With a 3rd of the 2025 gone, Telegraph Sport compiles its first driver rankings of the 12 months.
Whilst you can take a look at the standings to see the headline numbers, we now have delved a little bit deeper to evaluate how every driver is performing, awarding factors for every race weekend (20 factors for the most effective rated down to 1 level for the worst) and totalled up over the season up to now.
20: Jack Doohan, Alpine – 25 score factors
The Australian confirmed flashes of velocity in his six-race stint at Alpine earlier than being dropped. The first drawback was that they had been by no means transformed into something significant on Sunday. The secondary concern was his all-too frequent crashes.
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Championship factors: 0 (nineteenth)Qualifying report: 6-2 loss to Gasly
19: Liam Lawson, Purple Bull/Racing Bulls – 37pts
There needs to be some sympathy for Lawson, who was harshly dropped from Purple Bull after simply two races. You think his confidence has been battered after that brutal demotion. He has been too distant from team-mate Isack Hadjar since returning to Racing Bulls.
Liam Lawson has endured a bruising begin to the 2025 season – Getty Photos/Rudy Carezzevoli
Championship factors: 4 (seventeenth)Qualifying report: 2-0 loss to Verstappen, 6-1 loss to Hadjar
18th: Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber – 47pts
Given a debut season within the slowest automotive, this has not been a horrible begin from the Brazilian. Certified properly in Miami earlier than his retirement. He’s actually displaying sufficient promise, particularly in qualifying, however it’s now about bettering his performances.
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Championship factors: 0 (twenty first)Qualifying report: 6-4 loss to Hulkenberg
seventeenth: Lance Stroll, Aston Martin – 50pts
Stroll picked up a helpful haul of factors within the opening two rounds however has largely been poor since, Miami dash apart. His eleventh place within the standings flatters him enormously. He has certified behind team-mate Fernando Alonso 9 occasions out of 10 – usually fairly comfortably. Wonderful to assume he has made a profession this mediocre final 9 seasons.
Championship factors: 14 (eleventh)Qualifying report: 9-1 loss to Alonso
sixteenth: Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls/Purple Bull – 61pts
Tsunoda is that this excessive largely due to a reasonably sturdy begin at Racing Bulls within the first two rounds. At Purple Bull, he’s an enchancment on Liam Lawson however that could be a preposterously low bar. Not implausible for him to be swapped with Hadjar by the season’s finish. A tough scenario in a tough automotive, however needs to be doing higher.
Yuki Tsunoda has improved on Lawson’s efforts at Purple Bull however has struggled all issues thought-about – Getty Photos/Mark Thompson
Championship factors: 10 (thirteenth)Qualifying report: 2-1 win over Hadjar, 7-0 loss to Verstappen
fifteenth: Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber – 69pts
It has been onerous for Hulkenberg to face out due to the standard of the Sauber. Different groups have been up and down however in 4 rounds it has been the slowest automotive and in two extra the second slowest.
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This has made it onerous for the German to point out his pure expertise over a flying lap. In any case, it’s not as if the Sauber has been a superb race automotive, both, a reasonably lucky sixth at Melbourne apart.
Championship factors: 6 (fifteenth)Qualifying report: 6-4 win over Bortoleto
14th: Pierre Gasly, Alpine – 74pts
After 5 rounds, Gasly positioned within the high 10 in our rankings, however poor showings in Miami and Monaco particularly, the place he rear-ended Tsunoda, have dropped him again six locations. As much as then he was getting near the utmost from his inconsistent Alpine.
Championship factors: 7 (14th)Qualifying report: 6-2 win over Doohan, 2-0 win over Colapinto
thirteenth: Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin – 76pts
It’s onerous to recollect a time when the Spaniard would have ranked as lowly over a chronic interval. To don’t have any factors after eight rounds is a shock. He has been hampered by his automotive which, till Imola, was the eighth quickest. It has given him only a few probabilities to point out his ample ability. Luck has performed an element on this, however errors have crept in too.
Fernando Alonso is but to attain a degree in 2025 – Getty Photos/Mark Thompson
Championship factors: 0 (18th)Qualifying report: 9-1 win over Stroll
twelfth: Carlos Sainz, Williams – 77pts
It took Sainz a handful of races to completely settle in at Williams, however since then he has been a match for a strongly-performing team-mate in Alexander Albon. Sainz seems to be to have the sting over one lap just lately and would have scored much more than the 12 factors he has with higher luck.
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Championship factors: 12 (twelfth)Qualifying report: 6-4 loss to Albon
tenth=: Oliver Bearman, Haas – 79pts
Like his team-mate’s season up to now (and certainly his workforce’s), Bearman’s 2025 has been up and down. There have been errors, however that’s to be anticipated from a rookie. The excessive level is a run of three top-10 finishes in a row from China to Bahrain. Wants to enhance his one-lap tempo to make Sundays simpler.
Championship factors: 6 (sixteenth)Qualifying report: 7-3 loss to Ocon
tenth=: Esteban Ocon, Haas – 79pts
Ocon has scored extra factors than Bearman by 20 to 6 however his lows, particularly when the automotive has not been to his liking, have been notably low. Now he’s getting used to the Haas VF-25 he’s beginning to make that have present. Fifth in China and seventh in Monaco present he nonetheless provides worth to a workforce as he approaches a decade in F1.
