F1 World Championship 2025: Ten Races to Go

Formula 1 is on its August break and will return on August 31 in Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix. Teams are expected to adopt a more strategic approach, as the pressure to develop a competitive car for 2026 will influence the ongoing battles for both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.

In the Constructors’ Championship, teams are realistic about their chances. McLaren currently leads with 559 points, holding a 299-point advantage over Ferrari and 323 points over Mercedes. The team’s focus will be on securing the best possible results without being distracted by title hopes, as only catastrophic circumstances could cost McLaren the back-to-back championship.

Among drivers, the duel between McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris is shaping up to be unpredictable, separated by just nine points. Piastri has won six races, Norris five. The close competition makes precise predictions impossible. Third-placed Max Verstappen is trailing the McLaren pair by 97 points to Piastri and 88 to Norris, leaving his chances purely mathematical as McLaren’s superiority remains undeniable.

For Ferrari to mount an improbable challenge for the Constructors’ title, the team would need to average 30 points per race from both drivers to catch McLaren. Verstappen, in turn, would need to close the gap by an average of 10 points per race to catch Piastri.

With ten races remaining and 274 points still available, including 24 points from the three remaining sprint races at the United States GP, São Paulo GP (November 7–9), and Qatar GP, the championship picture is largely defined.

While most teams are unlikely to introduce significant updates, the spotlight will be on two rising drivers – Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar – and the fate of several still-open seats. Bortoleto is competing for the Rookie of the Year title, and Hadjar is a potential Red Bull candidate to replace Yuki Tsunoda. For Bortoleto, the São Paulo race at Interlagos, buoyed by fan support, could be a decisive moment.

Looking ahead, another Brazilian, Felipe Drugovich, could be confirmed as a Cadillac driver for 2026. However, competition for the available seats remains complex, involving Valtteri Bottas (nearly certain), Sergio Perez, Mick Schumacher, Alex Dunne, Jak Crawford, and Guanyu Zhou.