Power Rankings: All F1 Teams at the Summer Break
- Matt Hylen
- 2 minutes ago
- 9 min read
With the summer break almost concluded, let's take a look at how each team has done so far this F1 season. With the drivers already ranked (check out that article as well, link at the bottom of the article or on my socials), I wanted to investigate how each team collectively did to this point. Were expectations met? I also looked into how effective driver-to-engineer communication has been, and whether or not it has affected their race results. Lastly, I looked at each team's average qualifying gap between teammates, taking that into account as well.
Remember, these rankings are all subjective, so you may or may not agree with me. However, that's the fun part, so let me know how I did or what you would change in the comments on my socials! So with that, let's get into it!
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10. Alpine
Despite a couple of heroic drives from Pierre Gasly, Alpine has been in absolute shambles this season. From moving on to their fifth Team Principal in as many years to replacing their rookie driver, Jack Doohan, with a driver in Franco Colapinto (who probably should have gotten the seat in the first place), Alpine has been the slowest car on track for the better part of the first half of the season.
Like I said, Pierre Gasly has been great this year (more on that in my driver rankings article, check it out!), but the team has failed to put together a semi-consistent car. With zero points scored in nine of the fourteen races this year, it is quite clear that Alpine has failed to put anything together pace-wise. They are also the only team to have a driver not score any points (Colapinto and Doohan do not have points this season). Twelve Q1 exits this season by Alpine drivers also look pretty bad on the 2025 resume.
If it wasn't for Gasly's ability to get something out of nothing, Alpine would not even be close to competing for anything other than last in the Constructors'. Currently in last and 15 points behind Haas in 9th, Alpine still has a chance to turn things around, but at this point, with the new regulations hitting next year, this season has been a complete wash.
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9. Aston Martin
Now, are Aston Martin in a good position to finish well in the Constructors' Championship? Sure, however, no one expected Aston Martin to be competing against the likes of Sauber and Racing Bulls.
Looking back on the first half, I can't help but feel underwhelmed by Aston Martin. As a team that has been atop the midfield for years now, scoring zero points in six races while only holding a seventeen-point lead over 9th place in the Constructors' is disappointing, to say the least. On top of this, Aston Martin has only scored double-digit points once this season, which came at the most recent race in Hungary.
The biggest issue the team has faced this year has been the gap between teammates. The numbers during qualifying are very poor, with Alonso outqualifying Stroll on every occasion this season. Stroll has also been eliminated in Q1 nine times this season. Meanwhile, Alonso has made Q3 six times. This is unacceptable for a team expected to be atop the midfield.
Though the team has said most of their focus is on the 2026 car, it does not change the fact that this year's car is, at times, the 8th or 9th best car on the grid. It could definitely be worse for Aston Martin, that is for sure, but the lack of separation between them and the bottom teams is a little staggering, and is why I have them so low on my list.
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8. Haas
Inconsistency has plagued Haas for most of this season. Their qualifying pace has been extremely poor for most of the season thus far, which has hindered their chances at scoring significant points.
With that said, the strategy put forth by Haas in the races has been tremendous. Whether it be Ocon's strategy in Bahrain, or the team's strategy in China, Haas' strategy, along with the drivers' ability to execute, has been the story of the season for the team.
Haas currently sits 9th in the Constructors', which on paper is not great, but they are only ten points behind VCARB in 8th and sixteen behind Sauber in 7th. With the way Bearman and Ocon have been driving this year, if they can get their qualifying pace figured out, 7th or even 6th could be in the realm of possibility for Haas this year, but for now, they come in as the 8th-best team thus far in 2025.
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7. Red Bull
2025 seems to be a year of consistent decline for Red Bull. Everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong thus far. The pace of the second driver is as bad as ever, while the internal affairs within the team officially exploded with the firing of their CEO and Team Principal, Christian Horner.
To put it simply, Red Bull would be a bottom dweller this season if it weren't for Max Verstappen. Both Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, who are good drivers, look like a shell of themselves in a Red Bull car. Not only that, but the pace of the car in general has gotten so bad that even Verstappen is struggling.
It was only a matter of time before teams caught up to Red Bull and their true colors would show; 2025 is the perfect showcase of a team putting their eggs in one basket and failing miserably. 145 points looks good on paper, and puts them 4th in the Constructors', yet it is not even close to enough for a team like Red Bull. The one-man show needs to end, and fast, before the team falls apart even more.
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6. VCARB
VCARB has exceeded expectations thus far in 2025, putting together a number of good results. Their strategy on a race-by-race basis has improved significantly from last year, while also finding a diamond in the rough in Isack Hadjar.
With weekends like those in Monaco (12 points), Austria (8 points), Belgium (5 points), and Spain (6 points), VCARB has been right in the point-scoring mix all season long. They have weathered a driver and team boss change nicely, which cannot be said for other teams.
