I do know you’re all already fascinated with 2026 and what the brand new laws have in retailer, however the holidays are about custom (and, you realize, a little bit of planning), so it’s the purpose within the yr once I prefer to be judgmental about the entire groups and mirror on how their respective seasons stack up. Selecting out each good and dangerous elements for every crew, the scoring is clearly by no means contentious…
We have organized the groups in alphabetical order, with as we speak’s installment taking us from Alpine via to Mercedes. Search for half two tomorrow.
ALPINE
Poles: 0
Wins: 0
Constructors’ championship place: 10th (22 factors)
The great: Pierre Gasly. That’s just about it primarily based on this yr. It’s fairly exceptional that he managed to safe a high six end within the 2025 Alpine, and the truth that he’s locked in for the long-term is an enormous plus for the crew. Maybe clutching at straws a bit, however stability within the driver line-up over the winter ought to assist, with Franco Colapinto lastly getting a pre-season as a race driver to organize for 2026.
As unhappy because it was to see the Renault energy unit program shut down, there’s additionally optimism within the type of a Mercedes provide deal subsequent yr that ought to present a robust step ahead in competitiveness, significantly as Enstone has commonly produced chassis in earlier years. A brand new period gives an opportunity of a step ahead, even when the crew nonetheless seems to lack safe foundations.
The dangerous: The place to start out? It was not a enjoyable time to be a part of Alpine, with the shock departure of crew principal Ollie Oakes following the Miami Grand Prix, and an uncompetitive automobile that didn’t obtain an enormous quantity in the best way of improvement funding.
Jack Doohan was predictably dropped for Colapinto after simply six races, giving him no time to study the ropes as a rookie in what was clearly a troublesome automobile and unsettled crew. That setting additionally didn’t give Colapinto the simplest entry level mid-season, and the 2 that shared the second seat alongside Gasly have been the one drivers to fail to attain all yr.
RATING: 3/10
ASTON MARTIN
Poles: 0
Wins: 0
Constructors’ championship place: 7th (89 factors)
The great: Final yr presently I wrote: “The season’s over, and Adrian Newey is arriving in 2025.” So now we should always make it: “The season’s over, and Adrian Newey has arrived.” Plus, Fernando Alonso continues to be very able to securing outcomes the automobile barely seems able to, with a fifth place in Hungary and a sixth to spherical out the yr in Abu Dhabi the standout scores.
Lance Stroll additionally pulled in some stable leads to the primary half of the yr, and regardless of an enormous quantity of focus clearly being on 2026, Aston Martin remained a daily function in a particularly aggressive midfield.
The dangerous: I additionally stated this time final yr you’d be stunned to see Aston Martin ship a automobile adequate for the highest 5, and so it proved, though a few of that may be attributed to the general extra aggressive subject. Its haul of 89 factors was simply 5 shy of its complete from 2024 that secured fifth place, however there was definitely no progress from a aggressive viewpoint.
Regardless of such a future on the 2026 laws, the dearth of stability throughout the crew is a fear, and Newey doesn’t look like the proper match as crew principal regardless of his apparent genius. Andy Cowell’s repositioning late within the yr suggests the proper items usually are not but in the proper locations, and that doesn’t bode nicely for making the most of the beginning of the brand new period – particularly capitalizing on automobile if Newey and co ship it.
RATING: 5/10
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FERRARI
Poles: 1
Wins: 0
Constructors’ championship place: 4th (398 factors)
The great: Fairly powerful to choose one thing to this finish this yr, which I’ll admit I didn’t see coming on the finish of 2024. Lewis Hamilton did win the primary Dash of the yr – which finally turned out to be one of many crew’s main highlights of the season – and Charles Leclerc put collectively one other sturdy marketing campaign with seven podiums, coming very near repeating his emotional Monaco victory from 2024. Mid-season, Hamilton gave the impression to be discovering his ft, too, with some sturdy qualifying performances.
