The 2025 Formula 1 season has delivered some of the closest and most thrilling races of recent years. From the extremely tight competition for the drivers’ championship to the rise of new stars like Kimi Antonelli, who achieved multiple pole position finishes despite being in his first year of Formula 1, this year has certainly been one to remember.
The season has been marked by McLaren’s dominance. In a season of 24 races, McLaren has won 14 races. Setting the team up to win both the team constructors’ championship and the driver’s championship.
This dominance in the 2025 season is not without hard work. McLaren has been working towards this goal since 2023.
Hadleigh Bolton, a die-hard F1 fan, shares her expertise about the team and what has contributed to its success this season.
“I think they’ve kept the balance between their drivers fair for the most part. But I think they’ve had a rocket ship of a car, and they’ve got a really good driver lineup, two young and strong drivers. And that combination is what has led them to their success this season.”
The results of this combination of strong drivers and a well-crafted car has shown themselves well through the race standings. For the majority of the season, both McLaren drivers held the majority of the championship points and locked down the constructors’ championship early in the season.
The McLaren drivers’ similar success is not always the case in F1; it actually goes against the grain, as they adhere to a set of rules known as the Papaya rules.
Where both drivers just try their best and be respectful of one another. However, Middle School English instructor and devoted F1 fan Kendra Oleson shares how the use of Papaya rules could have actually hurt the McLaren’s in the drivers’ championship.
“Every team has a number one driver and a number two driver; the number two driver supports the number one driver, which could be why we’re in the situation that they’re in now. If they had just picked one, and then I think it would be over.”
In Formula 1, the combination of an exceptional car and two young, talented drivers guaranteed a championship. However, one of the most talented drivers in sports history still made an impressive final grab at the championship.
Max Verstappen has won every single championship over the past four years, and this year, despite his car being generally inferior to some of his competitors, he was able to make up a 100-point difference in championship points, coming second in the drivers’ championship, even passing one of the McLaren drivers.
The final race of the year in Abu Dhabi was the deciding factor in McLaren’s win of the championship. Despite Verstappen winning the race, Lando Norris, the McLaren driver, still came out on top with points securing the Championship. Overall, this season was filled with happy endings and exciting new beginnings for the sport with a guarantee next season will be even more thrilling.