Max Verstappen’s Perfect Qualifying Streak Ends as Lance Stroll Leads Unwanted 2025 List
Max Verstappen’s otherwise impressive 2025 Formula 1 season suffered a rare blemish at the São Paulo Grand Prix, as the Red Bull driver lost his perfect Q3 appearance record following an unexpected elimination in the opening phase of qualifying. While Verstappen’s early exit marked a notable moment in the campaign, it was Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll who ultimately topped an unwanted list by recording the highest number of Q1 eliminations across the season.
Verstappen, who finished the year as one of the standout performers despite missing out on the drivers’ title, had reached Q3 at every round up until Brazil. His shock Q1 exit at Interlagos brought that streak to an end, marking the first time he had failed to progress beyond the first qualifying segment since the 2021 Russian Grand Prix. As a result, the Dutchman finished the season with one Q1 elimination and no Q2 exits — still among the strongest qualifying records on the grid.
While Verstappen narrowly missed out on a flawless season, McLaren’s championship-winning pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri achieved something no other drivers managed in 2025. Both Norris and Piastri reached Q3 at every single grand prix, giving them a perfect qualifying record and underlining McLaren’s exceptional consistency throughout the year.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell also enjoyed strong campaigns in qualifying, each suffering just one Q2 exit and avoiding elimination in Q1 altogether. However, only the two McLaren drivers were able to maintain a clean sheet across all three qualifying sessions at every round.
Despite Verstappen’s minor setback in Brazil, his overall qualifying performance still stood well clear of several rivals, including his Red Bull team-mate Yuki Tsunoda. Tsunoda endured a challenging year on Saturdays, exiting in Q1 on seven occasions and falling in Q2 eight times, highlighting a significant gap between the two drivers in single-lap performance.
Lewis Hamilton, widely regarded as one of Formula 1’s greatest qualifiers, also endured a surprisingly difficult season. The Ferrari driver failed to reach Q3 nine times across the campaign, a statistic that stood out given his reputation and experience at the sharp end of the grid.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Lance Stroll recorded the weakest qualifying performance of any driver in 2025. The Aston Martin driver was eliminated in Q1 a staggering 14 times and also exited in Q2 on seven occasions. Stroll reached Q3 just three times all season, underlining a year of persistent struggles for both driver and team.
Stroll was not alone in enduring repeated early exits. Nico Hulkenberg of Stake F1 and Haas driver Esteban Ocon both finished the season with 13 Q1 eliminations, placing them alongside Stroll near the bottom of the qualifying standings. Stake F1’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto also faced difficulties, each recording 12 Q1 exits.
Further up the list, Pierre Gasly, Oliver Bearman, Liam Lawson, and Alex Albon all experienced mixed qualifying fortunes, regularly failing to break into Q3. Even established names such as Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz were not immune, with Alonso suffering three Q1 exits and nine Q2 eliminations, while Sainz endured ten Q2 exits despite avoiding frequent Q1 knockouts.
One of the more impressive stories of the season came from rookie Isack Hadjar. The Racing Bulls driver outperformed expectations by suffering only two Q1 eliminations, giving him a stronger qualifying record than several high-profile competitors, including Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli.
At the very top of the table, Norris and Piastri stood alone with zero Q1 or Q2 exits, cementing McLaren’s dominance in qualifying consistency. Their performances not only played a key role in McLaren’s success throughout 2025 but also highlighted the growing strength of the team’s driver lineup.
While Verstappen’s lost streak made headlines, the broader picture of 2025 qualifying painted a clear contrast between the sport’s most consistent performers and those who struggled to find rhythm on Saturdays — with Lance Stroll unfortunately leading the latter category.
