The mud has settled on and we’ve got now had an excellent have a look at Components One’s 10 groups. With that in thoughts we provide our evaluation of how the groups needs to be feeling after their first actual take a look at of 2025.
We will have a look at the headline lap instances and standings to see how briskly every staff is. That is extra a rating of how pleased every staff needs to be, taking into consideration their progress in addition to expectations.
We thought of a number of elements. One, a staff’s qualifying efficiency or their ‘uncooked tempo score’, expressed a share of the general quickest lap time of qualifying – the decrease the higher. Two, their race performances in comparison with the race on the identical monitor in 2024, in addition to their ultimate six races of final 12 months. The order beneath can be primarily based on ‘really feel’ in addition to the numbers.
10. Ferrari – They can’t be this unhealthy in China, can they?
You do not need to dig deep into the numbers to see that and properly beneath expectations. When it got here to push the automotive, that they had issues and certified seventh and eighth. That was behind not solely two McLarens and the lead Mercedes and Pink Bull but additionally a Williams and a Racing Bull. They completed 2024 strongly, scoring greater than every other staff within the ultimate six rounds with their one-lap tempo on a par with McLaren.
Melbourne was a wake-up name. Their race end result may need been higher had they not botched the technique of each their drivers. There may be one small word of cheer, although. Had Hamilton been capable of string collectively his greatest three sectors he would have certified fifth and 0.4sec off Norris, not the almost 0.9sec in actuality. They certainly won’t be this unhealthy in China this weekend.
Final six rounds of 2024 uncooked tempo score: 100.252percentAustralian GP uncooked tempo score: 100.878% (+0.626%)
9. Haas – No tempo in any situation
Haas went into final 12 months’s season opener with publicly low expectations and managed to exceed them all year long. This 12 months the alternative appears to be like possible. In Melbourne, they had been by far the slowest staff in qualifying and properly adrift of subsequent worst Sauber. And that is usually a monitor they go properly at.
They, together with Ferrari, had been the one groups each worse than their 2024 qualifying averages and their factors common for that ultimate run of 2024 too. Final 12 months a race in changeable circumstances like this is able to have been an excellent alternative for them to attain first rate factors. But Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon lacked tempo in all circumstances.
Final six rounds of 2024 uncooked tempo score: 100.910percentAustralian GP uncooked tempo score: 102.731% (+1.821%)
8. Alpine – A wasted alternative
There are solely two groups who needs to be genuinely upset at their showings in Melbourne. Alpine are ranked this low as a result of they solely improved their qualifying tempo in comparison with this race final 12 months (once they had been slowest) and failed to attain any factors after a robust end to 2024.
Clearly there are mitigating elements. Firstly, Pierre Gasly seemed snug within the high 10 till a small error dropped him again. Secondly, Jack Doohan didn’t even handle to get to the tip of the primary racing lap. Nothing to be too disheartened about, however a missed alternative that they might have taken final 12 months.
Final six rounds of 2024 uncooked tempo score: 100.836percentAustralian GP uncooked tempo score: 101.177% (+0.341%)
7. Aston Martin – A smidgen of encouragement
Aston Martin will rightfully be delighted with Lance Stroll’s sixth place. They might be essential factors come December. Their qualifying tempo is roughly the place it was on the finish of final 12 months. That, although, shouldn’t be an excellent factor as a result of they had been the eighth quickest staff in that interval. Nonetheless, not less than they don’t seem to be any worse.
There was encouragement within the race, as they turned twelfth and thirteenth on the grid into factors rivalry. That finally turned eight factors as Stroll saved his nostril clear and delivered a robust ultimate stint. A dry race in China will likely be a way more consultant take a look at however given the place they completed final season, that is progress.
Final six rounds of 2024 uncooked tempo score: 101.563percentAustralian GP uncooked tempo score: 101.587% (+0.024%)
6. Racing Bulls – Promising, however poor luck value them
Each single staff from this level upwards needs to be happy ultimately. Racing Bulls confirmed vital enchancment in qualifying from each this race final 12 months and the tip of final season. Yuki Tsunoda’s fifth on the grid was an excellent end result however Isack Hadjar simply lacking out on Q3 on his debut underlines the automotive’s potential over one lap.
Tsunoda was on track to assert a top-six end till he made an error within the ultimate downpour, dropping him out of the factors. We by no means bought to see Hadjar’s tempo however there may be loads for the staff to be optimistic about, even when they are going to rightly be rueful of the ultimate end result.
