The 2025 Formula 1 season can be read like a drama in 24 chapters. Race by race, a world championship battle unfolds that remains exciting until the final act on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.
03.12.2025, 10:08
03.12.2025, 10:24
SDA
Australia: chaotic start in the rain
The start to the 76th World Championship season was dramatic, but Lando Norris was not a surprise winner. The Australian Grand Prix, held in changeable conditions and partly in the rain, claimed numerous victims. A trip into the gravel by Oscar Piastri costs McLaren a potential one-two victory. The Australian only finished ninth in his home race, while Max Verstappen inherited second place in the Red Bull. - Championship standings: Norris (25 points), Verstappen (18), Piastri (2).
China: Piastri's revenge at McLaren's anniversary
Undeterred by the botched season opener, Piastri struck back in Shanghai at the first race weekend with a sprint. After finishing second over the short distance behind Lewis Hamilton, he wins the Chinese Grand Prix ahead of Norris. This is the 50th one-two win for McLaren in Formula 1, with Verstappen missing out on the podium in fourth place. - Norris (44), Verstappen (36), Piastri (34).
Japan: Red Bull's wingman shuffle
Two weeks later, it was Verstappen's turn. The defending champion wins the Japanese Grand Prix for the fourth time in a row. Behind him, Norris and Piastri complete the podium. Verstappen has a new team-mate ahead of the weekend in Yuki Tsunoda, who replaces Liam Lawson. However, the Japanese driver will not be helping him in the following months either. - Norris (62), Verstappen (61), Piastri (49).
Bahrain: Verstappen slowed down
Piastri celebrates a clear victory in his 50th Grand Prix in Bahrain. Norris, who only started the race from 6th on the grid after an unsuccessful qualifying session, nevertheless maintains his championship lead in third place. Verstappen was unable to finish higher than 6th due to brake problems and dropped behind Piastri in the championship standings. - Norris (77), Piastri (74), Verstappen (69).
Saudi Arabia: Piastri on the leader's throne
With his third win of the season, Piastri takes the lead in the championship standings on April 20 in Saudi Arabia - and will not relinquish it for more than six months. Norris, who only started from 10th position after a crash in qualifying, finished fourth behind Verstappen and Leclerc. - Piastri (99), Norris (89), Verstappen (87).
Miami: Verstappen's frustration grows
Piastri remains the man of the hour at the sprint weekend in Miami and celebrates his third GP win in a row - a series that no one else has managed this year. Verstappen, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly frustrated after a quarter of the season. The continued dominance of McLaren is noticeably weighing on the minds of those responsible at Red Bull. - Piastri (131), Norris (115), Verstappen (99).
Emilia Romagna: Red Bull's anniversary crowned
Verstappen's world looks a lot brighter at the first race of the season on European soil. The world champion wins the Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna in Imola, thus ennobling Red Bull's 400th race weekend in Formula 1. He is flanked on the podium by Norris and Piastri. - Piastri (146), Norris (133), Verstappen (124).
Monaco: Norris' liberation
With his second win of the season, Norris achieves a liberation in Monaco. For the first time, the Englishman used the full potential of his car again and noticeably stepped out of Piastri's shadow. He moves to within three points of his teammate in the championship standings and is also able to challenge him again in the internal hierarchy. - Piastri (161), Norris (158), Verstappen (136).
Spain: Tire drama for Max
In Spain, Piastri once again came out on top, while Verstappen suffered a major setback in McLaren's next double victory. In a wild final phase, he tried to hold his own against George Russell in the Mercedes by illegal means on badly worn tires, as race control later determined. A ten-second penalty dropped him from 5th to 10th place. - Piastri (186), Norris (176), Verstappen (137).
Canada: Norris too impetuous
For the first time this season, neither McLaren driver made it onto the podium in Canada. The reason for this is the impetuous driving of Norris, who triggers a collision with Piastri with an over-motivated overtaking maneuver and thus causes the team's only retirement of the season. Piastri is lucky that his car remains undamaged and saves 4th place at the finish. Russell is the first winner from the trio of title contenders. Verstappen finishes second. - Piastri (198), Norris (176), Verstappen (155).
Austria: Verstappen is shot down
After his blunder in Montreal, Norris takes the blame and makes an impressive comeback in the Austrian Grand Prix. Piastri completes the next one-two victory for McLaren, while Verstappen experiences a black Sunday. He was shot down by Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes on the very first lap - his first retirement in 15 months. - Piastri (216), Norris (201), Verstappen (155).
