The top 5 of the first 5 Grands Prix: How Piastri has overtaken Verstappen so far

With experienced race winner Carlos Sainz as his new teammate, Alexander Albon faced a serious test to start 2025. For years, the Thai-British driver easily defeated his teammates, but would he be good enough to consistently beat Sainz, who came from Ferrari? The answer to that question is a resounding 'yes'.

Albon is the stable factor at Williams, already pocketing twenty points, already more than the twelve he managed to gather in 2024, with his provisional highlight being the fifth place in Melbourne. Is a surprising podium somewhere in the cards this season? If there's one driver outside the top teams who might finish in the top three, it's likely to be Albon.

There may have been doubts beforehand: Is the barely eighteen-year-old Italian ready for Formula 1 after a rather difficult season in F2? But Mercedes has perfectly prepared the youngster for his entrance into the premier class.

So far, Antonelli has made no mistakes, shows to be a quick learner, and has established his name in the sport with beautiful overtaking manoeuvres. Of course, George Russell is ahead of him at the moment, but that doesn't detract from the fact that Antonelli is a real asset to F1. And if he is already so good, what does that mean for the future?

Amid all speculation about his future at Mercedes, George Russell can do nothing but perform. And perform he does in what is undeniably his best year in Formula 1. Russell extracts the maximum from his car, with three podiums already this year.

If Mercedes have the chance to contract Max Verstappen after this season, team principal Toto Wolff will face a tough decision. Do you bring in Verstappen, or stick with the driver who knows the team inside and out, who also demonstrates, for the first time in his career, the potential to be a world champion?

His unexpected victory at the Japanese Grand Prix proved that Max Verstappen should never be written off, even when he's driving a car that is sometimes the second or third fastest car on the grid. What Verstappen did in Suzuka was masterful, just like his lap that earned the pole at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

But even a Verstappen in top form occasionally reaches the limits of what is possible, as could be seen on a dramatic night in Bahrain, in which he could not overtake a Haas and an Alpine for a long time. Is there something wrong with Verstappen? Little. Then why isn't he in first place?

To start off with the question from Verstappen's section: There is absolutely nothing to fault Oscar Piastri on, and he leads the title race. Yes, the Australian has the fastest car on the grid with the McLaren. But that by no means guarantees success, with teammate Lando Norris having some serious struggles. Where the Brit seems to break under pressure again, Piastri has emerged as the number one championship candidate.

Don't forget, this is only Piastri's third season in Formula 1, and his growth has been enormous. The way he gave Verstappen a taste of his own medicine at the start of the Saudi Grand Prix - with a real Verstappen move - is proof that Piastri has established himself among the elite in Formula 1.