The dust has finally settled on what can only be described as one of the most unpredictable, chaotic, and downright thrilling seasons in Formula 1 history. As we look back at the 2025 campaign, the headlines are dominated by Lando Norris, the man who finally etched his name into the history books as the World Champion. Yet, beneath the champagne spray and the papaya-colored confetti, a fiercer debate is raging. In a season defined by fine margins, who really was the best driver? And more controversially, who let their team down the most?

The RacingNews365 team sat down to dissect a year that saw nine different drivers stand on the podium, a statistic that speaks volumes about the competitiveness of this new era. But while the record books will forever show Norris as the victor by a razor-thin two-point margin, the verdict from the paddock suggests the moral victory belongs elsewhere.

The Champion vs. The Best: A Paddock Divided

“The points don’t lie,” is the old adage, and Lando Norris undoubtedly earned his title. To finish 24 grueling Grands Prix at the top of the pile is a testament to consistency and nerve. However, when stripping away the machinery and looking purely at driver performance, the consensus shifts dramatically toward the man he dethroned: Max Verstappen.

Despite losing his crown, Verstappen’s 2025 campaign is being hailed as a masterclass in damage limitation. For the first half of the season, the Dutchman wrestled with an RB21 that was, at times, visibly inferior to the surging McLarens and Ferraris. Yet, he dragged that car into contention week after week.

“Max was faultless,” argues Lead Editor Ian Park. “Other than that one incident with George Russell in Barcelona, he didn’t put a wheel out of place.” It is a sentiment that resonates. While Norris had the machinery to win comfortably, Verstappen had to get his elbows out. He had to overdrive, improvise, and execute perfect weekends just to keep Red Bull in the hunt. The narrative is clear: Norris won the championship, but Verstappen won the argument.

Interestingly, a counter-narrative emerged for the “Best of the Rest.” George Russell’s stellar year at Mercedes—stepping up as the undisputed team leader and handling the intense speculation over his future with grace—earned him high praise. Russell’s ability to block out the noise and deliver consistent results, even as the team flirted with the idea of signing Verstappen, showcased a mental fortitude that rivals the very best.

The Hamilton Horror Show: A Legend in Decline?

If Verstappen was the hero in defeat, Lewis Hamilton has unfortunately been cast as the villain of his own story. The move to Ferrari was meant to be the fairytale swan song, the rekindling of a fire that would lead to that elusive eighth title. Instead, 2025 will go down as arguably the bleakest chapter in his illustrious career.

The stats are damning. Hamilton finished the season with a string of Q1 eliminations that left fans and pundits stunned. For a driver synonymous with one-lap pace, to be knocked out in the first qualifying session three times in a row at the business end of the season is inexplicable.

“Biggest disappointment? It’s Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton. Simple,” says journalist Sam Cooper. The partnership that promised so much delivered so little. Ferrari finished a staggering 435 points adrift of McLaren, a gap that highlights a catastrophic failure in development and execution. For Hamilton, the dream of fighting at the front turned into a nightmare of midfield scraps and unexplainable lack of pace. With the regulations shifting again in 2026, the pressure on the Scuderia is now suffocating. If they cannot deliver a competitive car next year, we may well be witnessing the final, fading laps of a legend.

The Rookie Who Defied the Odds

In stark contrast to the gloom at Maranello, the story of the year’s best rookie is one of redemption. Isack Hadjar’s Formula 1 debut in Australia was, quite literally, a car crash. Spinning out on the formation lap is the kind of humiliation that ends careers before they begin. It was the “lowest possible way” to start, a moment of pure devastation.

But what followed was remarkable. Instead of crumbling, Hadjar used that rock bottom as a foundation. Liberated by the fact that it couldn’t get any worse, he drove with a freedom and aggression that caught everyone off guard. His maiden podium at the chaotic Dutch Grand Prix was a highlight, but it was his consistent Q3 appearances and raw speed that convinced Red Bull to promote him alongside Verstappen for 2026.

Hadjar’s journey from the laughing stock of Melbourne to a Red Bull seat is a testament to mental resilience. He turned a nightmare start into a dream promotion, proving that in F1, you are only as good as your last race, not your first mistake.

The Williams Miracle and the Vegas Scandal

Elsewhere on the grid, the “Most Improved” accolade belongs undeniably to Williams. Under the stewardship of James Vowles, the team has transformed from backmarkers clinging to the sport by their fingertips into a genuine midfield powerhouse. Finishing 5th in the Constructors’ Championship with 137 points—up from a meager 17 the year prior—is a staggering achievement. Carlos Sainz, leading this charge with two podiums, revitalized his own career, outshining Hamilton in superior machinery and proving his worth as a top-tier driver.

However, the season wasn’t without its dark arts. The Las Vegas Grand Prix provided the year’s most explosive off-track drama with the double disqualification of the McLarens. The paddock rumors, the “ripple effect” of the news breaking late at night, and the subsequent point swings added a layer of intrigue that kept fans hooked until the final lap in Abu Dhabi. It was a stark reminder that in F1, the technical delegates are just as powerful as the drivers.

A Season for the Ages

2025 was a year where the script was flipped. We saw a Williams on the podium, a Hamilton in Q1, and a rookie crash on a formation lap only to earn a top-tier promotion. We saw a title fight that went down to the wire and a champion who, perhaps, still has to prove he is the undisputed king of the grid.

As we look toward 2026 and the new regulations, the questions are endless. Can Hadjar handle the pressure of being Verstappen’s teammate? Can Ferrari salvage their reputation? And will Lando Norris be able to defend his crown against a Max Verstappen who is undoubtedly hungry for revenge? One thing is certain: if 2026 is half as good as 2025, we are in for a treat.