Esteban Ocon has taken some occasions to become familiar with the Haas VF-25 this season – Getty Photos/Malcolm Griffiths
Championship factors: 20 (ninth)Qualifying report: 7-3 win over Bearman
ninth: Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes – 90pts
Like most of the different rookies this 12 months there have been a number of crashes for Antonelli. He’s but to complete forward of team-mate Russell in a grand prix, or in any race, however has out-qualified him twice out of 10 periods. Has scored factors steadily and constantly, solely genuinely struggling in Bahrain and Monaco. His Miami dash pole reveals that he’s the true deal.
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Championship factors: 48 (seventh)Qualifying report: 8-2 loss to Russell
eighth: Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari – 92pts
Gone are the times when Hamilton can be nearly assured a slot within the high three of any driver rankings. After a rocky begin – China dash race apart – he has began to edge nearer to Leclerc in qualifying, although has not overwhelmed him over one lap since Shanghai. Loads of room for enchancment at Ferrari, but in addition for Hamilton. Not the motive force he as soon as was.
Championship factors: 63 (sixth)Qualifying report: 8-2 loss to Leclerc
seventh: Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls – 104pts
That Hadjar is the top-ranked full-season amongst this crop of rookies (and together with Bortoleto the one true debutant in 2025) says an terrible lot about how spectacular the Frenchman has been. His season started by crashing out on the formation lap in Melbourne however he has since completed eleventh, eighth, thirteenth, tenth, eleventh, ninth after which sixth. Within the final 4 rounds alone he ranks within the high three by our system.
Isaac Hadjar’s performances for Racing Bulls have been one of many greatest surprises within the paddock this season – Getty Photos/Jayce Illman
Championship factors: 15 (tenth)Qualifying report: 2-1 loss to Tsunoda, 6-1 win over Lawson
sixth: Charles Leclerc, Ferrari – 110pts
May Leclerc have finished an amazing deal extra with this problematic Ferrari beneath him? Actually not by an amazing deal. He has up to now claimed the one two grand prix podiums by the Scuderia and it’s honest to say he has outclassed his extra embellished team-mate. That shouldn’t be a shock, however it’s a nice disgrace that he can not battle with the 2 McLarens and Max Verstappen.
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Championship factors: 79 (fifth)Qualifying report: 8-2 win over Hamilton
fifth: Alexander Albon, Williams – 112pts
Since his transfer from the Purple Bull steady, the distinctive Albon had been hamstrung by the standard of his Williams equipment. He had been capable of stand out solely occasionally, principally over one lap.
Not in 2025. With an improved FW47 Albon has excelled at almost each race, reaching Q3 or SQ3 eight occasions out of 10. The one race he didn’t end within the factors was Bahrain. Astonishingly constant and fast.
Championship factors: 42 (eighth)Qualifying report: 6-4 win over Sainz
4th: Lando Norris, McLaren – 120pts
In 2023 and 2024 Norris was comfortably the primary man at McLaren due to his consistency. Every now and then, Piastri was faster however the situations had been uncommon, particularly in qualifying. In 2025 that has been turned on its head, with Norris enduring a mistake-strewn begin because the Australian thrives.
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A few of that has been all the way down to the tendencies of the MCL39 when pushed to the restrict, however it’s as much as Norris to discover a answer. His will likely be a giant enhance, however he should enhance in qualifying to win the championship.
Lando Norris can hope his victory in Monaco might be the beginning of the a world championship cost – Getty Photos/Andrej Isakovic
Championship factors: 158 (2nd)Qualifying report: 6-4 loss to Piastri
third: George Russell, Mercedes – 124pts
The previous Mr Saturday was Mr Constant within the opening six rounds, as the one driver to complete each dash and grand prix within the high 5. The Mercedes has by no means been in real rivalry for victory, however Russell managed to brush up no matter was left, taking 4 podiums in the identical interval. That run ended with two tough weekends in Imola , however nearly all of that’s all the way down to issues together with his automotive. As with Leclerc, it’s a disgrace he’s not actually within the championship battle.
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Championship factors: 99 (4th)Qualifying report: 8-2 win over Antonelli
2nd: Oscar Piastri, McLaren – 137pts
Piastri’s enchancment from the tip of 2024 has been vital. Firstly, he has addressed the numerous qualifying deficit to Lando Norris (he misplaced 20-4 final 12 months) and secondly the tyre administration points that held him again in his first two seasons have been eradicated.
There’s nonetheless the occasional vulnerability, as proven in Monaco, however he appears unfussed and unfazed by . He has additionally proven himself to be Verstappen’s equal in shut fight.
Championship factors: 161 (1st)Qualifying report: 6-4 win over Norris
1st: Max Verstappen, Purple Bull – 142pts
There is no such thing as a doubt that Verstappen , as he most likely has been for all of this decade. It’s simply as properly the Purple Bull has its issues – if it was pretty much as good because the McLaren, Verstappen can be strolling the championship.
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Any efficiency references to his team-mates are largely ineffective as a result of each Lawson and Tsunoda usually are not in his league. If the RB21 provides him a sniff of pole place he takes it. He’s at the moment channelling Michael Schumacher within the Nineties.Championship factors: 136 (third)Qualifying report: 3-0 win over Lawson, 7-0 win over Tsunoda