Great Britain: Norris benefits twice
A week later at Silverstone, Norris again came out on top ahead of Piastri. The Englishman benefited from a penalty against his team-mate, who had been leading for a long time, and a spin by Verstappen. The Dutchman, who had started from pole position, experienced another disappointment in fifth place. - Piastri (234), Norris (226), Verstappen (165).
Belgium: McLaren wins...
After Verstappen's sprint victory, McLaren pulls off the next double in the Belgian Grand Prix. This time Piastri narrowly wins the internal duel against Norris. Verstappen misses out on the podium for the third time in a row in fourth place. - Piastri (266), Norris (250), Verstappen (185).
Hungary:... and wins
In the Hungarian Grand Prix, Formula 1 bids farewell to the four-week summer break with McLaren's fourth consecutive one-two victory. After Norris' triumph, everyone agrees: under normal circumstances, the two drivers in the orange cars will decide the world championship title between themselves. Verstappen continues to lose ground in ninth place. - Piastri (284), Norris (275), Verstappen (187).
Netherlands: World champion written off
Piastri wins again at Zandvoort, while Norris retires as a safe second due to a technical defect in the final phase. Piastri's lead grows to 34 points - the biggest it has ever been this year. Experts are talking about a preliminary decision in the world championship battle. Although Verstappen finished second in his home country, he is now more than 100 points behind the championship leader. - Piastri (309), Norris (275), Verstappen (205).
Italy: Verstappen's comeback
112 days after his last victory, Verstappen finally triumphs again in Monza. He did so in superior style, as we have long been accustomed to seeing from him. The Dutchman relegates Norris and Piastri to the other podium places and thus starts his great race to catch up. - Piastri (324), Norris (293), Verstappen (230).
Azerbaijan: Piastri's decline begins
Two weeks later, Verstappen followed up with a start-finish victory in Baku. At the same time, the competition faltered. Piastri made a premature start and crashed head-on into the crash barrier after braking. His retirement marked the start of a run of five races without a podium finish. Norris can hardly benefit from this for the time being. He only finishes seventh - Piastri (324), Norris (299), Verstappen (255).
Singapore: Team peace put to the test
In Singapore, for the second and last time until the season finale in Abu Dhabi, none of the three title contenders made it to the top of the podium. As in Montreal, Russell won. He is followed by Verstappen, Norris and Piastri. The latter is very annoyed after the Grand Prix because a hard overtaking maneuver by his teammate on lap 1 is unnecessarily risky from his point of view and is not criticized by the team. - Piastri (336), Norris (314), Verstappen (273).
USA: Verstappen scores maximum points
After the contact between their two drivers in the Singapore Grand Prix and the associated violation of the "papaya rules", McLaren talk about consequences for Norris, but do not reveal which ones. Verstappen doesn't care much. He scores maximum points at the sprint weekend in Austin. His belief in a fifth consecutive world championship title is definitely back. - Piastri (346), Norris (332), Verstappen (306).
Mexico: Change in the lead
Piastri's continuing slump in form leads to a change of leader in Mexico. Norris replaces his team-mate as the world championship leader after 189 days at the top. The Englishman wins ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen, Piastri only finishes fifth. - Norris (357), Piastri (356), Verstappen (321).
Brazil: Norris unstoppable
The way now seems to be clear for Norris to win his first world championship title. With two victories on the sprint weekend in São Paulo, he extends his lead over his team-mate, who continues to falter, to 24 points. Piastri comes away empty-handed after a spin in the sprint and only finishes 5th in the Grand Prix - Norris (390), Piastri (366), Verstappen (341).
Las Vegas: Gambled away in the millimeter range
Verstappen wins in Las Vegas, keeping his title chances alive, but the gap to Norris is still 42 points with a maximum of 58 points still up for grabs. Then, four hours after the end of the race, the hammer falls: Norris (2nd) and Piastri (4th) are disqualified because the underbody of their cars has worn away too much. McLaren is playing poker in the millimeter range. - Norris (390), Piastri (366), Verstappen (366).
Qatar: Strategic mistake
The constellation ahead of the sprint weekend in Qatar allows Norris, who is 24 points ahead of Piastri and Verstappen, who are tied on points, to become world champion on his own. But that will come to nothing. After his sprint victory, Piastri is also clearly the strongest in the Grand Prix, but Verstappen wins. This was due to a strategic mistake by McLaren, which did not bring its drivers into the pits during a safety car phase. - Norris (408), Piastri (396), Verstappen (392).
The final act
The fascinating title race thus remains a three-way battle to the end. The starting position ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi could hardly be more exciting. With a lead of 12 and 16 points respectively over Verstappen and Piastri, Norris still holds the best cards. A podium finish on Sunday will be enough for the championship leader to secure the title on his own.
