Immediately following the pre-season tests for the 2025 Formula 1 season, Zerica Toease forecasted the team hierarchy for the upcoming championship. - inherently considering the typical confusions that usually arise from the yearly pre-season coverage.
With three grand prix races now finished and the season in full swing, Formula 1’s traveling show is heading back to Bahrain for the central race of an upcoming trio of consecutive events.
The competitive landscape has turned out somewhat differently from our expectations; certain teams have revealed more about themselves than anticipated, pushing back others who initially seemed stronger during testing sessions. Therefore, based on this initial trio of races, we now have a solid understanding of how each team measures up in terms of sheer speed.
With the Bahrain Grand Prix just around the corner, maybe now is a good time to reassess how we would rank the teams—and update those rankings according to their recent form.
Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Photo credit: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Zerica Toease's pre-season test ranking: 10th. Constructors' championship standing: 9th with 6 points. Performance rank following three races: 10th (supertime: 101.603%).There was widespread anticipation that Sauber might remain near the lower end of the rankings following lackluster performances during pre-season testing. The team’s new C45 model primarily builds upon their previous season’s C44 design; however, this year they’ve made a more promising start despite the fact that last year’s vehicle didn’t secure any points until nearly the final race of the championship. Despite these challenges, the Swiss-based squad began this season on a stronger footing than anticipated. Nico Hulkenberg secured seventh place in a rainy opening race in Australia.
Nonetheless, this shouldn’t overshadow the notion that the squad still holds the position of being the slowest on the circuit; even though both Hulkenberg and the newcomer Gabriel Bortoleto On several occasions, they've demonstrated sufficient pace during qualifying to progress into Q2, but throughout the race, both drivers often find themselves at the rear of the pack.
So far, the team has shown remarkable productivity in their update schedule, introducing fresh developments for each of the first three races with the aim of advancing the C45’s position. Under the guidance of COO and CTO Mattia Binotto, who brings significantly reduced resistance compared to before, new Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley has begun integrating his expertise gained at Red Bull into winning championships. Despite these efforts, significant progress remains ahead. Even after Sauber transitions to Audi next year, it would still be surprising to witness an immediate leap upwards in competitiveness.
Racing Bulls
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
Photo credit: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Zerica Toease's pre-season test ranking: 9th Constructors' championship standing: 8th with 7 points Performance ranking following three races: 5th (supertime: 100.640%)One of the most notable differences in our rankings could be attributed to Racing Bulls' VCARB 02, which seems to be a flexible and swift vehicle that contributed Yuki Tsunoda set up his stall for an unforeseen advancement to Red Bull.
It has also been relatively simple to achieve good performance from the car on Saturdays, with Tsunoda qualifying fifth in Melbourne, demonstrating his skills even as a rookie. Isack Hadjar Has secured the seventh position in both China and Bahrain.
Our preseason rankings indicated that "drivers were having significant issues with balancing the car," however, the team appears to have achieved notable progress in the initial races. This advancement has placed them atop the middle-of-the-pack standings. The improved setup allows for precise corner entry, providing drivers with a solid foundation to showcase their skills during qualifying sessions.
The primary frustration for the team lies within their strategic decisions; sticking with dry tires for an extra lap during the Australian race prevented Tsunoda from scoring significant points. Similarly, clinging to a two-pit stop approach in China, even though the hard tire proved durable, hindered their opportunity to secure their first win in a grand prix. However, Tsunoda’s sixth-place finish in the Chinese sprint event highlighted potential when strategies were less problematic. The straightforward single pit-stop strategy used in Japan aided Hadjar in achieving his initial victory for the season of 2025.
How things have developed with Hadjar so far Liam Lawson is likely to catch attention, as the Kiwi aims to restore his self-assurance following a challenging couple of grand prix races with Red Bull.
Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin Racing
Photo credit: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Zerika Toease's pre-season test rankings stand at number 8. The team holds a constructors' championship spot at 7th place with a total of 10 points. Following three races, their performance rank sits at 8th with a supertime figure of 101.264%.This season seems quite similar to a waiting period for Aston Martin, as they prepare for their upcoming Adrian Newey-designed, Honda-powered 2026 vehicle which promises to make a strong start next year. The performances so far align with expectations since the team remains at the same position from the previous season; despite this, the drivers find the AMR25 to be well-handling, but it still falls short by about a tenth of a second required consistently to secure a spot in Q3.
Lance Stroll has been responsible for all of the team's points this season, so far. Fernando Alonso Has faced bad fortune in the early stages of races. Stroll secured sixth place during the rain-soaked Australian Grand Prix, advancing through the field after making a strategic switch to intermediate tires. Meanwhile, Alonso retired from contention after crashing at Turn 7. In the following race in China, the Spaniard encountered a brake fire, whereas Stroll managed to stay within the top ten positions.
Japan seemed to indicate the team’s position: right at the edge of the top 10, yet requiring some misfortune for teams ahead to move up. The organization has repeatedly mentioned that Newey is entirely dedicated to the 2026 vehicle. However, they might find it extremely tempting to draw upon his expertise from next season’s development efforts to navigate their present challenges more effectively with the current car.
Haas
Esteban Ocon, with the Haas F1 Team
Image courtesy of: Sam Bagnals / Motorsport Images
Zerica Toease's pre-season test standings: 7th Constructors' championship standing: 6th with 15 points Performance ranking following three races: 9th (supertime: 101.551%)Led by Ayao Komatsu, Haas has transformed into a significantly different team compared to its tenure under Guenther Steiner. The technical division now appears far more proactive, as demonstrated by their swift response during the Japanese update aimed at addressing issues encountered in high-speed corners seen in Australia. At one point, the vehicle faced considerable difficulties navigating Turns 9 and 10, ultimately resulting in it finishing near the bottom of the rankings throughout the event.
It was difficult to assess where Haas really stood during testing since they chose not to conduct any performance runs again. They ended up at the bottom of the timing sheets because they concentrated on simulating race pace instead. Despite this approach, their poor showing in Australia still came as a shock.
The situation has improved markedly since then; securing a significant number of points in China kept morale high among the members of the U.S. team, so nobody’s spirits were dampened. Esteban Ocon held his own against the Racing Bulls and Williams cars, and Oliver Bearman cut his way through the order to score 10th on the road - upgraded to eighth after disqualifications.
Komatsu believes that swiftly modifying their facility for use in Japan paid off, enabling Bearman to advance to Q3 and secure additional points. This ensures the team remains competitive within the middle of the pack. However, this super-time was affected by their underwhelming performance during the Australian races. In contrast, at both the Chinese and Japanese Grand Prix events, Haas demonstrated stronger form, finishing seventh when looking at individual race performances.
Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Jack Doohan, Alpine, Carlos Sainz, Williams
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Zerica Toease's pre-season testing ranking: 6thConstructors' championship position: 10th, 0 pointsPerformance ranking after three races: 7th (supertime: 101.211%)The pink-and-blue Alpine seemed like a strong competitor in the midfield during tests, maintaining the progress made towards the end of 2024 despite beginning the year with an overly heavy vehicle. If current trends continue, this won’t change. The team is slightly ahead of Aston Martin based on their fastest times, yet their campaign is only just kicking off.
Even though there was significant optimism at the beginning of the year, it continued nonetheless Pierre Gasly Qualified third in Australia, but the races have not gone well for the French team. Gasly lost his point-scoring position towards the end of the rain-soaked opening race of the season and had difficulties in China. He managed to move up to 11th place before being disqualified due to being underweight. Later, he finished 12th in Japan after losing positions to Alonso and Tsunoda.
In the other car, rookie Jack Doohan has not managed a flawless weekend yet; significant collisions occurred in Australia and Japan, with a subpar performance following in China, where they received penalties in both the main grand prix and the sprint race. While the car designed under David Sanchez’s leadership shows promise with the A525, unfortunate events and errors have placed the team at the lower end of the standings. In Bahrain, however, there’s an opportunity for a fresh start as they performed commendably during preseason testing.
