F1 2025: Which drivers impressed the most?
The 2025 Formula 1 season has been a cinematic masterpiece, featuring shifting power dynamics, dramatic upsets, and the relentless exuberance and grit of youth.
With the grid stabilised and the current generation of cars reaching their peak, a handful of drivers have delivered performances this year that transcended the machinery beneath them, redefining expectations for their teams and their careers.
From seasoned veterans seizing opportunities to rookies making an undeniable splash, here we discuss the five drivers who impressed the most during the 2025 F1 season.
#5 Nico Hülkenberg | The fairytale podium
It’s a story motorsport fans waited over a decade for. Nico Hülkenberg, the veteran of over 240 Grands Prix, finally claimed his elusive podium.
The Hulk’s move to Sauber was framed as a stop-gap, a steady hand to guide the team towards the Audi takeover. Instead, he transformed into a one-lap specialist and a tactical opportunist, extracting maximum performance from a car often mired in the midfield.
Hülkenberg’s season highlight, and arguably one of the sporting moments of the year, was his stunning third-place finish at the British Grand Prix. Starting P19 in mixed, chaotic conditions, the veteran navigated the wet-to-dry transition with poise, holding off a charging Lewis Hamilton in the final laps to secure his maiden podium finish after 239 starts.
His consistent ability to qualify near the top ten, even when the Sauber machinery has suggested otherwise, underscores his enduring talent. Hülkenberg’s season is proof that experience, combined with an unflappable racecraft, can still rewrite the narrative in F1.
#4 Oliver Bearman | Haas’ points machine
Stepping into a full-time seat at Haas, the expectations on newbie Oliver Bearman were high, but his performances have been nothing short of exceptional. Bearman didn’t just exhibit consistency; he has established himself as a reliable points scorer, a rare feat for a debutant in a midfield team.
This year, the 20-year-old Brit has demonstrated a spectacular growth curve, quickly overcoming the occasional rookie errors seen early in the season. Besides, his racecraft has improved quite a lot, particularly in the latter half of the year, culminating in a string of impressive results, including a sensational P4 finish at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Bearman has repeatedly extracted pace wherever his teammate has struggled, while also showcasing aggressive yet clean overtaking skills and a calm demeanour under pressure. His performances have been the catalyst for a strong Constructors’ position for Haas, proving that his earlier performances were no fluke. Not just a quick driver, he is a future team leader who has made the most of every opportunity his Ferrari-powered Haas package has offered him this year.
#3 George Russell | Mercedes’ lone flagship
In a season where Mercedes have struggled to recapture their glory year, while they continue to battle with Red Bull and Ferrari to be crowned the best of the rest, their de facto leader, George Russell, has delivered a campaign of immense personal fortitude and excellence.
Stepping up to lead the team following Lewis Hamilton’s departure, the 27-year-old bore the full weight of expectation and structural challenges at the start of the year. And the season he has had can simply be defined by his ability to extract peak performance from a sensitive, often unpredictable W16. Russell’s two Grand Prix victories (Canada and Singapore) and eight total podiums are a testament to his talent and potential, especially given his car’s competitiveness relative to the McLaren and Red Bull machinery.
More telling than the wins, however, is Russell’s remarkable consistency. He has completed every single race so far this season, rarely putting a foot wrong, and continually maximising points in races where his car has been, at best, only third- or fourth-fastest. He has maintained a strong intra-team advantage, proving his championship-calibre mentality and establishing himself as the definitive leader in the Silver Arrows’ garage for the coming years.
#2 Oscar Piastri | McLaren’s title challenger
If 2024 was Oscar Piastri’s breakout year, this year has seen him transform into a bona fide championship contender. While the title fight is going down to the wire, Piastri’s overall dominant performances, particularly in the first half of the season, have cemented his position as one of the most impressive drivers this season.
The young Australian started the season in sensational form, stringing together a sequence of dominating, error-free races, with his seven Grand Prix wins and 14 podiums showcasing his newfound levels of consistency and aggression. That fact that Piastri has mastered the evolving McLaren package, all the while demonstrating exceptional tyre management and one-lap qualifying pace, highlights his strong adaptability and composure.
Although his form has dipped slightly towards the latter stages of the season, Piastri’s initial run of dominance, highlighted by decisive victories and a cool head during high-stakes moments, has shown both the true speed and mental steel required of a world champion. Not only did the 24-year-old match his highly rated teammate, he was the benchmark for much of the year.
#1 Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls’ rookie revelation
While Oliver Bearman has undeniably been impressive, the true standout rookie of the year has been Isack Hadjar, who had an immediate impact at the rebranded Racing Bulls setup.
Hadjar’s journey to F1 was turbulent, but his debut season proved that his mental resilience and raw speed are up to the highest level.
The 21-year-old quickly settled in at VCARB, often outperforming his more experienced teammates and establishing a reputation for fearless qualifying laps. His season was punctuated by several eye-catching drives, none more so than his maiden podium finish — a P3 at the Dutch Grand Prix. On a weekend of mixed fortunes for the top teams, Hadjar kept his nose clean, managed his tyres brilliantly, and drove a mature race well beyond his years to seize an unlikely spot.
Having registered 43 points and multiple top-ten finishes, Hadjar’s debut campaign can simply be summed up by his aggressive racing and rapid adaptation, marking him as the brightest prospect from the junior Red Bull team in years.
