BBC Sport and Getty Images pick the best photos from a spectacular Formula 1 season when Lando Norris won his first drivers' championship
Lewis Hamilton made his first global appearance as a Ferrari driver as F1 launched its 2025 season - and marked its 75th anniversary - with a glitzy show at London's 02 Arena in February
Chaos in Australia
It was a dramatic beginning to the 2025 season with an incident-packed Australian Grand Prix in changeable conditions at Melbourne's Albert Park, featuring multiple crashes, three safety cars, rain and an aborted start.
McLaren's Lando Norris held on to win from Red Bull's Max Verstappen, with Lewis Hamilton 10th on his Ferrari debut.
Mercedes' 18-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli came through the field from 16th on the grid to fourth, but it was a difficult day for many of the other rookies.
The weather in Melbourne was glorious until race day
Lando Norris was starting his seventh season in F1
For Lewis Hamilton, it was the start of his 19th year in F1 and a new era at its most famous team
Rain arrived with 13 laps to go in Melbourne, which led to Oscar Piastri spinning off and finishing ninth. The ducks enjoyed it, though.
Australian Jack Doohan, driving for Alpine, was popular with the home fans but would crash out on the opening lap.
Liam Lawson, in his first race as Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate, spun off with 12 laps remaining. He lasted only two grands prix before being demoted to the Racing Bulls team.
Carlos Sainz, in his first race for Williams, was another to crash out on the first lap.
Racing Bull's Isack Hadjar was in tears after crashing out on the formation lap on his F1 debut. He was consoled by Lewis Hamilton's father, Anthony. Struggling for words, Hadjar said: "I'm just embarrassed and I'm sorry for the team." The Frenchman would go on to have an impressive year, finishing third in the Dutch Grand Prix, and he will be Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate in 2026.
Hamilton's false dawn
Hamilton's first year with Ferrari seemed to be progressing quickly when he won the sprint race in China from pole position, but that would be as good as it got for the seven-time champion.
Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the main grand prix the following day for separate technical infringements, setting the tone for what was to come.
Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri won, leading home Norris for a McLaren one-two. Australian Piastri would go on to dominate the early part of the season.
A happy Lewis Hamilton after his sprint race win
Charles Leclerc finished fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth in China before being disqualified
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli kicks up gravel as he runs wide during qualifying in China
China was the first of seven one-twos for McLaren in 2025
Verstappen's first win of year
Verstappen fended off a race-long challenge from Norris and Piastri to win the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
The victory followed a stunning pole position lap on the Saturday that shocked his Red Bull team and McLaren.
Verstappen's win moved him within one point of Norris at the top of the drivers' championship, which he had won for the previous four years. Piastri took the victory in Bahrain a week later.
The cherry blossom trees have become a feature of the Japanese Grand Prix since the race moved to April
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso spins off during practice
Max Verstappen fully focused before practice in Japan
British rookie Oliver Bearman finished 10th in Japan, earning a point in what would prove to be an impressive first full season in F1.
Doohan had a high-speed crash in Friday practice at Suzuka after failing to shut the DRS overtaking aid. Alpine dropped him a month later and brought in Franco Colapinto.
Red Bull had a white livery in Japan to honour the final year of their partnership with Honda.
Verstappen and Norris pitted together and, as they exited, Verstappen held his line and Norris ran out of track, taking to the grass. After the race Verstappen joked "that's quite an expensive lawnmower" as they watched the incident together.
Piastri hits the top
Norris began 2025 as the championship favourite but Piastri dominated the early part of the year.
He took over as title leader from Norris with victory in Saudi Arabia, when Verstappen was given a five-second penalty for keeping the lead by going off track.
In Miami two weeks later Piastri won for the fourth time in six races to extend his lead in the championship to 16 points after a quarter of the season.
Fireworks greet Oscar Piastri's victory in Saudi Arabia
Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez was a guest in the Ferrari garage in Saudi Arabia
A drone and laser light show before the race in Saudi Arabia
Before the race in Miami all 20 drivers took to the track in full-sized Lego versions of their F1 cars. They were made up of almost 400,000 bricks, took 22,000 hours to build and could reach speeds of 12mph. Hamilton said: "That's the most fun we've ever had in the drivers' parade."
Antonelli, 18, gets a hug from father Marco after taking pole position for the Miami sprint race.
Antonelli would run out of road at the first corner of the sprint as Piastri took the lead.
