Three Grand Prix’s have passed in the 2025 season with McLaren standing on top with Zac Brown’s team looking like they are the ones to beat as of now.
After winning the last Constructors’ Championship in style, Lando Norris and his teammate are aiming to lead the pack once again.
So far we have seen the 20 drivers across three tracks – Australia, China and Japan – with some performing well and others not so well. Here are my ratings of each team after the fantastic start to the season.
1st – McLaren – 111pts – 10/10
An almost perfect start for McLaren has allowed them to take charge after the first three outings.
It wasn’t the best of starts in the Down Under as a mistake on Turn 12 saw Oscar Piastri drop to ninth place after being behind his teammate for majority of the race. The McLaren duo dominated before a heavy rain shower on Lap 44 of 57 which caused the error.
Although it wasn’t all bad as Lando Norris did secure the victory and put himself on top of the pack after the chequered flag.
More glory came for Zac Brown’s team in China as it brought a P1 and P2 finish.
Bouncing back from the disappointment in Australia, Piastri converted a pole position to a Grand Prix win. Norris stayed within three seconds of the race winner but a brake problem in the dying stages led them to take no risks and make it a one-two.
This weekend pushed them even further in front as the two McLaren’s stood on the podium just short of reigning champion Max Verstappen.
It did come to the attention of the team as the finish line grew closer than Piastri was moving at a pace to overtake his teammate in P2, but no orders were given to let Oscar pass.
A 10/10 rating is only right due to their dominance in the Constructors’ Standings so far, however, as it did last season, the sheer competitive nature of both drivers in the McLaren could cause the team problems they will not need in order to keep theirselves ahead.
2nd – Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS – 75pts – 9/10
It has been a very comfortable start for Toto Wolff and the Mercedes Formula 1 team as they have surprisingly put themselves up at the top.
With the huge decision to select rookie Kimi Antonelli to take the vacant seat of seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, it was expected it may take the team a little while to get themselves in the running – this seems to not be the case.
George Russell, now taking a leadership role within the team, has kept the results consistent with one podium finish in the opener in P3, and the following two races in P5.
Australia was an eventful one for the 18-year old rookie as he was penalised for an unsafe release from the pits, but this was re-instated and saw him take fourth following the race.
Antonelli has locked in two P6 finishes in Asia since – a really strong way to start his career at the elite level.
A 9/10 rating comes as Mercedes seem to have done a good job so far with the construction of the car giving the drivers the pace they need. Room for improvement is clear for the Silver Arrows, as they will be demanding more speed and higher finishes to close the gap at the top, but it certainly looks promising for Merc fans.
3rd – Oracle Red Bull Racing – 61pts – 5/10
Disappointment comes for Red Bull fans as they have not kicked things off the way they would’ve wanted.
Although sat in third, with a large gap in points below them, struggle has come from the number two seat with the replacement of Sergio Perez.
Christian Horner and his team decided to give rookie Liam Lawson the shot to be in with super Max, but it wasn’t meant to be as he was swiftly removed of the chance after the Chinese Grand Prix. Lawson failed to finish in the opener, and a P12 in the second race meant it was time to go.
It is clear to see Red Bull held onto Perez for too long, so they were not going to make the mistake this time round.
Dropping the rookie to their sister team Racing Bulls, they chose to promote Yuki Tsunoda, who went on to disappoint in his home country failing to score points. He did collect the driver of the day award on the contrary.
However, it isn’t all doom and gloom for the team as World Champion Max Verstappen continues to excel and keep them in it.
Max stands second to Norris in the Drivers’ Standings, after a P2 in Australia, P4 in China and a race win in Japan. An exceptional, record-breaking quali session put the Dutchman on pole, who kept the McLaren’s at bay throughout and secured the number one spot.
It comes with regret to mark such a prestigious team with a 5/10 score, but not enough threat has come from their second drivers yet, and they also look to have the fourth fastest car on the grid now, which is very problematic in their goals to achieve dominance again. Max has expressed his distress with having a much slower car than the McLaren right now.
Yuki, however, does look promising and hopeful to be the right man for the job.
4th – Scuderia Ferrari HP – 35pts – 5/10
It has been an eventful opening three races for the Scuderia in a season which they are looking to be crowned champions in December.
With the excitement of Lewis Hamilton putting on the red, it hasn’t been what Fred Vasseur would’ve wanted.
The Australian GP wasn’t the best as they only collected five points, Lewis in the final points-paying position and Charles Leclerc in P8.
China started off in dreamland for Ferrari as their new man was victorious in the sprint race and felt the emotions of winning in red.
However, the race wasn’t so joyous as both drivers were disqualified from the Grand Prix.
Leclerc’s car was found to be below the minimum weight, whilst Hamilton’s vehicle breached technical regulations relating to a skid on the track.
