Other Grid Battles to Watch Now That the Constructors Championship Is Won
At the Singapore Grand Prix, McLaren erased all doubts by claiming enough points to secure victory in the 2025 Constructors' Championship. Winning with a gap of more than 300 points over Mercedes in second place, victory was looking assured for Team Papaya even prior to Singapore. With that over, attention now turns elsewhere as the remaining teams compete for the highest possible position before the end of the ground-effects era. For those unsure where to find the action, here are a few rivalries to keep up with for the remaining 2025 season.
Oscar Piastri vs. Lando Norris
Though the Constructors' Championship may be over, the boys in orange have plenty to gain from the next few races. Now competing for the World Drivers’ Championship title, Australian driver Oscar Piastri leads the standings with 22 points over his teammate-turned-rival Lando Norris. The gap grew significantly after Norris experienced a total engine failure at the Dutch Grand Prix, forcing him to retire from the race. However, it is still too early to declare a winner, as 22 points is entirely achievable for the British driver with the number of races left in the season. Additionally, an old threat has returned for both drivers, as Max Verstappen has shown off significant improvements to Red Bull Racing’s car since the start of the season, and could be in a position to steal the title from the two leaders.
Mercedes vs. Ferrari
Long-time rivals in Formula 1, the fight for second place in the Constructors’ standings is between Mercedes-AMG Petronas and Scuderia Ferrari. Though both teams have had their fair share of struggles throughout the season, Mercedes saw dramatic improvement through the start of the season, while Ferrari has continued to fall. George Russell claimed victory at Singapore, and the rookie Kimi Antonelli took a high point-scoring position as well with a fourth-place finish. Both racers for the silver arrows have put forth excellent displays in the recent races, making top positions a regular occurrence. Ferrari held second place for a good portion of the season, but has been floundering even with their two incredibly capable drivers behind the wheel. Charles LeClerc and Lewis Hamilton alike have complained about the quality of the car, but Ferrari has yet to modify the car in any significant way. However, there is still plenty of time left in the season for a change to come about.
The Fight for Fifth
For teams located in the middle or back of the grid, fifth place is a prime location for scoring sponsorships and respect that can propel them into the upper ranks. Currently holding that position is Atlassian Williams, a team with a long history and several championship titles that has recently begun to bounce back from a dry spell. Under the leadership of James Vowles, the team has had its best season in years, achieving its first podium since 2021 with its newly acquired Carlos Sainz. The majority of the point scoring, however, has come from their long-term driver Alex Albon. Recently, they had an incident in Singapore, where, after a strong Qualifying performance, it was determined that their rear wing was out of regulation limits, and they were disqualified. Despite fighting from the back of the grid, the two racers gave an excellent display of teamwork that allowed Sainz to make many overtakes and finish in a point-scoring position. Currently fighting against Williams for fifth place is Racing Bulls, the junior F1 team run by Red Bull. Rookie Isack Hadjar has made an astonishing name for himself this year with his first-ever podium in F1, and Liam Lawson has been fighting at the front of the grid ever since being released by Red Bull Racing at the start of the season. The gap between the two teams sits at 30 points going into the Austin circuit, which gives Williams a significant advantage to hold that position until the end.