McLaren dominated in Miami with a one-two in the sprint and main race.
Norris' emotional win in Monaco
Norris later admitted that he doubted himself in the early part of 2025 as mistakes in qualifying hindered him in races and he fell behind Piastri in the championship.
Norris became tearful in the cockpit after taking what is always a crucial pole position in Monaco, setting up his first victory there the following day.
Before Monaco, Verstappen's superb first-lap overtake on Piastri allowed him to win the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix as F1 said goodbye to the historic Imola circuit.
Max Verstappen pulled off a superb overtake on Oscar Piastri on the first lap in Imola, around the outside into the first chicane
Delighted Red Bull team members greet Max Verstappen's victory in Imola
Verstappen was pleased with the win too
Norris locks up going into the first corner in Monaco but is able to maintain the lead.
Norris said winning in Monaco was an "incredible" feeling but he was "more emotional" about taking pole position the previous day.
The marshals get close to the action.
Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda collide as they approach the chicane after coming out of the tunnel.
Norris salutes towards his McLaren team after winning in Monaco
Russell at centre of action
There was controversy at the Spanish Grand Prix as a late safety car and a flawed change of tyres led to Verstappen losing his temper and taking out his frustration on George Russell's Mercedes.
Verstappen's race fell apart after Red Bull fitted hard tyres and left him vulnerable to the other drivers, who all fitted soft rubber. He deliberately drove into Russell with two laps to go and was subsequently given a 10-second penalty, dropping him from fifth to 10th in a race won by Piastri, ahead of Norris.
Two weeks later Russell enjoyed his first win of the season in Canada as the two McLarens collided for the first time in 2025.
Fernando Alonso was the home favourite once more at the Spanish Grand Prix, finishing ninth two months before his 44th birthday.
Antonelli takes a trip across the gravel and into retirement from the race in Barcelona.
Leclerc was third in Spain, one of seven podiums for the Monegasque driver.
The winning moment for Piastri in Spain - a fifth victory in the first nine races.
Christian Horner had been Red Bull team principal since they entered F1 in 2005, but was sacked in July, days after the British Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc jumps out of his Ferrari after crashing in practice for the Canadian Grand Prix
George Russell takes the acclaim from his Mercedes team after winning in Montreal
Kimi Antonelli joined Mercedes team-mate Russell on the podium - his first in F1
Norris ran into the back of team-mate Piastri while challenging for fourth position with four laps to go in Canada. Norris' car was out on the spot with front suspension damage and he told his team it was "all my bad" and "stupid of me".
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Brad Pitt, Lewis Hamilton, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Damson Idris at the world premiere of the F1 movie in Times Square, New York. It quickly became the highest-grossing sports film of all time.
Home joy at Silverstone
Norris took his first British Grand Prix victory in a chaotic, rain-affected race at Silverstone, benefiting from a 10-second penalty handed to Piastri for driving erratically behind the safety car.
Norris said: "Apart from a championship, this is as good as it gets in terms of feelings and in terms of achievement, being proud - all of it."
Victory came seven days after he fought off a race-long challenge from Piastri to win in Austria. Combined, they brought him within seven points of Piastri at the top of the championship.
Spielberg is always a spectacular setting for the Austrian Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc is always hugely popular with fans
Kimi Antonelli apologised to Max Verstappen for taking him out on the first lap in Austria
Williams' Alex Albon leads a train of cars at Silverstone as the sun peeks through amid dark skies and a heavy downpour.
Russell finished 10th in the British Grand Prix after stopping early for slick tyres.
Oscar Piastri led the British Grand Prix before his 10-second penalty
Lando Norris celebrates his first Silverstone F1 win with his family
Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg took his first F1 podium at the 239th attempt at Silverstone - a record for the most races before finishing in the top three
McLaren domination continues
McLaren went into F1's summer break seemingly in total control of the drivers' and constructors' championships, after Piastri won in Belgium and Norris came out on top in Hungary.
Piastri passed Norris on the first racing lap at Spa-Francorchamps in a race delayed by 90 minutes because of heavy rain.
Norris' win in Hungary looked unlikely when he fell to fifth place on the opening lap, but switching to a one-stop strategy paid off and he was able to hold off Piastri in the closing laps.
