Ranking 2025 F1 driver line-ups: Worst to best

2025 F1 The season has brought a wave of new talent, with five rookies making their debut: Isack Hadjar, Jack Doohan, Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Meanwhile, Liam Lawson enters his first full season after a series of midseason stints with RB. While McLaren and Aston Martin remain unchanged, the rest of the grid has undergone a significant transformation.

Here’s our ranking of the 2025 F1 team’s driver pairings, from weakest to strongest.

10) Racing bulls

The strength of the 2025 F1 grid is highlighted by the fact that the Racing Bulls are ranked as the weakest driver pairing. Yuki Tsunoda has been retained after being passed over for a promotion to Red Bull.

While Tsunoda has made significant progress since his error-plagued rookie season in 2021, it is difficult to place Racing Bulls higher given the caliber of drivers leading other midfield teams. Tsunoda’s teammate is Isack Hadjar, who becomes Formula 2 runner-up in 2024.

9) alpine

Alpine’s lineup has taken a clear step back with Esteban OconThe game His replacement, Jack Doohan, will leave his position as reserve driver and simulator in 2024.

Doohan’s ability is already in doubt due to persistent rumors linking Alpine to Franco Colapinto. On the other side of the garage, Pierre Gasly continues to have a solid performance.

Gasly shone in the second half of 2024, playing a key role in Alpine’s sixth-place finish in the constructors’ championship.

8) Sauber

It is a completely new driver line-up at Sauber, with Nico Hulkenberg leading their advance ahead of Audi’s arrival in 2026. Hulkenberg’s second stint in F1 career has been impressive so far, and his reputation has only improved during his time at Haas.

He will be joined by 2024 Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto, who ended Brazil’s long wait for an F1 driver after being chosen. Valtteri Bottas.

7) Haas

Haas has also opted for an entirely new driver line-up, bringing in Ocon from Alpine and promoting Oliver Bearman after his impressive run of substitute and Friday appearances in 2024.

Despite being overtaken by Gasly last season, Ocon was actually ahead in both qualifying and race metrics. He remains one of the most underrated drivers on the grid and his ability under pressure, especially in changing conditions, is among the best.

Bearman’s three F1 races showed he has the pace and mettle for the sport. The Briton even outperformed Hulkenberg in his two Haas outings, with the German widely regarded as one of the best over one lap.

6) Aston Martin

Next up is Aston Martin. fernando alonso remains on the team for the third consecutive year, along with spear ride.

It is difficult to determine whether Alonso is still capable of winning a world title, given the identity of his teammate. However, in a tight midfield fight, is there any driver you would rather have than the Spaniard?

Stroll continues to disappoint and as long as he is part of their driver line-up, Aston Martin will never have one of the strongest pairings on the grid.

5) Williams

Williams clearly has the strongest driver pairing among the midfield group. Alex Albon remains with the Grove team for a fourth season, along with Carlos Sainzwho has moved from Ferrari.

It’s fair to say that Sainz deserves a better team than Williams based on his performances in 2024. Meanwhile, there were some doubts over Albon’s true level following Colapinto’s mid-season move.

Overall, this is a solid pairing that could be ranked higher.

4) mercedes

George Russell takes on team leader role at Mercedes after Lewis HamiltonThe game Russell was spectacular last season, especially in qualifying during the second half of the year.

Russell’s sheer speed is world champion caliber, and he should rise to the occasion as Mercedes’ most experienced driver. His new teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, has immense potential and there is no reason not to expect him to be fast.

For the 18-year-old Italian it is just a matter of time.

3) red bull

any equipment with Max Verstappen It will be among the top three of any ranking. The Dutchman is comfortably the best driver on the grid, having claimed his fourth consecutive drivers’ title in 2024.

Unlike his previous titles, Verstappen faced immense pressure last year when Red Bull’s performance declined dramatically in the second half of the season. It meant we saw the best of Verstappen when he fired Lando Norris to take the title in Las Vegas.

He has a new teammate in Lawson. At first glance, his promotion was unjustified compared to Tsunoda. However, in just 11 races, Lawson was effectively on Tsunoda’s level and Red Bull is confident the New Zealander will find more performance as he gains more experience in F1.

2) McLaren

The current F1 constructors’ champions occupy second place in this ranking. Norris and Oscar Piastri They form a well-balanced couple, in which both drivers still have room to grow.

Norris has the speed and ability to challenge Verstappen this season, but needs to address some of his weaknesses. On the other hand, you could say that Piastri has what Norris lacks: great racing ability and calmness under pressure.

Unfortunately for the Australian, his qualifying pace and overall speed were incredibly disappointing in 2024, but given the strengths of both drivers, we make a strong pairing.