Ranking All 20 F1 Drivers at the Summer Break
- Matt Hylen
- Aug 9
- 9 min read
The summer break is officially upon us, meaning the halfway point of the 2025 F1 season has just about passed. Drivers and teams alike will shut down everything to enjoy the next couple of weeks before the last ten races of 2025. So, with the break in the action comes the perfect time to see how each driver has performed thus far this season, and where they rank among their peers.
I ranked every driver that has driven so far this season based on their success relative to their car's performance. In other words, the number of points a driver has (though taken into account) will not fully dictate where they are ranked in this list. There are numerous aspects of a season that can dictate a driver's success; it is all just relative to the expectation coming into the season.
With that said, let's get straight to it!
21.Jack Doohan
Jack Doohan. C/O to nine.com.au
Not really much to say in terms of Jack Doohan. Though he was a rookie with relatively low expectations, he just did not do enough to keep his seat this year. He qualified well below his teammate Pierre Gasly on average and never came close to scoring points. This is an easy last on my list.
20.Franco Colapinto
Franco Colapinto. C/O to gpfans.com
Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe Franco Colapinto is being put in an impossible position; however, it does not change his results so far this season. He has crashed far too many times, not only in sessions that count but in sessions that don't. He also has not gotten the most out of the car.
Anytime he qualifies higher than expected, he plummets, which is why I cannot rank him higher than this on my list. There is still room for growth for Franco, though; the potential is there, but it has not been showcased so far in 2025.
19.Lance Stroll
Lance Stroll. C/O to thesportsrush.com
Though Lance Stroll has had his moments (P6 in Australia and P7 in Great Britain and Hungary), it has been a tale as old as time for the Aston Martin driver.
Stroll has finished in the bottom five in seven of the thirteen races this season, which is not surprising for him, but brutal nonetheless. His car has been inconsistent this year, but that has not stopped Stroll from underperforming in it.
18.Yuki Tsunoda
Yes, Red Bull’s car has been on a steady decline since the start of the season, but Tsunoda has not helped himself. He has had plenty of time to get accustomed to the car, yet still has not come close to competing among the point-scoring finishers.
We all know Yuki has the talent, and maybe next year we will see him back to his normal self. However, based on his lackluster performance and zero-point finishes since moving to Red Bull, this year may be a wash for Tsunoda.
17.Gabriel Bortoleto
Recency bias would reason for a higher ranking for Gabriel Bortoleto, but I have to look at the big picture. Over the course of the year thus far, Bortoleto took a long time before he started to put things together. With three total DNFs and five bottom-five finishes already, it has been an up-and-down season, to say the least.
With the trajectory he is on, I do not expect Gabby to be this low by the end of the season, but for now, based on his poor start to the year, he comes in at seventeen on my list.
16.Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz has been disappointing so far this season. As a driver who was regarded as a solid top-ten driver in the sport, it has taken Sainz far too long to get accustomed to the Williams car. Not only that, but his teammate, who has scored 38 more points, is outperforming him basically every weekend.
With that said, it has not all been bad for Sainz. He had a good string of races from the end of April into May with four straight points finishes, but other than that, not much to write home about for Carlos.
15.Liam Lawson
After just about the worst start to a season a driver in F1 could have, Lawson has rebounded nicely at VCARB. Once he got used to the VCARB car, he seems to be back to performing as expected (points in three of the last four races, including a 6th place finish in Austria). With that said, the beginning of the year still matters, which is why he is ranked in the bottom five compared to his peers on my list.
14.Oliver Bearman
Oliver Bearman has had perhaps the biggest roller coaster season thus far in 2025. With the car's performance all over the place, the Haas rookie has had to adapt on multiple occasions.
But what sets him apart from the drivers behind him is his ability to hang around the points and his ability to stay on track. Both of Ollie's DNFs were due to issues with the car rather than a mistake on Bearman's part. He also has found consistency as of late, putting together four straight P11 finishes before retiring in Hungary. Overall, a solid season thus far for Bearman.
13.Fernando Alonso
After a rough start to the year (three DNFs and zero points through the first eight races), Alonso has managed to put together a solid season in a lackluster car. It is clear Aston Martin's performance has dropped with the team focusing on the 2026 car, but that has not stopped Fernando from optimizing the car when it is possible. Missing the points in only one of the last six races also helps him come in at the 13th spot on my list.
12.Kimi Antonelli
Kimi Antonelli was a tough driver to rank. Kimi started the season off so well with points in five of the first six races. However, aside from his podium finish in Canada, he has been in a major slump in terms of performance.
So, you may be wondering why I have him ranked so high. Granted, Belgium was abysmal, but it's because of what he has shown when the car or strategy does not fail him. Sure, his three DNFs and seven non-points finishes do not look good on paper, but most of those results were not his fault. Monaco (bad strategy), Great Britain (bad strategy), Imola (car failure), and Spain (car failure) were all bad results with the team or the car at fault.
If you take that into account, plus the results which were in Antonelli's control, it is not nearly as bad a season as it may seem.
11.Lewis Hamilton
It has not been the season Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton fans were hoping for so far. Lewis has not only struggled with the car but also with simple communication. He cannot get on the same page with his race engineer, and it is costing him dearly in the standings.
Hamilton has had some positive results this year, though, with a sprint win in China highlighting his season along with points finishes in every race except Hungary. It will likely be more of the same for Lewis to end the year, but at the summer break, Hamilton has been average at best relative to expectations.
