Breaking: Max Verstappen Demoted After … Read More
The 2025 Formula 1 season took an unexpected turn at the Bahrain Grand Prix as reigning world champion Max Verstappen slipped down the drivers’ championship standings following a frustrating weekend. The Dutch driver, who has claimed four world titles, found himself in unfamiliar territory after a difficult qualifying session saw him start from seventh on the grid. Title rival Lando Norris lined up just ahead in sixth, with the pair separated by a single point in the standings ahead of Sunday’s race.
Norris, known more for consistency than explosive starts, surprised many when he launched off the line to climb into third place early in the race. It was a strong opening for the McLaren driver, but his momentum was briefly disrupted by a five-second penalty. The penalty came after Verstappen reported over the team radio that Norris had lined up incorrectly in his starting box, prompting race stewards to issue the punishment.
Despite this setback, Norris quickly recovered and reclaimed third position before the checkered flag, finishing behind teammate Oscar Piastri and Mercedes’ George Russell. The result cemented Norris’ lead in the drivers’ standings, while Piastri celebrated his fourth Formula 1 victory and continued to prove himself as a serious title contender. Verstappen, on the other hand, only managed to collect eight points from the race, marking one of his least productive weekends in recent memory.
With the updated standings now confirmed by the FIA, the shift in the pecking order is clear. Norris sits at the top with 77 points, closely followed by his McLaren teammate Piastri on 74. Verstappen, having been relegated to third, now trails with 69 points as McLaren takes full control of both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
The revised top 10 in the drivers’ standings reflects the growing pressure on Red Bull, who now find themselves behind McLaren and Mercedes. George Russell is in fourth place with 63 points, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with 32. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli has made an impressive debut with 30 points, placing him sixth, ahead of his Ferrari-bound teammate Lewis Hamilton, who has 25.
The midfield battle is also heating up. Williams’ Alex Albon continues his strong form, sitting eighth with 18 points, while Esteban Ocon of Haas holds ninth with 14 points. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll rounds out the top ten with 10 points.
Further down the order, Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber), and Oliver Bearman (Haas) are all tied with six points. Red Bull junior Yuki Tsunoda has five, while Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls has notched four points. Carlos Sainz, now at Williams, has just one point to his name, while Fernando Alonso, Liam Lawson, Jack Doohan, and Gabriel Bortoleto remain scoreless.
In the constructors’ championship, McLaren has surged ahead with a commanding 151 points. Mercedes follows in second with 93, while Red Bull trails in third with 71. Ferrari remains competitive with 57 points, and Haas has made a strong start to the season with 20. Williams is close behind with 19, while Aston Martin has collected 10 points. Racing Bulls has 7, and Alpine and Kick Sauber are tied at the bottom with 6 points each.
Notably, the 2025 season has introduced a significant regulation change—removal of the extra point awarded for the fastest lap. Since its reintroduction in 2019, drivers who finished in the top 10 could earn an additional point for setting the fastest lap. However, this often led to strategic chaos, with some drivers pitting late in the race for fresh tyres solely to chase that one point or deny it to a rival.
A particularly memorable instance occurred in 2024 during the Singapore Grand Prix. Daniel Ricciardo, in his final F1 race, executed a last-lap dash to secure the fastest lap despite finishing last overall. His move robbed Lando Norris of a critical extra point and inadvertently assisted Verstappen’s championship quest. Incidents like this prompted the FIA to scrap the rule, aiming to maintain focus on consistent racing rather than mid-field tyre gambits.
With one more race remaining in the opening triple-header of the season, the championship picture is already shifting dramatically. McLaren’s resurgence has set the tone early, and while Verstappen may be down, his fighting spirit and the unpredictability of F1 mean nothing is settled yet. The next round could see another twist as the battle for the 2025 crown intensifies.