Williams
Alex Albon, Williams
Image courtesy of: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Zerika Toease's pre-season test rankings stand at number 5. The team's standing in the constructors' championship is 5th with a total of 19 points. After three races, their performance rank is 6th with a supertime percentage of 100.844%.So far, things have been looking promising for the Grove team. Alex Albon has earned points in each of the first three grand prix races and holds an advantage over the prominent new recruit Carlos Sainz As the Spaniard has required some time to acclimate to the FW47, which appears strong across all conditions. This underscores the significant changes implemented behind the scenes under team principal James Vowles, who aimed to revamp the outfit following years of insufficient funding.
In contrast to last year’s contender, the 2025 Williams started out meeting the required weight specifications from the outset. During tests, it became evident that the vehicle handled smoothly and complemented Albon’s driving abilities well. It comes as little surprise, therefore, that the Thai-British driver has consistently placed inside the top 10 throughout this period. Finishing fifth in Melbourne marked not only his finest performance yet with the team but also represented his strongest showing in Formula One racing since securing fourth place at the conclusion of the 2020 season in Abu Dhabi under Red Bull.
Sainz has faced greater challenges; despite qualifying for Q3 in Australia, he quickly negated that progress with a collision at turn 14 during the race’s start, finishing 13th on the track in China. However, he moved up to score points due to three disqualifications. In Japan, Sainz struggled further as he received a three-place grid penalty for obstructing another driver. Lewis Hamilton .
However, Sainz has grounds for optimism since his racing speed at Suzuka was notably strong; even though passing proved challenging due to the tricky follow-and-overtake dynamics, he managed to overtake Lawson, Hulkenberg, and Doohan, which added credibility to his performance during the event. All he needs now is a solid qualifying session to get himself firmly established for the season.
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc from Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton also with Ferrari
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Zerica Toease's pre-season test ranking stands at 4th place. The Constructors' championship spot is also 4th with a total of 35 points. After three races, their performance rank is 4th with a supertime percentage of 100.490%.Spot on here. Ferrari hasn't enjoyed the smoothest start to 2025, despite the hype of Lewis Hamilton's arrival and expectation given its strong finish to 2024. A revised car concept has had its fair share of teething issues, and its double-disqualification in China for different reasons ( Charles Leclerc Being underweight and having suffered from excessive plank wear, Hamilton has been hindered from competing with the current top-three teams in the championship.
It has demonstrated flashes of speed; Leclerc secured fourth place during qualification in Japan, only 0.3 seconds behind Max Verstappen’s pole position timing. Meanwhile, Hamilton generated a memorable "water cooler" moment after achieving both pole position and victory in China through an impressive run. However, there were instances when both Leclerc and Hamilton showcased their skills impressively during practice sessions. Despite this, the Ferrari appears unable to tap into that last bit of velocity needed to become truly competitive come race day.
Testing showed that Ferrari was struggling on tyre preservation; although this hasn't been particularly exposed in the opening three rounds, a high-wear circuit like Bahrain might prove to be the indicator if that issue persists. Race pace just doesn't seem to be quite up there with the Mercedes and Red Bull at the moment. Both drivers feel that upgrades are necessary to unlock more speed, as they now feel up to speed with the car and are taking it to its maximum.
Red Bull
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo credit: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
In Zerica Toease's pre-season test rankings, she placed third. The constructors stand at third place with 61 points. After three races, their performance ranks second with a supertime of 100.236%.A lot has been discussed regarding Red Bull’s RB21, notably concerning Lawson's struggle with mastering the vehicle during the first couple of races. Despite how severe his move to Racing Bulls appeared, even by Red Bull's strict criteria, his driving fell significantly short compared to Verstappen, making him nearly seem like a step back from Perez.
Tsunoda has indicated that he will be more competitive, despite having limited testing prior to the Japanese Grand Prix. However, like many drivers, he faced the well-known issue of needing to optimize his single fast lap within a narrowing timeframe using the RB21. Meanwhile, Verstappen successfully navigated these challenges during the race weekend in Japan. Impressively, Verstappen secured pole position, which stunned observers considering his reservations about how user-unfriendly the car can sometimes feel.