10.Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon has sneakily had one of the better seasons thus far in 2025. Being 10th in the Drivers' Standings with 27 points in a car that has been extremely inconsistent is no small feat. He has been poor in qualifying so far, but has been able to bounce back from those performances, finishing in places such as P5 in China and P7 in Monaco.
Even with his qualifying being subpar, he is still out-qualifying his teammate Ollie Bearman. All in all, Ocon has put together a great season and exceeded expectations thus far in 2025.
9.Pierre Gasly
If you consider the trajectory of a car he has been driving all year, Pierre Gasly has been great so far. Alpine has no business sniffing points this season, yet Gasly has managed to score twenty, including a P6 in Great Britain and P7 in Bahrain. His qualifying has also been solid, making Q3 on seven separate occasions. That, on top of being 14th in the Drivers' Standings and outperforming his teammates by a significant margin, in the worst car, is why he is being ranked so high on my list.
8.Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg has been fantastic this season when it counts. The fact that Nico has made Q3 a total of zero times, yet still has scored 37 points, is unbelievable, to say the least. Yes, his qualifying has been bad, and worse than his teammate Gabriel Bortoleto, but he has, time and time again, showcased his elite race pace. Add that to a podium finish in Great Britain (after qualifying 19th), and it makes him an easy ranking in the top eight. Nico is legit, and it is time we give him the respect he deserves.
7.Isack Hadjar
Isack Hadjar has been the biggest surprise of the season, and it is not even close. Coming into F1 as a shock signing with no real expectations, Hadjar has put together one of the better seasons so far this year. With eight Q3 appearances and six point-scoring finishes (including a P6 in Monaco and P7 in Spain), Hadjar has exceeded all expectations, becoming a legitimate driver in the sport.
Not only that, but he has looked better than every other rookie in my opinion, even with a car that has been up and down. VCARB was looking to compete in the midfield this season, and because of Hadjar, they have absolutely done that. Amazing season thus far for Isack.
6.Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc may not have exceeded expectations this year, but he has exceeded the performance of the car tenfold so far. With five top-three finishes in qualifying (including a pole in Hungary) in a car that has not been great this season, it is very impressive. Leclerc has also capitalized on his qualifying results with five podium finishes and nine top-five finishes. If Ferrari were not failing on all cylinders, which seems to be a trend every year, Leclerc would be in a much different position.
5.Alex Albon
Alex Albon has been nothing short of spectacular. Alex wasted no time this season, scoring points in seven of the first eight races (including a P5 finish in Australia, Miami, and Imola). Williams have been good this season, but Albon has carried this team to a position they would not be in otherwise. He has outperformed his teammate Carlos Sainz significantly, while also keeping things clean on track (zero DNFs due to crashes). Overall, Albon has shown elite pace in both qualifying and the race, while executing on most opportunities he has given himself this season. Easy top-5 driver thus far in 2025.
4.Lando Norris
He may be 2nd in the Drivers' Standings, but I can't help but feel Lando Norris has left too much on the table so far. Granted, his five race wins and four pole positions have been great, but mistakes have plagued Norris' season, which is why he is behind his teammate in the Drivers' Standings. What almost makes things worse is that Lando is only nine points behind Piastri, which makes you wonder what things would look like had Norris not made as many mistakes. It can also be argued that his car has helped cover for his mistakes. With McLaren as far ahead as they are in terms of pace, Norris has been able to make mistakes without any severe consequences.
With that said, Lando has still been great this season. When he is locked in mentally, Norris' pace may be the fastest on the grid.
3.George Russell
George Russell has perhaps exceeded every expectation put upon him this season. Though he may not have the best car week in and week out, he consistently finishes high (six podiums and 11 top-5 finishes) and challenges the McLaren drivers. His win in Canada was spectacular, and his qualifying pace has been among the best in the sport. Russell is clearly a top-three driver so far and could even make a case for a better ranking come season's end.
2.Max Verstappen
When you think of the drivers so far this season, no one has optimized their car like Max Verstappen. Red Bull's car is in absolute shambles this season, yet Max has carried it to places it should not be whatsoever. His two race wins are two more than Red Bull should have, but that is a product of Verstappen's ability to drive anything you give him at an elite level. He has only finished outside the top five four times, while also securing five podiums before the summer break. Max remains the best driver on the grid in totality, but there has been one driver that has been better thus far this season.
1.Oscar Piastri
Oscar Piastri comes in as the best driver so far in 2025, and to me, it was not a hard decision. With no one really taking Piastri as a threat to win the Drivers' Championship, he has silenced all doubters in a huge way. I mean his six wins, four pole positions, and 12 podiums speak for themselves.
Oscar has improved dramatically in such a short time, with his most crucial racing quality being his mental toughness. Outside one in Australia (spin out) and one in Great Britain (penalty due to safety car late braking), Oscar simply has not made mistakes, which has put him over his teammate all season long. Considering how quick and consistent Piastri has looked this season, he should be the favorite to win it all coming out of the summer break.
Stay tuned for more F1 content, as I will be ranking every TEAM at the summer break, and check out fansonlysportz.com for more sports media content posted daily.
Also, be sure to check out and follow my socials @matthylen_, where I post all my articles!
Until next time!
-Matt Hylen
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