The Big Swap and the Bigger Surprise: Six Races Into the 2025 F1 Season

Redbull swaps, Williams and Haas points. A crazy start to the F1 2025 season.

Apr 25, 2025

Welcome to Coffee Break Sports. My name is Maria Fernanda Erives, a Content Producer who writes this newsletter for fun with the intent to take the excitement of sports and other hobbies and compress it into a cozy publication you can read during your coffee break😉☕.

Today I am drinking an Iced Coffee at Damasco Cafe (yes, again). This place is so lovely.

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Grab your coffee, take a break and enjoy.

We’re six races into the Formula 1 season, and it’s already delivering on all fronts: thrills, chaos, heartbreak, and hope. We’ve seen a lot of good and plenty of ugly. There have been surprises, disappointments, and moments that hint at a major shift… but nothing is set in stone just yet.

As a fan of the sport, I’m equal parts excited and anxious. With the Miami Grand Prix just days away, the storylines are heating up. If last year taught us anything, it’s that Miami can change everything. Remember Lando Norris’s win? That single victory broke Max Verstappen’s streak and helped McLaren reset their season.

Could we be heading toward another shakeup?

Yuki Tsunoda reflects on his first outing as a Red Bull driver and assesses feel of the RB21 | Formula 1® — *(Formula 1)*

The Big Swap

Let’s start with what everyone’s talking about: Red Bull.

There’s no denying Max Verstappen continues to drag that car to the points almost on his own. He’s won a race, though with noticeably more difficulty now that the field is catching up. Still, he reminds us why he’s a four-time World Champion.

But Max’s dominance has always cast a long shadow over the second Red Bull seat, and this year is no different.

no ceiling — toto said I'll pull out the receipts don't play... — Toto Wolff in the known after Sergio Perez spoke about how these were issues with the car and Christian Horner was calling him a liar.

Depending on who you ask, the seat is cursed. Some blame Mark Webber-era drama. Others say the car is just built around Max to the point where no other driver can thrive in it. But now, even Max is struggling to keep control. And with that comes a reckoning.

As fans online began issuing retroactive apologies to Checo Pérez, it became obvious that the second-seat issue wasn’t about the drivers—it was the environment, the expectations, and the setup. When Liam Lawson struggled and was demoted back to VCARB, it felt like a move driven more by panic than long-term planning.

Yuki Tsunoda has been solid, but the management of these transitions has been messy at best. It reminds me of what I feared for Alpine: great talent wasted due to poor leadership. George Russell summed it up best:

“it doesn’t really mean a lot and if you’ve got a contract with a team but the team wants you gone, the team finds a way to get you gone.”

Surprise Points for Williams, Haas, and Sauber!

Oliver Bearman - F1 Driver for Haas — Another pleasant rookie surprise to the season. Ollie Bearman has proven he can take Haas from the bottom to points! *(Haas)*

In more uplifting news—can we take a moment to appreciate Williams?

Alex Albon is thriving, and the car is genuinely improving. I’ll admit I’m a little let down that Carlos Sainz hasn’t made more of an impact yet, but there’s still time. We are witnessing a process. I truly believe this could be a breakout year for Williams if they keep this momentum.

And it’s not just Williams. Haas and Sauber have both found themselves in the points, which is no small feat given how tight the midfield battle is this season.

Over at Alpine, Pierre Gasly is consistently finishing in the top ten, and Esteban Ocon isn’t far behind. After the instability of last season, it's refreshing to see some fight in both drivers.

Eyes on the New Talent

There’s something electric about watching rookies get their first real shot, and some are already delivering.

Kimi Antonelli, now partnered with George Russell at Mercedes, is showing maturity and composure far beyond his years. While he hasn’t hit the podium yet, his consistency is paying off. Mercedes currently sits second in the Constructors’ Championship and that’s in no small part thanks to him.

The Not-So-Surprising Standouts

Oscar Piastri. He might not be a rookie anymore, but he’s driving like a future World Champion.

Many people weren’t sure what to expect from him this year, but six races in, he’s silencing the doubters. His pace, awareness, and strategic choices have been razor sharp. He’s squeezing every bit of potential out of that McLaren, and if he keeps it up, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the title fight before the season’s end.

And then, of course, there’s George Russell. Except for Jeddah, he’s been on the podium every race so far. Consistency is key, and Russell is proving himself the cornerstone of Mercedes right now. Paired with Antonelli, the team has made a bold bet—and it’s working!

Looking Ahead

With the Miami Grand Prix coming up, we’re at a turning point. If history repeats itself, this could be where everything shifts—again. Will we see another underdog win? Another fall from grace? Or something no one expects?

Either way, I’m all in.