BREAKING: F1 2025 Standings: Max Verstappen suffers as FIA ruling hits champion hard… Read more

F1 2025 Standings: Verstappen Falls Further Behind as Hamilton Suffers Blow at Spa

 

The 2025 Formula 1 season took a dramatic twist following the Belgian Grand Prix, with the championship landscape shifting significantly—particularly for reigning champion Max Verstappen and fellow title contender Lewis Hamilton. While the Grand Prix itself wasn’t the most eventful race of the season, the implications of the weekend at Spa-Francorchamps are proving to be monumental in shaping the title race.

Piastri Extends Championship Lead with Spa Victory

Oscar Piastri emerged as the biggest winner of the weekend. The Australian driver produced a clinical performance at Spa to secure victory in Sunday’s race, further bolstering his chances of securing his maiden world title. It only took one decisive move to overtake his McLaren teammate Lando Norris early in the race before cruising to the chequered flag.

With this win, Piastri now sits comfortably atop the Drivers’ Standings with 266 points, extending his lead over Norris, who is second with 250 points. McLaren’s dominance has been the story of the season so far, and their performance in Belgium only solidified their grip on both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.

Verstappen’s Title Hopes Fade Further

For Max Verstappen, Spa delivered a further blow to his already fading title hopes. Despite claiming victory in Saturday’s sprint race, the Red Bull ace could only manage a fourth-place finish in the main Grand Prix. The Dutchman struggled to make progress in the race and appeared unable to match the pace of the front-running McLarens.

Now 81 points adrift of Piastri, Verstappen finds himself in an increasingly desperate position. With just nine rounds remaining in the 2025 calendar, his pursuit of a fifth world title is becoming more and more unlikely unless a major turnaround occurs soon.

Verstappen’s underwhelming weekend highlights the continued struggles Red Bull have faced throughout the season. Once the dominant force in F1, the team has fallen behind McLaren and Mercedes in overall performance, and their inability to keep pace is now clearly reflected in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Standings.

Hamilton Hit by FIA Ruling and Pit Lane Start

It was also a challenging weekend for Lewis Hamilton, who suffered a significant setback in his personal battle with teammate Charles Leclerc at Ferrari. Hamilton was penalized in qualifying after one of his fastest lap times was deleted due to a track limits violation. As a result, the 40-year-old had to start the main race from the pit lane.

Despite mounting a commendable recovery drive to finish seventh and pick up six points, the damage was already done. Hamilton failed to score any points in Saturday’s sprint race, while Leclerc maintained his consistent form with another solid performance. The Monegasque driver now sits 30 points ahead of Hamilton in the standings, tightening his hold on fifth place with 139 points compared to Hamilton’s 109.

Ferrari, however, managed to retain their second-place position in the Constructors’ Standings with a 28-point advantage over Mercedes. While Leclerc’s points proved crucial, Kimi Antonelli had a tough weekend, failing to progress beyond Q1 and finishing outside the points on Sunday.

Constructors’ Standings Reflect McLaren’s Supremacy

McLaren’s supremacy in 2025 has been nothing short of remarkable. With both Piastri and Norris regularly finishing on the podium, the team now leads the Constructors’ Championship with a commanding 516 points. Ferrari trail in second with 248, while Mercedes occupy third place with 220 points.

Red Bull, once the team to beat, find themselves fourth with 192 points—a stark contrast to their championship-winning dominance in previous years. The fall-off in performance has been particularly damaging to Verstappen’s individual title defense and is raising questions about the team’s development direction for the rest of the season.

Midfield and Rookie Standings See Tight Battles

Further down the order, Alex Albon continues to impress with Williams, sitting eighth in the standings with 54 points, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg of Kick Sauber and Esteban Ocon of Haas. Rising stars like Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson are also showing promise, while Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, and Carlos Sainz are locked in a tight battle on 16 points apiece.

Meanwhile, rookies such as Oliver Bearman and Gabriel Bortoleto are making steady progress in the lower half of the table, while Franco Colapinto and Jack Doohan, both from Alpine, are yet to open their accounts.

Fastest Lap Point Removed for 2025 Season

One of the key regulation changes introduced for the 2025 season is the removal of the bonus point for setting the fastest lap. Since its reintroduction in 2019, drivers who finished in the top 10 were awarded an extra point if they posted the fastest lap of the race.

However, the rule was often exploited tactically. Drivers would sometimes pit late in the race for fresh tyres purely to chase the extra point, even if it compromised their overall result or distorted team strategies. A notable example occurred during the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, where Daniel Ricciardo, despite finishing last, pitted for fresh tyres and claimed the fastest lap—taking a valuable point away from Lando Norris and inadvertently aiding Verstappen’s title bid.

The FIA’s decision to remove the rule was aimed at discouraging such manipulation and keeping the racing more organic. While it has had minimal impact on race day drama so far in 2025, it has removed an important strategic lever for teams and drivers seeking marginal gains in tight championship battles.

Looking Ahead

As the F1 paddock heads into the final stretch of the season, all eyes are on whether Oscar Piastri can maintain his momentum and seal his first world title. With a growing gap over Verstappen and Norris, the McLaren man is looking increasingly uncatchable.

Meanwhile, Verstappen must regroup quickly if he is to mount any form of a comeback, while Hamilton will be hoping for cleaner weekends to close the gap to his Ferrari teammate and leave a lasting mark in what may be his final season in red.

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