As a "Junior Red Bull" team with little expectation coming into 2025, VCARB being in the midfield mix is why I have them over their "senior team" of Red Bull. Their car is more consistent, and both drivers have been able to get a handle on its abilities. A very good first half for VCARB.
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5. Williams
Williams has been fantastic as a whole thus far, setting themselves apart from the rest of the midfield. Though they have struggled a bit as of late, the way in which they started the season was nothing short of impressive.
With Alex Albon having, in my eyes, a career year, Williams has been able to take full advantage of their opportunities. With finishes like those in Australia (10 points), Miami (12 points), Imola (14 points), and Belgium (11 points), Williams' consistency on high-speed tracks has benefited them all year long.
The biggest concerns for Williams are Carlos Sainz and their mechanical failures. Though he can be considered the unluckiest driver to this point, Sainz has failed to match Albon for most of this season. Going into the season, I thought it was going to be the other way around. That, on top of a brutal streak in which Williams' car kept breaking down and having no pace, is why Sainz has yet to get a firm grasp on the Williams car.
With that said, I think the good outweighs the bad for Williams so far. Vowles has done a tremendous job of turning this team from a bottom dweller to the best midfield team on the grid.
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4. Sauber
When you consider expectations for every team coming into this season, no team has exceeded expectations like Sauber has. It was less than a year ago that Sauber were by far and away the worst team and biding their time until they became Audi. Now, they are a podium-finishing team with 51 points and fighting for 6th in the Constructors'.
Watching the growth of a team everyone counted out in 2025 has been a sight to behold. The car's race pace has arguably been the most consistent among the midfield contenders. They have done a phenomenal job of building a suitable car for both Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto to thrive in.
The only reason they are not higher is because of their qualifying pace. Qualifying has been pretty abysmal for Sauber this year, with Hulkenberg and Bortoleto combining for a total of seventeen Q1 exits. However, their elite decision-making and race strategy are responsible for insane comebacks and point-scoring finishes, which is why they are so high on my list.
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3. Ferrari
Ferrari comes in at number three on my list at this point of the season. Coming into this year, I do think the expectation was for Ferrari to be consistently competitive at the top. Their failure to do so is why they cannot be higher than three on my list.
There have been many positives for Ferrari this season, whether it be Hamilton's Sprint win or Leclerc's pole in Hungary; however, the team has left too much on the table. They have given away most of their opportunities to separate themselves from Mercedes, while having arguably the worst driver-engineer communication in the sport. The pace of the car is all over the place, with no style of track really suiting the car's abilities.
With that said, the fact that, despite all the issues, they still sit in 2nd place in the Constructors', is very impressive. It was a close decision between Ferrari and the team I have at number two, yet it came down to the lack of communication and wasted opportunities, which Ferrari has had more of thus far. Clean those two things up, and Ferrari can move up a rank easily.
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2. Mercedes
Mercedes come in at number two on my list, as in my eyes, they have been the second-best team overall in terms of exceeding expectations, consistency, and communication. Of course, the standings say otherwise, but I think there is a little more to it than just the points.
First off, the car has been the most consistent non-McLaren car on the grid in terms of pace. Take out the fact that their suspension upgrade ended up being a downgrade, and you have a team that has their number one driver consistently scoring podiums and top-5 finishes. Yes, their slump due to their failed upgrade does matter, and was something I took into account. Yet, the way in which it did not hinder their results to the point where Ferrari could have pulled away is a sort of reliability you rarely see in this sport. Plus, with the upgrade taken away, they are back to being an elite pace level team.
Being the only team (besides Max Verstappen) to win a race this year is a significant contributor as to why Mercedes is ranked number two on my list. Ferrari have not really gotten close to a race win when it comes down to the race, thus making Canada all the more impressive for Mercedes.
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1. McLaren
I think it was pretty obvious as to who comes in as the best team so far in 2025. McLaren have been the best of the best all season long, which shows in basically every aspect of the season so far.
With the team 1st in the Constructors' standings by 299 points and their drivers in 1st and 2nd in the Drivers' standings, the pace of McLaren has been next-level dominant all season long. 8 pole positions, 11 race wins, and 24 podiums in the first half of the season alone say enough!
The biggest concern for McLaren coming into this year was how they would be able to handle having two #1 drivers. That, when push came to shove, and Norris and Piastri are fighting for the Drivers' Championship, how would the team handle that? In my eyes, so far, so good. Communication has been evident, as the team has let both Norris and Piastri compete in the way they want to compete. They have also done well at prioritizing whoever is in the best shape to win the race, which is how it should be.
Overall, McLaren has been in a league of their own this season, which is likely to continue post summer break. Easiest choice here.
Stay tuned for more F1 content, as I will be making 5 BOLD post summer break predictions in my next F1 article!
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Until next time!
-Matt Hylen