Final six rounds of 2024 uncooked tempo score: 101.221percentAustralian GP uncooked tempo score: 100.764% (-0.457%)
5. Pink Bull – Enchancment wanted for one more title
The encouragement will likely be that the staff managed to dial out a few of the RB21’s unpredictability over the weekend. That enabled Max Verstappen to ship (as he often does), third in qualifying and a robust second place on Sunday.
The first concern will likely be that the rain allowed Verstappen to make use of his talent and shut the hole to the McLarens. That he was even in rivalry on the ultimate lap was due to quite a few security vehicles. Sadly, Liam Lawson has very a lot begun the place the troubled Sergio Perez left off, too. Particular enchancment wanted if Verstappen is to assert one other title.
Final six rounds of 2024 uncooked tempo score: 100.291percentAustralian GP uncooked tempo score: 100.513% (+0.222%)
4. Sauber – In dreamland after greatest end result since 2023
On condition that Sauber scored 4 factors within the entirety of 2024 and have six after one spherical in 2025 you would possibly anticipate them to be larger than fourth on this checklist. Nico Hulkenberg’s efficiency was maybe extra situational (rain and quite a few quicker vehicles retiring) than consultant of the automotive’s potential, as welcome because the factors will likely be.
The German saved out of bother within the race after a robust begin and introduced it residence in seventh. Nonetheless, given how poor their 2024 was they’ve continued their enchancment that started on the finish of final season. It might be a combat between them and Haas to remain off backside. Sauber now have the higher hand.
Final six rounds of 2024 uncooked tempo score: 101.609percentAustralian GP uncooked tempo score: 101.891% (+0.282%)
3. Mercedes – Antonelli’s debut an enormous trigger for hope
Since their final championship in 2021 Mercedes have struggled to adapt to the present period of ground-effect vehicles. 2024, although, was their greatest 12 months with 5 victories. They seem to have continued an upward development at first of 2025. Their qualifying tempo (George Russell was on the second row) was marginally worse than the place they completed final season, however considerably higher than this race final 12 months.
Third and fourth place within the race would have been fourth and fifth had Oscar Piastri managed to maintain his automotive on the black stuff. Nonetheless, that might have been 22 factors they usually averaged 20.7 per spherical within the ultimate six weekends of final 12 months. Most encouraging for them would have been the sterling efficiency of Kimi Antonelli who drove from sixteenth on the grid to fourth on the flag.
Final six rounds of 2024 uncooked tempo score: 100.434% Australian GP uncooked tempo score: 100.599% (+0.165%)
2. McLaren – Even higher than 2024
The headline information say that McLaren ended final 12 months because the quickest staff, locking out the entrance row and profitable the race, as they did in Melbourne this weekend. No change then? Not fairly. Dig a bit deeper and there may be strong progress.
Together with Williams they’re considered one of solely two groups who improved their factors common from the tip of final 12 months in addition to their qualifying tempo each to final 12 months’s race in Australia and to the ultimate six races.
Telegraph Sport columnist Gary Anderson additionally famous from final 12 months’s championship-winning MCL38. Lando Norris and Piastri put that to good use for a lot of the weekend. When the race and climate settled down they had been the category of the sphere, 17 seconds forward of Verstappen and 30 forward of Russell by lap 32 of 51. This has not been a historically robust monitor for them, both.
Final six rounds of 2024 uncooked tempo score: 100.252percentAustralian GP uncooked tempo score: 100.000% (-0.252%)
1. Williams – A radical transformation
17 factors within the entirety of 2024 and 10 in only one race in 2025 – there isn’t a doubt that Williams needs to be the happiest on the grid. While different groups’ successes in Australia got here because of circumstances or owed one thing to fortune, Williams delivered what they deserved. It may have been much more had Carlos Sainz not crashed out below the protection automotive.
Qualifying was their greatest staff end result (Alexander Albon sixth and Sainz tenth) in years. No staff has improved by as massive a margin over one lap as Williams. Within the race, Albon managed to maintain Hamilton behind him for a lot of the race after which stayed within the high six in tough circumstances. In 2024 that Williams would possible have slipped again out of the factors. A radical transformation.
Final six rounds of 2024 uncooked tempo score: 101.643percentAustralian GP uncooked tempo score: 100.854% (-0.789%)
