The 2025 Formula 1 World Championship comes to an end in Abu Dhabi, offering a perfect moment to examine the final standings with a critical eye. From the progress at Williams to the frustrations at Ferrari, the last race of the “ground-effect” era closes the curtain on a season that very few will miss. It is the day of Lando Norris, who becomes world champion with only two points over Max Verstappen. But it is also a day that shines a spotlight on Fernando Alonso, who opens the Adrian Newey era with an excellent sixth place.
The winners of the 2025 World Championship
Lando Norris (and McLaren)
Without any doubt, this has been McLaren’s season. The Woking-based team secures its second consecutive Constructors’ Championship (833 points, ahead of Mercedes with 469) and, ending a drought that lasted since 2008, also wins the Drivers’ Championship. Lando Norris, with 423 points, claims the world title on a day when Max Verstappen was dominant but stopped at 421.
“I won in my own way and I’m proud of it,” said the 26-year-old from Bristol after the race. His words summed up a year defined by resilience, especially after a difficult start to the season — two victories versus Oscar Piastri’s five in the first ten races — and the growing pressure from Verstappen after the summer break. Champions are never made by accident, and in 2025 Lando Norris proved that he deserved this happy ending.
Carlos Sainz (and Williams)
The Spaniard never hid his frustration with Ferrari’s decision. Being replaced by the team of his dreams is never pleasant, and the fact that his substitute is a seven-time world champion offers little consolation. From the start, Carlos Sainz described Williams as a “long-term project,” one that would only bear real fruit after the major technical overhaul coming next season.
However, the first satisfactions arrived earlier than expected: two podiums — compared to the painful “zero” scored by the driver who replaced him in Maranello — and ninth place in the Drivers’ standings, just behind Williams veteran Alexander Albon. Not only that: James Vowles’ team finishes fifth in the Constructors’ Championship with 137 points (ahead of Racing Bulls, sixth with 92). The British outfit’s future already seems promising.
Fernando Alonso (and Adrian Newey)
Some results make noise; others go underestimated because they come from behind the scenes. It would be foolish to call Aston Martin’s recent months “quiet” — considering the internal restructuring, the arrival of Adrian Newey and the plans for 2026. But what Fernando Alonso has shown on track has been extraordinary. At 44 years old, the Spaniard has not lost any of his racing magic.
In Abu Dhabi he secured yet another sixth place, his second-best result of the season after fifth in Budapest. In a Championship where four teams (and eight drivers) were clearly a step ahead of the rest — separated by just a few tenths — consistency was anything but easy. Alonso found his rhythm in the second half of the season and finished tenth overall, behind both Williams drivers.
To put this into perspective, since 2001 he has failed to finish inside the top ten only four times: once with Minardi during his debut season, and three times during the disastrous McLaren years.
The losers of the 2025 World Championship
Lewis Hamilton (and Ferrari)
Now that the dust has settled, it is easier to analyse such a difficult season. Ferrari approached 2025 with immense pressure and sky-high expectations. Just months earlier, the team had nearly completed a stunning comeback in the Constructors’ Championship. The arrival of Lewis Hamilton only intensified the enthusiasm of fans who dreamed of the Scuderia’s return to glory.
The reality, however, is that Formula 1 is a complex, unpredictable and sometimes cruel sport. Fairytales can turn into horror films, dreams into nightmares. The SF-25 ends the season fourth in the Constructors’ standings (398 points, behind Red Bull as well). The seven-time world champion did not step on the podium again after the Shanghai Sprint Race — something that had never happened before in his entire career.
Now comes a winter break — short, very short — to pause, reset and start over. The 2026 season is already approaching.
Yuki Tsunoda (and the Red Bull curse)
His last chance for a moment of glory might have come at Yas Marina, where he tried to hold up Lando Norris after the McLaren driver’s pit stop. He attempted it by changing direction several times on the straight, letting himself be overtaken and even earning a penalty. Social media immediately drew comparisons with Sergio Perez, often criticised by Milton Keynes but crucial in Abu Dhabi 2021 and Max Verstappen’s first title.
Yuki Tsunoda ends the season in 17th place (33 points, tied with Lance Stroll), behind both Racing Bulls drivers. He will not be on the 2026 grid and his future opportunities remain uncertain. He remains the enigma of a promising driver — impressive during his time in Faenza — who, like many before him, could not survive the curse of Red Bull’s second seat.
Franco Colapinto (and Alpine)
It is admittedly a harsh judgment. The 2025 Alpine season has been the textbook definition of a “transition year,” with no expectations and entirely focused on the future. The Enstone team finishes last in the Constructors’ Championship with only 22 points — all scored by Pierre Gasly — and 48 points behind the tight group formed by Racing Bulls (92), Aston Martin (89), Haas (79) and Sauber (70).
And while Pierre Gasly still showed fighting spirit, the same cannot be said for Franco Colapinto, who replaced an equally underwhelming Jack Doohan. The team’s two “second drivers” both ended the season with zero points, sealing a difficult year with no upgrades to the car. In 2026 the team will switch to Mercedes power units, which could mark the start of Alpine’s rebirth — or its sale.
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