5 F1 drivers who surprised everyone in 2025

At the start of every Formula One season, one thing that stands out more often than not is the level of expectation attached to every driver — be it someone experienced like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, or a rookie like Kimi Antonelli and Gabriel Bortoleto. 

This season, there have been quite a few drivers who have exceeded expectations. Here, we present our pick of five drivers who surprised everyone with their performances in the 2025 F1 season. 

5. Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes

Half a dozen races into Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s F1 career, Mercedes’ decision to hasten his arrival to the top-most motorsports division appeared to be vindicated.

However, after the Imola race, where Antonelli admitted to over-committing off the track, things began to go awry. In a run of seven Grands Prix from Imola to Spa, the Italian rookie only secured one points finish, which was a superb podium in Montreal. 

Since then, though, there have been four points finishes in the last six Grands Prix, including a P4 in Baku and a P5 in Singapore. For someone with as little experience at the top end as him, the 19-year-old has already done enough to prove he belongs at this level.

4. Oliver Bearman | Haas

Oliver Bearman made a name for himself last year as the grid’s super-sub with a trio of impressive one-off performances for Ferrari and Haas. However, his start to life as a full-time F1 driver has been patchy. 

After a difficult start in Melbourne, the Brit secured three points finishes on the bounce in China, Japan, and Bahrain. But as Haas found themselves increasingly under pressure in midfield, Bearman endured a long run without points. 

However, the 20-year-old only has himself to blame for the number of penalty points he has racked up already (10) with some of his costly red-flag incidents. Passing a rival under red flags in Monaco was bad enough, but his crash under the same conditions in Silverstone was quite a serious error, one that made him the first F1 driver ever to collect four penalty points for one incident.

That said, Bearman has shown the potential to rival his more experienced teammate, Esteban Ocon, having pulled off some particularly impressive qualifying performances. He still looks a bit rough around the edges, though, and will have to tread carefully in order to avoid triggering a race ban after accumulating ten penalty points much too quickly.

3. Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber

After two commendable years with Haas, there was a lot of trepidation regarding Sauber being the right fit for Nico Hülkenberg or just a retirement team. However, at nearly 40, the German racer has rolled back the years with some quality performances this season for the team in green-and-black. 

After what was virtually an anonymous 2024 season for Sauber, where their car was right at the back of the grid, and with Audi moving in next year, not many expected Hülkenberg to have his career-best race this season. Yet, he seems to have found a new lease of life with the Swiss side.

Despite the limited capabilities of the C45, the veteran German has maximised his performances in most cases, be it the race in Australia (where he overtook Lewis Hamilton for points) or his podium in Silverstone. This season has delivered far more than what Hülkenberg — or anyone else, for that matter — would have expected.

2. Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls

Out of all the rookies, few would have expected Isack Hadjar to emerge as the most promising youngster with just five Grands Prix to go. 

The Frenchman is a dynamic racer, and with his adaptability and error-free approach he has quickly made a mark both within his team and in the sport. The 21-year-old has slowly established himself as the lead driver at Racing Bulls, thanks in no small part to a memorable podium in Zandvoort. 

It won’t be far-fetched to say that Hadjar is one of the best rookies on the grid right now. And, in terms of expectations, he has exceeded almost all of them. 

1. Oscar Piastri | McLaren

The top spot belongs to only one person: Oscar Piastri. There’s no way one can deny how big a surprise it has been to see the young Australian transform himself over the 2024 post-season winter break.

After Max Verstappen wrapped up his fourth Drivers’ title and Lando Norris finished a distant second, the feeling around the paddock was that the Brit from McLaren had his young teammate under his thumb. Piastri was quick and promising, and could do really well on his day, but Norris was deemed to have more experience and pace.

However, since the start of the 2025 season, Piastri has been relentless and the McLaren driver to beat. He already has seven wins this season — more than any other on the grid — and is currently leading the Drivers’ Championship battle with 14 points over his teammate and 40 points ahead of Verstappen in third, with just five more races to go.