With F1: The Movie’s worldwide success in theatres this summer, the motorsport world is finally earning its place in the spotlight. Whether you’re a long term fan who missed a few races this year or someone who’s just discovering the sport, it’s easy to lose track of all the action, or anywhere in between, there is no doubt that it can be quite difficult to keep track of all the action. Let’s take a look at the moments that have made this Formula 1 season one to remember!
Teammate Turmoil
McLaren’s Lando Norris finds that his biggest competitor for the world driver’s championship is Oscar Piastri– his own teammate.
After a groundbreaking 2024 season for Lando Norris, including multiple race wins, pole positions, and even leading his team to a constructor championship, it was very clear that the motorsport world viewed Lando Norris as the most likely championship winner going into the 2025 season. However, most fans counted out an up and coming driver that ended up proving all of us wrong—Oscar Piastri. The 24 year old Australian won 3 of the first 5 races of the season, a stark contrast to Norris’s single win. Piastri consistently put pressure on Norris, allowing him to take the championship lead following the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the 5th race of the season. Since Norris and Piastri are teammates at Mclaren, they are fighting each other in equal machinery, proving that the results will rest solely on skill rather than car performance. The two are constantly finishing first and second respectively, and are constantly fighting to overtake each other for the top spot on the podium— something very rare to see between teammates! Today, there is a 9 point difference between Piastri and Norris, and the championship battle may be on until the season finale. Whether Piastri or Norris will come out on top is still unknown, but what remains clear is that this is certainly a fight you won’t want to miss.
Mad Max
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen gets a bit too competitive with Mercedes driver George Russell out in Spain
The safety car was pulling off the track as Max Verstappen made the last turn of the lap and had a big oversteer, his car quickly jolting him side to side. He stabilizes, but not in time for Charles Leclerc to pass him into third right
as the green flag was waved to start lap 61 of the Spanish Grand Prix. On turn 1, Verstappen was the only driver with hard tires, which have less grip than the soft tires, making it much harder to steer. Max and Mercedes driver George Russell skimmed cars on the apex of the turn, pushing Verstappen off the track. Heading into turn 5, Max was advised via team radio to let Russell through, but Max denied. He sets off for a quick second, what we thought was signaling George through, but then Verstappen slides through the inside line and intentionally hits Russell whilst turning late, clearly showing that he meant that. Soon after, the Red Bull driver finally gave in and let George through into P4. As a result of the scrap those two had, Max Verstappen received a 10-second penalty, putting him finishing tenth. They both later got asked by the press about the incident, and the responses, well, differed. Max had nothing much to say, and he just could not get a grip on the hard tires. George was quite confused on what his intentions were on turn 5, but couldn’t complain because he ended up in fourth, opposed to Verstappen’s tenth. Who knows if they talked it out after, but let’s just say they might have some beef.
Unpredictable Podiums
After 238 races in Formula 1, Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg finally stood on the podium in the UK
Silverstone Circuit in Silverstone held the first ever F1 World Championship in 1950. Now, a quick story on Nico Hulkenberg’s career, then we’ll get into the grand prix. Born in Germany, Nico was always a driver. At the age of 9 he started junior karting, leading to his first title in 2002. He later went on to F1 in 2010, making his debut for Williams. He finished top 10 in his third race in Formula 1. Leading up to the British Grand Prix, ‘Hulk’ had three consecutive top-ten finishes, coming in fifth, eighth, and ninth, clearly showing an upward trend to his season. In the last race, he moved up ten places during the race so there’s no limit to what the Hulk can do. Nico first arrived on the Silverstone Circuit for practices two and three, getting used to the conditions of the track and feeling every turn. On Saturday, the Hulk underperformed in qualifying, getting the 19th spot on the starting grid, out of 20 drivers. Sunday started out a bit rainy, with some in the radar. Within the first 4 laps, Nico declined the request from the garage to pit to change tires because the conditions weren’t as bad and they thought it was on the track. On Lap 35, Nico activated DRS to overtake Lance Stroll to advance into a podium position. About 20 laps later, in his 239th start in a grand prix, Nico Hulkenberg secured third place in the British Grand Prix on a historic track at Silverstone. Many drivers were curious if he finished on the podium, as they were still in their respective cars, and they were all very happy for Nico as it has been a long time coming. And yes, the trophy is made out of LEGO.
Rookie Records
At just 18 years old, Kimi Antonelli has secured his name in many record books, becoming a Formula 1 phenomenon
It has been an incredibly impressive start to the season for 18 year old rookie Kimi Antonelli. In just his debut race, the Mercedes driver claimed 4th place, standing only behind his teammate and the two championship competitors. Antonelli has already broken many records, including the third youngest driver to stand on a Formula 1 podium, the youngest driver to lead a grand prix, and the youngest driver to set a fastest lap. The rookie’s performance has been crucial for the Mercedes team, especially after the departure of the greatest Mercedes driver of all time in 2024. Replacing Lewis Hamilton is not an easy task, but Kimi Antonelli has proved himself worthy of the challenge, and he continues to be consistently impressive, solidifying his place in the motorsport world.
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