The 2025 F1 championship came down to a final-race showdown between Piastri, Norris, and Verstappen.
James Coker and Luke Francis host this end-of-year review of the 2025 Formula 1 season on the WTF1 Podcast. They open by noting the season was more interesting than 2023, with the drivers' championship involving Piastri, Norris, and Verstappen going to the final race, though lacking a single chaotic 'barn burner' race. The constructors' title was secured early by McLaren. A major topic is Red Bull's leadership changes: Christian Horner was fired mid-season after performance dipped, and Helmut Marko left after a scandal involving an unauthorized driver contract. The hosts discuss driver news: Charles Leclerc got engaged, Adrian Newey surprisingly became Aston Martin team principal, and Lewis Hamilton had a difficult first year at Ferrari, compounded by his dog Roscoe's death. New team Cadillac F1 announced a driver lineup of Valtteri Bottas and Checo Pérez for 2026. Max Verstappen became a father, prompting discussion about his upbringing. The F1 movie released but didn't significantly boost new fan interest. Season highlights include Nico Hulkenberg's first podium at Silverstone, Isack Hadjar's podium at the Dutch GP, and Carlos Sainz's two podiums with Williams. A wholesome moment was the Lego drivers' parade in Miami. VCARB is praised for best social media team. The championship battle saw McLaren's 'papaya rules' of minimal team orders nearly backfire, with Verstappen closing a large points gap after events like a double disqualification in Vegas. Hamilton's move to Ferrari proved disappointing. The season featured many rookies, but only Arvid Lindblad joins as a rookie in 2026. Awards are given: Max Verstappen is driver of the year, Kimi Antonelli is rookie of the year, and the Australian GP is race of the year. Predictions for 2026 include George Russell winning the championship.