Max Verstappen won the sprint race in Belgium but finished outside of the podium positions in the main grand prix there and in Hungary, where he could manage only ninth
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso climbs the hill from Eau Rouge to the Kemmel Straight at Spa-Francorchamps
A smile of satisfaction for Oscar Piastri as he leaves the podium in Belgium
Norris, whose mother Cisca is Belgian, was popular among the fans at Spa.
Piastri narrowly avoided running into Norris when challenging for the lead in Hungary.
Norris has a tradition of banging Champagne bottles on the podium. At Hungary in 2023 he managed to break Verstappen's winner's trophy while doing so.
Norris with his 2025 porcelain trophy, which took six months to decorate by hand at a cost of £35,000.
Piastri in control of title race after Zandvoort
Piastri appeared to be moving inexorably towards the drivers' championship after winning the Dutch Grand Prix in August.
Norris retired from the Zandvoort race with an oil leak, meaning Piastri was 34 points clear of the Briton. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen was 104 points behind Norris and seemingly out of contention.
However, a week later Verstappen won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where McLaren controversially told Piastri to let his team-mate pass him for second place late in the race after a slow pit stop for Norris.
Lance Stroll's Aston Martin looking the worse for wear after a crash during practice in Zandvoort
Both Ferraris retired from the Dutch Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc hit by Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes
After his race ended, Leclerc sat for a while on a sandbank, unable to get a lift back to the pits, and passed the time by looking through a photographer's mobile phone
It was all looking good for Oscar Piastri after his win in Zandvoort
Norris runs wide and into the gravel in practice for the Italian Grand Prix.
Ferrari may be the darlings of the Italian 'tifosi' at Monza but Antonelli also had plenty of support at his home race.
Hamilton recovered from 10th on the grid, after a five-place penalty, to finish sixth in his first race at Monza as a Ferrari driver.
Piastri moves over to let Norris past after the Briton fell behind the Australian because of a slow pit stop.
Championship battle begins to turn
Two-thirds into a season in which he had demonstrated admirable coolness and consistency, Piastri's championship challenge first began to falter seriously in Azerbaijan.
He had an error-strewn weekend in Baku, making mistakes in practice, crashing in qualifying, jumping the start and then crashing out on the first lap. Verstappen took his second win in a row as Norris finished seventh.
Next, in F1's original night race, Singapore, Russell had his second win of the year, while Piastri became annoyed after Norris barged past him on the first lap, saying the move was "not fair".
Norris drives past the stricken Piastri in Baku.
A glum-looking Piastri contemplates the mistakes of Baku, but he remained 25 points ahead of Norris - a full race victory.
A crash for Leclerc in qualifying caused one of six red flags, an F1 record.
Sainz finished third in Azerbaijan, his first podium since joining Williams.
George Russell controlled the race in Singapore from beginning to end
Russell shows the effects of the conditions after the Singapore Grand Prix, which was declared F1's first 'heat hazard' race because of high temperatures and humidity
Russell was the only driver other than Norris, Verstappen and Piastri to win a race in 2025
McLaren secured the constructors' championship in Singapore with six races remaining
Norris reclaims lead
Piastri led the drivers' championship for six months, from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but lost his hold on it when Norris won in Mexico City to move a point ahead.
A week earlier they collided at the start of the US Grand Prix sprint race in Austin, as Verstappen won the shorter race and main grand prix to put himself firmly into title contention.
The field moves towards the tight first corner at the start of the US sprint race
Oscar Piastri bounced into Lando Norris after clipping the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg. Both McLaren drivers were out on the spot.
Norris gets a ride back to the pits in Austin but the eyes of the spectators are elsewhere
Max Verstappen's victory in the US Grand Prix was his fourth in the race
It was four abreast going into the first corner in Mexico City and they eventually ran out of room, with Verstappen and Leclerc going off track.
There was no Mexican driver to cheer in this year's race, but Sergio Perez is returning to F1 in 2026 with the new Cadillac team.
Leclerc with fiancee Alexandra Saint Mleux and their dog Leo in the paddock in Mexico.
Haas team-mates Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon pose for a selfie
Lando Norris dominated in Mexico to win by more than 30 seconds
The tension builds
The 2025 drivers' championship built towards a thrilling three-way fight for the title via some dramatic events in Sao Paulo, Las Vegas and then Qatar, the penultimate race of the season.
Norris drove beautifully in Brazil to win the sprint and main grand prix as Verstappen brilliantly came from the back of the grid to finish third. Norris seemed set for the title when he initially finished second behind Verstappen in Las Vegas, but he and Piastri were disqualified after the race because the skid blocks on their McLarens were found to be less than the minimum depth.
