Overview
- Lando Norris clinched the drivers’ championship by two points over Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi, as McLaren capped a dominant season by sealing the constructors’ crown with six races to spare and finishing 364 points clear of Mercedes.
- Max Verstappen won the most grands prix in 2025 with eight and recovered from a 104-point deficit to finish runner-up, was voted RaceFans’ Driver of the Year by readers, and topped the sprint-only ‘imaginary’ title tallies reported by RacingNews365.
- A string of high‑impact accidents kept safety under scrutiny, including Gabriel Bortoleto’s 57G São Paulo sprint crash and Yuki Tsunoda’s barrel‑rolling Imola qualifying shunt, with drivers walking away as modern protections were tested.
- Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari season was widely labeled a failure as he recorded no grand prix podiums for the first time in his career, a stretch he called a “nightmare,” even as teammate Charles Leclerc managed seven podium finishes.
- Red Bull dismissed Christian Horner during 2025 in what outlets described as a seismic reset; with Laurent Mekies now leading a broader leadership overhaul, standout rookie Isack Hadjar earned a promotion to the senior team for 2026.