Formula 1, the season that refuses to slow down

Art by Sara Polster

Throughout the history of Formula 1 (F1), there have always been periods where certain driver/team pairings completely dominate the track; Micheal Schumacher’s seven World Drivers Championships with Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton with his long stretch of Mercedes victories and most recently, Max Verstappen’s reign of dominance with Redbull.

The rules set by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the governing body of motorsport, oversee technical and financial restrictions that each team must follow. These rules create an environment for large wealth disparities between teams, making it inevitable that one car will always end up on top. The more money a team has, the more they can invest in better technology and constant adjustments over the course of the year, which gives them an advantage over the financially challenged teams. 

Even though the sport is prone to single team superiority, the races themselves can still end up highly entertaining and the 2025 season is a perfect example of this. When the season began, it was already clear that McLaren had built the fastest car. The Australian Grand Prix (GP) weekend was the perfect showcase for the insanely quick pace the vehicle was producing, with the McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri qualifying in first and second position respectively. Despite this clear advantage, the race was thrilling; the fact that it was a wet race, meaning it was raining for a duration of the laps, added an obstacle that put all the drivers on an even playing field. This factor led to several “did not finishes” (DNFs), and even caused Piastri to spin off the track on lap 44 of 57, losing second position and therefore forfeiting the potential win. A race that started out predictable turned into a shocking turn of events and set the tone for the rest of the racing calendar. 

This season also marks the first time in three years that there has been a real battle for the championship. Though it doesn’t top the iconic Verstappen versus Hamilton duel of 2021– where the two drivers entered the last race of the season with equal points, leading the finale to be a suspenseful tie-breaker– the competition between the McLaren drivers is adding intrigue to the sport. Each race is a chance to see what play McLaren will make in order to keep their driver relationships cordial and not display favoritism. In an article by NewsWeek, McLaren’s team principle, Andrea Stella, shares his thoughts on this predicament. 

“What's important is that the championship runs within the principles and the racing values that we have at McLaren and that we have created together with our drivers,” Stella said. 

Despite their desire for equality between their drivers, the strategies they pull off – like forcing their drivers to swap positions after a botched pit-stop during the Italian GP– fuels fan discourse surrounding driver favoritism and provide an overall more engaging viewer experience. Archie Windsor (’26) shared his opinion on McLaren's recent dominance. 

“I actually think it's fun now, because when it was Redbull it was really just Max Verstappen [winning] and his teammates weren't pushing him,” Windsor said. “But now that it's McLaren and both drivers are pretty solid, I think it's more fun.”

The extreme proximity of the cars this year, with their lap times only being separated by thousandths of a second, is another exciting factor to come out of this season. The closeness of these cars permits more midfield battles. Backmarker teams are able to make their way up into the top ten and overtake cars that would have been seconds ahead of them in previous years. 

The introduction of new restrictions, such as limiting the use of the drag reduction system, have only tightened the playing field. Midfield battles, mixed with unforeseeable crashes and vehicle failures, have even provided the option for some non-frontrunner drivers to work their way onto the podium. For example, Kick Sauber’s driver, Nico Hulkenberg, settled into third place at the British GP. This made it the first time he stood on the podium after a record-holding streak of 239 GP starts without scoring in the top three. Windsor weighs in on the impact of this podium. 

“I think just surprises like [Hulkenburg’s podium], that aren't the norm, are always fun,” Windsor said. “It’s not just Leclerc or Verstappen or Norris or whoever is usually at it.”

Additionally, rookie driver Isack Hadjar became the fifth youngest podium scorer in F1 history at the Dutch GP, where he claimed third position.

With the new team– Cadillac– and new regulations like lighter cars and movable front and rear wings being implemented next year, the 2025 season marks the end of an era. The ruling changes set to be enforced from 2026 onwards are permitting more agile and aerodynamic cars– which will allow for more constant, closer racing. 

As the racing calendar nears its end with only six GP weekends remaining, fans are eager to see what is left in store.