There was additionally a degree when the grid fashioned in Mexico Metropolis the place Ferrari gave the impression to be heading for an additional runner-up end within the constructors’ championship, with each vehicles within the high three and having completed third and fourth in Austin. Leclerc held on for second place within the race, however that was nearly as good because it received.
The dangerous: It’s a fairly lengthy listing, however the automobile must be the principle space of focus. Ferrari has proven up to now that when it has automobile it may be a very sturdy crew and execute nicely, however that’s a uncommon commodity out of Maranello.
From the place it ended final yr, Ferrari ought to have been an enormous risk to McLaren. As a substitute, it received a brand new automobile flawed, needed to resolve points with it early on (highlighted by the double-DSQ in China) and was out of rivalry earlier than the season was 1 / 4 previous. The main target shifted to 2026, and that took its toll by the top of the season, significantly as Hamilton’s type dropped away and Ferrari limped dwelling fourth general.
Of the ultimate eight rounds, Hamilton’s fourth place in Austin was an anomaly when it comes to outcomes, by no means ending larger than eighth apart from that. It will probably nonetheless work out, however there’s a number of laborious work forward for each Ferrari and Hamilton.
RATING: 4/10
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HAAS
Poles: 0
Wins: 0
Constructors’ championship place: 8th (79 factors)
The great: Haas circled a problematic begin to the season – a ground weak point that meant it needed to run the automobile extraordinarily excessive in Australia and was miles off the tempo – with unimaginable velocity. Subsequent trip in China, the automobile may very well be run usually and Esteban Ocon was fifth and Ollie Bearman eighth, kicking off a run of three straight point-scoring weekends. An replace to rectify the issue got here in Japan, simply three weeks after the Melbourne struggles.
On 5 events Haas managed to attain factors with each vehicles, suggesting good execution throughout either side of the storage on these weekends, and there was the excessive level of Bearman’s fourth place in Mexico Metropolis that confirmed each what the crew can do and additional highlighted the rookie’s potential. Regardless of slipping to seventh within the standings, it felt like additional progress.
The dangerous: Nearly as good because the response was, the ground situation firstly of the yr took priceless focus and was a evident drawback to resolve. 12 months-on-year, the aforementioned progress was nonetheless restricted, as there have been some standout off-weekends – Barcelona an apparent instance – and a few huge missed alternatives. Belgium and Azerbaijan ought to have seen sturdy factors scored however Haas didn’t put all of it collectively.
Ocon’s type specifically was very up-and-down as he struggled with understeer, and it feels just like the 13 factors that separated Haas from Racing Bulls in six within the championship have been on the market for the crew to take at totally different moments. It didn’t maximize the whole lot, however proper now it looks like Haas is working near its ceiling, and wishes additional funding to realistically goal larger in future.
RATING: 7/10
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McLAREN
Poles: 13
Wins: 14
Constructors’ championship place: 1st (833 factors)
The great: The upward development continued regardless of the ultimate yr of laws offering a major alternative for convergence, with McLaren’s technical crew doing a superb job to tug away from the remainder of the sector firstly of the season.
Lando Norris hardened into a real champion within the closing third of the season, whereas Oscar Piastri additionally made a significant step ahead to look each bit the complete bundle for a lot of the yr. And regardless of the dangers of letting each struggle for the title, the top end result was a championship double and loads of pleasure till the ultimate spherical.
The dangerous: McLaren so almost let a drivers’ championship slip via its grasp via its personal errors. As a lot as neutrals could have loved the battle happening to the wire, the disqualification in Las Vegas solely affected McLaren, after which the massive strategic error in Qatar handed Max Verstappen one other victory when he wanted no invitation.
Obtained the job carried out ultimately, but it surely was a worrying first two races of the triple header that put huge strain on the ultimate spherical that actually shouldn’t have been wanted. The notorious Papaya Guidelines have been admirable but in addition removed from good, and simplifying them may nicely be required in an effort to efficiently follow the strategy subsequent yr.
RATING: 9/10