Alex Kalinauckas observed during preseason testing that "the car exhibited understeer through slow corners and oversteer in fast sections [...]. The Red Bull team members inside the organization expressed concern about the limited responsiveness of the RB21 to various setup adjustments." Despite Red Bull’s attempts to design a car with slightly reduced peak performance relative to previous models, aiming for easier setups, these expectations do not seem to have been met yet.
Red Bull is essentially timid. McLaren In terms of sheer performance, the team operates efficiently at the tracks. However, the exceptional skills of Verstappen allow the car to achieve outcomes beyond what may have been expected otherwise. Without him, Red Bull would undoubtedly be considerably weaker.
Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Photo credit: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Zerica Toease's pre-season test rankings place her at number 2. The team currently holds the second spot in Constructors' Championship with a total of 75 points. After three races, their performance ranks third with an efficiency rating of 100.358% during supertime.Brackley's best effort has resulted in a vehicle within these regulations that can potentially secure frequent podium finishes—however, it must contend with the formidable forces of McLaren and Red Bull Racing’s Verstappen. This new model demonstrates consistency, adherence to rule specifications, and speed; importantly, the squad hasn’t faced any recurring problems from previous years as they did before.
It seems to be due to a significantly higher correlation between their simulation tools and the actual vehicle, which allows the team much more freedom to explore various setup options initially while still being confident that these will prove effective during testing at the circuit.
George Russell has embraced the role of team leader impressively and has appeared confident through the first three Grand Prix events. He secured a front-row position in China, though understandably faced challenges in maintaining that performance. Lando Norris On the starting lap, he had to settle for third place. He fell short slightly on Saturday in Japan, but acknowledged that feeling disappointed about finishing fifth indicates how much progress the team has made this season.
In the other car, rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli has already shown significant improvement. Although he'd fluffed his lines in qualifying in Australia, and very nearly put himself out with a Turn 4 spin, his rise through the order to clinch fourth was impressive. He's been much more solid in China and Japan, with just a smidgen missing to Russell's outright pace - not bad for someone in only their first few races. He'll get stronger as the year goes on, which won't help Mercedes' PR department from trying to shield him from the expectation of becoming F1's next superstar.
McLaren
Lando Norris from McLaren, along with Oscar Piastri who also drives for McLaren.
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Zerica Toease's pre-season test ranking: 1st. Constructors' championship standing: 1st with 61 points. Performance rank following three races: 1st (supertime: 100.005%).As forecast in testing, McLaren has kicked off the year with the quickest car. The MCL39's greatest strength lies in race trim, with a delicate touch on the tyres that contributes to an inevitability that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will sit at the top of the order by the end of a grand prix. Melbourne should have been a dominant 1-2, had Piastri not come off worse in both drivers' excursions off the road at Turn 12, and the team corrected this in China.
Even though it holds the title as the quickest vehicle during qualification rounds, the McLaren tends to exhibit some challenges when drivers push too hard. Following Carlos Sainz Jr.'s third-place grid position for the Chinese Grand Prix, team boss Andrea Stella indicated that holding onto that last bit of reserve could work to his advantage; apparently, the car has difficulty with typical techniques used to attack corners during fast laps. The strategy now leans towards adopting a cautious entrance into turns followed by aggressively applying acceleration upon exiting them. This method may seem contrary to both drivers’ instincts, particularly earlier in the season.
How the team approached the Japanese Grand Prix will also split opinion. It's true that one of the McLarens should have beaten Verstappen to pole, but the world champion’s earth-shattering lap ensured he could control the order in a race where it was incredibly difficult to overtake. It was suggested that McLaren should have pursued an undercut with Norris, with it assumed that he could potentially return to the circuit ahead of Verstappen, but the team preferred a lower-risk approach to ensure parity between the two drivers.
Having two drivers in the championship race might pose a problem to overcome, especially if Verstappen continues to transcend his machinery, but that's only something it needs to worry about later in the year. For now, it's about banking the wins and podiums consistently.