Japan was a better outing as both drivers finished higher than they have before, with their Monegasque in P4 and Hamilton in seventh place.
A 5/10 score feels justified for Ferrari as they have not started pushing competitively at the top like they ended the 2024 season.
Hamilton is expected to make improvements, but with a sprint race under his belt and better performances in a new car, the team can look to progress.
5th – Atlassian Williams Racing – 19pts – 8/10
With Ferrari’s former man Carlos Sainz making the new driver lineup, Williams have been a team to look out on for the year ahead.
Williams have shown determination with their new signing to take the team back to the top performing levels.
Australia has been their highest scoring weekend so far, in a race jam-packed full of early driver depatures, Alex Albon finished in P5. Unfortunately for the new man, he didn’t make it to the chequered flag.
China was better for the Spaniard as he collected his first points of the season from P10, with Albon scoring again from seventh.
It wasn’t as good in Suzuka as Sainz failed to score – the only two being collected from Driver 23 in ninth place.
This has been a fantastic start for James Vowles’ team hence the 8/10 score. The opening three races have already seen them gather more points than they did in the whole of the 2024 season.
The car looks promising with a pace they failed to have last year, and although it hasn’t been the best of starts from Sainz’s end, the team are backing the 30-year old all the way and Albon is certainly doing his bit in the other seat.
6th – MoneyGram Haas – 15pts – 6/10
A fairly good start has put Haas in a good position after the first three rounds with one of the five new rookies being in the colours and performing well.
Ollie Bearman has taken the Haas seat in his stride scoring points in two Grand Prix’s so far. This being in the latter of the three with a P8 and P10 finish.
Esteban Ocon has also had a comfortable start with a P5 finish in Japan which proved him well. However, the opener and last race in Japan were not so good with some non-scoring races.
A 6/10 score for Haas Racing has come as this is a promising few races for them which will give them hope for the upcoming outings. It is clear they have two drivers who can compete within the midfield and have the ability to score points, so they need to produce a car which can do the same and strategically perform to utilise their talent.
7th – Aston Martin Armaco – 10pts – 4/10
So far, it is quite clear that Aston Martin have not been performing to the levels the team can reach and have reached last season with the same pair.
Experienced driver Fernando Alonso has had a really poor start to the year with two DNF’s and a P11 finish in Japan. He span the car into the wall in the wet conditions of Australia which triggered a safety car and a brake failure in China meant he was the only driver to not see the end. He has also touched on a neck injury incurred recently which will be limiting his drives.
A strong start came for the team’s wet weather specialist Lance Stroll as he claimed P6 in Australia. He also scored with a P9 in China, but came dead last in the most recent round.
Therefore, a 4/10 rating for their season so far feels justified due to a range of issues from lacklustre driving to mechanical issues which have saw them drop back early doors. The inclusion of Adrian Newey in the paddock has yet to make a difference too.
8th – Visa Cash App Racing Bulls – 7pts – 4/10
With a rookie at the wheel and changes in the other seat, Racing Bulls have had a strange start to the season.
It was heartbreak for the young Isack Hadjar in Australia as he crashed during the formation lap putting the Frenchman in floods of tears – behaviour advisor Helmut Marko was unimpressed by.
However, he has shown potential in the following races, just shy of the points in China with a P11 finish, and collecting his first lot in Japan with a P8.
Tsunoda started in the RB car failing to get anything from the first two GP’s, with Lawson taking to the wheel in Japan who couldn’t do much either.
The 4/10 score is in place as they have failed to start the season strongly. With a great talent in Hadjar who looks to have some good pace which we have seen in qualifying, and now Lawson who we know definitely has a fire within him, this time will be looking to up it a notch.
9th – Stake KICK Sauber – 6pts – 3/10
As we approach 2026 which will see Sauber switch to the brand new Audi, it seems clear they may be more focused on next year with the new regulations.
The only round they have scored in has come from Nico Hulkenberg’s excellent display in Australia taking P7. But both drivers, including rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, have failed to make any more of a difference in the last two.
This reasons a 3/10 score for Kick Sauber as they look to be no threat on the grid and clearly need to improve to compete for points which they should be aiming for.
10th – BWT Alpine – 0pts – 1/10
It has been a horrible start for Alpine as they are the only team to not put a point on the board.
Rookie Jack Doohan spun into the barriers in his home race failing to finish, and has only finished as high as P13 so far. Question marks over his seat are already in place it appears.
Pierre Gasly has also failed to make a difference in the Alpine as he has had three non-scoring races, one of them being DQ’d for a car weight breach.
For these reasons, a 1/10 score for a team which have won a race and competed within the midfield last year feels justified after a disappointing start.