Victory in Qatar would have given Norris the title, but Verstappen won again as McLaren messed up their strategy, setting up a final-race showdown in Abu Dhabi.
There was more drivers' parade fun in Sao Paulo, but this was probably the high point of the day for the Ferrari drivers, who again retired from the race.
Gabriel Bortoleto was the first Brazilian to take part in his home race since Felipe Massa in 2017, but it was a tough weekend for him. He crashed heavily in the sprint, could not take part in qualifying and retired from the main race on the first lap because of another accident.
Hamilton was hit by Sainz on the first lap at Interlagos, then broke his front wing at the start of lap two by misjudging a passing attempt on Colapinto. Hamilton was left at the back of the field with a damaged floor before eventually retiring.
Victory in Sao Paulo left Norris 24 points ahead of Piastri and 49 clear of Verstappen with three races remaining.
Oliver Bearman captures the sights of Las Vegas
Max Verstappen donned colourful glasses as he was driven to the podium ceremony after winning in Vegas
The Las Vegas Grand Prix takes place around parts of its famous Strip
The Sphere is one of the landmarks of the Strip Circuit
Verstappen's win in Vegas, coupled with the disqualifications for both McLaren drivers, meant he narrowed the gap to championship leader Norris to 24 points with two races left
Bearman warms up.
The sun sets behind Lawson's Racing Bulls during Qatar practice.
Williams and Sainz celebrated another podium in Qatar.
Victory for Verstappen in Qatar brought him within 12 points of Norris going into the final race as he chased a fifth consecutive drivers' championship.
On top of the world
Norris kept cool to get the third place he needed in Abu Dhabi to secure his first F1 drivers' championship, beating Verstappen to the title by only two points.
Norris came home behind race winner Verstappen and Piastri to become the 11th Briton to win the title. It also gave McLaren their first drivers' and constructors' double since 1998.
Norris was tearful in the cockpit and later said he had "won it my way", while Verstappen said he had "no regrets" about his season after falling just short of an incredible comeback. Piastri finished third in the championship, 13 points behind Norris.
The championship contenders sit together for a drivers' photo.
Hamilton takes a photo of his Ferrari team at the end of a year he described as "a nightmare" - his first in F1 without a podium finish.
Verstappen leads on the first lap in Abu Dhabi as Piastri prepares to pass Norris to take second place.
The changing of the guard as the championship passes from Verstappen to Norris.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is run as day turns to night
Celebratory doughnuts for the new world champion
Norris' mother Cisca and father Adam prepare to hug their son after he achieved his life's ambition
Norris said he had "proved myself wrong" after overcoming doubts that surfaced during early season struggles
Norris and Piastri both won seven races in 2025 and Verstappen eight
Norris is the second-youngest Briton to win the drivers' title, behind only Lewis Hamilton
Credits
Written by Alan Jewell
Design by Scott McCall
Getty Images contributors:
Mark Thompson – Getty Images, Bryn Lennon – Formula 1 via Getty Images, Peter Fox – Getty Images; LAT Images, Mario Renzi – Formula 1 via Getty Images, Clive Mason – Getty Images, Rudy Carezzevoli – Getty Images, Sam Bagnall – Sutton Images, Zak Mauger – LAT Images, James Sutton – Formula 1 via Getty Images; LAT Images, Mark Sutton – Formula 1 via Getty Images, Giuseppe CACACE – AFP via Getty Images, Benoit Doppagne – BELGA / AFP via Getty Images, Lars Baron – LAT Images, Simon Galloway – LAT Images, Hector Vivas – Getty Images, Michael Potts – LAT Images, Clive Rose – Getty Images; Formula 1 via Getty Images, Robert Szaniszlo – NurPhoto via Getty Images, Kym Illman – Getty Images, Carl De Souza – AFP via Getty Images, Jay Hirano – SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images, Steven Tee – LAT Images, Joe Portlock – Getty Images, Andy Hone – LAT Images, Joe Klamar – AFP via Getty Images, Sam Bloxham – LAT Images, Jayce Illman – Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy – Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures, Jared C. Tilton – Formula 1 via Getty Images, Glenn Dunbar – LAT Images, David Ramos – Getty Images, Luca Barsali – NurPhoto via Getty Images
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