawson

Present for several seasons, Yuki Tsunoda continues to demonstrate speed in qualifying, with several starts in the top 10. However, his race performances have often been compromised by strategic errors or questionable tire choices. The young Frenchman is making his F1 debut this season, he quickly scored his first points and shows an encouraging progression curve.

Yuki Tsunoda during two races: 3 points, 1/1 in qualifying, 1/1 in race.

Liam Lawson / Isack Hadjar

Points: 12 / 21

Abandons: 3 / 2

Qualifications: 2 / 8

Course: 1 / 9

Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso leads in qualifying

The team’s drivers have each experienced highs and lows. Their competitiveness is undeniable, but gaps sometimes widen during races, and strategic errors have cost important points. Nevertheless, their experience and motivation remain significant assets for the second half of the season. Fernando Alonso, however, dominates in qualifying.

Fernando Alonso / Lance Stroll

Score: 16/20

Abandons: 3 / 1

Qualifications: 12 / 0

Course: 4 / 8

Haas: Quite Similar Performances in the American Team

Esteban Ocon, drawing on his experience, is establishing himself as a pillar of the team. He has managed to leverage his knowledge to consistently score points and play a key role in the car’s development. On the other hand, Ollie Bearman is discovering Formula 1 and showing a promising learning curve. Although still young, he exhibits great qualities and is beginning to accumulate valuable competitive experience.

Esteban Ocon / Ollie Bearman

Points: 23 / 6

Abandons: 1 / 1

Qualifications: 6 / 6

Course: 8 / 4

Alpine: Pierre Gasly wins the battle against Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto

Pierre Gasly, after a complicated 2024 season, regains confidence thanks to the improvements made to the car and better overall preparation, even though it is still far from what he hopes for. Alongside him, Jack Doohan completed only six races before being let go and replaced by Franco Colapinto. Looking at the performances, one might wonder if this replacement has made any difference. **The Frenchman still leads the Enstone team.**

Pierre Gasly / Jack Doohan

Points: 6 / 0

Withdrawals: 1 / 2 (A disqualification for Pierre Gasly in China)

Qualifications: 5/1

Course: 4 / 2

Pierre Gasly / Franco Colapinto

Score: 13 / 0

Withdrawals: 1 / 1

Qualifications: 5 / 1

Course: 4 / 2