Our 2025 Annual f1 Awards
🎙 Hard Compound
The 2025 Effies + 2026 Predictions
No race this weekend. Testing is around the corner. Melbourne opens the 2026 season on March 8.
Two new teams. An 11th entry. New regulations. Early rumors that Mercedes may have already nailed the power unit.
But before we look ahead…
It’s time for the Annual Effies — our awards celebrating the chaos, brilliance, heartbreak, and absurdity of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
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🎬 Opening Lap: Drive to Survive Returns
The new season of Formula 1: Drive to Survive premieres February 27 on Netflix in the U.S.
This year’s storylines?
• Lewis switching to Ferrari
• Christian Horner fired
• Championship decided in the final race
Honestly, Netflix doesn’t need to manufacture drama anymore. F1 writes it for them.
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🏆 The 2025 Effies
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🏎 Best Driver
Nominees:
• Lando Norris (World Champion)
• Max Verstappen
• George Russell
• Charles Leclerc
• Carlos Sainz
Winner: Max Verstappen
Max didn’t win the title — but this may have been his best season.
• 93% of Red Bull’s points
• Beat Ferrari in the Constructors by himself
• Started from the pit lane in Brazil and stormed to P3
• Nearly stole the championship despite being 100+ points back
An all-time non-champion season.
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🏁 Best Team
Nominees:
• McLaren
• Racing Bulls
• Williams
• Haas
Winner: McLaren
They swept everything. Constructors dominance. Pace advantage. Clean execution.
The real question:
How were they that much better than Mercedes and Ferrari?
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👶 Best Rookie
Nominees:
• Isaac Hadjar
• Kimi Antonelli
• Ollie Bearman
• Gabriel Bortoleto
Winner: Isaac Hadjar
Aside from crashing on the formation lap of his very first race, Hadjar delivered a composed, consistent season. He looked like he belonged.
And that’s not easy as a rookie in F1.
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😢 Best Cry
Nominees:
• Isaac Hadjar (Melbourne formation lap disaster)
• Lando Norris (World Championship win)
Winner: Lando Norris
Hadjar’s helmet-cam sob session was brutal.
But Lando’s emotional championship moment — family, relief, payoff — wins it.
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🔽 Best Demotion
Nominees:
• Liam Lawson (Red Bull → Racing Bulls after two races)
• Yuki Tsunoda (demoted to reserve)
• Jack Doohan (out of F1)
Winner: Liam Lawson
Promoted over Tsunoda.
Demoted after two races.
Peak Red Bull chaos.
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❤️ Favorite Moment
Nominees:
• Nico Hulkenberg’s first podium (race 239!)
• Carlos Sainz scoring two podiums with Williams
• Lando’s late-season title charge
• Brazil chaos
• Baku madness
Winner: Baku
Pure chaos:
• Piastri crashes
• Mercedes drivers fight
• Red Bulls collide
• Weird podium
Peak F1 unpredictability.
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🚫 Worst Driver
Nominees:
• Lance Stroll
• Franco Colapinto
• Jack Doohan
• Yuki Tsunoda
Winner: Franco Colapinto
Brought in mid-season.
Scored zero points.
Teammate Pierre Gasly scored ~20.
Tough look.
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🧱 Worst Team
Nominees:
• Kick Sauber
• Alpine
• Ferrari
Winner: Alpine
Internal chaos.
Ownership confusion.
On-track irrelevance.
Gasly was a flicker of light in an otherwise dark year.
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🔥 Best Drive
Nominees:
• Ollie Bearman (Mexico, P4 for Haas)
• Max Verstappen (Brazil, pit lane → P3)
• George Russell (Singapore dominance)
• Charles Leclerc (Monaco)
Winner: Ollie Bearman in Mexico
Best Haas result ever.
Outperformed Ocon.
Announced himself as legit.
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😬 Most Embarrassing Performance
Nominees:
• Oscar Piastri crashing in Baku
• Isaac Hadjar formation lap crash
• Ferrari double disqualification in China
• The entire grid losing to a 45-year-old in the F1 movie
Winner: Isaac Hadjar (Melbourne)
Formation lap.
First race.
Didn’t even start.
That’s a brutal introduction.
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💸 Biggest Failure of the Year
Nominees:
• Red Bull’s second seat
• Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
• Ferrari as a whole
Winner: Ferrari
Final year of regulations.
Regressed dramatically.
Lewis didn’t podium once.
Double DQ in China.
They got beaten by Max alone.
That’s unacceptable for Ferrari.
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👋 Saddest Goodbye
Nominees:
• Christian Horner
• Helmut Marko
• Yuki Tsunoda
• ESPN (U.S. broadcast rights)
Winner: Christian Horner (symbolically)
Not necessarily sadness — but the end of an era.
The gritty, bootstrap Red Bull story feels gone.
Now it’s corporate, capital-heavy F1.
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🎉 Best Surprise
Nominees:
• Rookie class exceeding expectations
• Carlos Sainz outperforming Lewis
• Championship fight going to the final race
Winner: Three drivers in contention at Abu Dhabi
A real title fight.
Uncertainty.
Drama until the final lap.
That’s what keeps fans hooked.
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🔮 2026 Predictions
Patrick’s Bold Takes:
• Antonelli finishes ahead of George Russell
• McLaren drops to P4
Brian’s Prediction:
Isaac Hadjar flourishes at Red Bull.
New car.
New regulations.
New mindset.
He won’t beat Max — but he won’t collapse either.
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Final Thoughts
2025 had:
• Multiple rookies proving themselves
• Mid-season firings
• Shock podiums
• A three-way championship fight
It wasn’t perfect.
But it was compelling.
We are lights out.
Thanks for listening to everyone’s favorite father-son F1 podcast.
