A number of F1 drivers outdoors of the highest names have caught the attention for his or her red-hot performances to date in 2025.
Delve deeper than the battles for the drivers’ and constructors’ championships and you will see that a number of future front-runners and veterans who can nonetheless combine it.
However there are additionally surprises on the very entrance of the F1 pecking order which might steal the present.
Crash.internet specialists have picked out their overachiever from the primary half of the season…
Lewis Larkam: Gabriel Bortoleto is having an excellent rookie F1 season.
Out of F1’s 2025 rookie crop, the Brazilian has arguably confronted the toughest job in beginning the season within the slowest automobile on the grid. However his performances have been respectable, and as Sauber’s competitiveness has improved, Bortoleto’s expertise has shone by means of.
Up in opposition to a robust yardstick within the form of Nico Hulkenberg, Bortoleto has accomplished an excellent job and impressively outperformed his extra skilled teammate within the qualifying head-to-heads.
The reigning Components 2 champion now has three factors finishes to his title and secured his greatest outcome so far with sixth place in Budapest to assist transfer Sauber as much as eighth within the constructors’ championship and only a level behind Aston Martin.
The 20-year-old has demonstrated a piece ethic and maturity past his years and has been hailed because the “greatest rookie of his era” by two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.
Derry Munikartono: Nico Hülkenberg’s arrival at a brand new crew was by no means going to be straightforward, particularly when that crew had been rooted to the underside of the standings only a 12 months earlier. However one way or the other, Nico made it work after shifting from Haas to Kick Sauber for the 2025 season.
He opened the 12 months with factors in Australia, however needed to wait till the Spanish Grand Prix —the ninth race of the season — for one more rating, taking a formidable fifth place. That outcome marked the beginning of an excellent run, culminating in Hülkenberg’s long-awaited first Components 1 podium with a third-place end on the British Grand Prix.
There are different robust contenders for the “shocking overachiever” tag this 12 months, equivalent to Alex Albon, who has been a constant level scorer for Williams, even outscoring the highly-rated Carlos Sainz because the crew’s main power. However on condition that British GP podium, the title of “most shocking overachiever” has to go to Hülkenberg.
Nico Hulkenberg
Lewis Duncan: After what he achieved in a breakout sophomore marketing campaign, Oscar Piastri was anticipated to hold that trajectory ahead. However to be McLaren’s main driver – not to mention heading the championship – on the summer season break was a prediction onerous to make at first of the season.
Given his expertise of three extra seasons of F1 than Piastri, the tempo of the McLaren ought to have had Lando Norris simply the motive force to beat.
However Piastri has stepped up in an enormous approach. Whereas the title battle stays shut, with simply 9 factors in it, Piastri for essentially the most half has had the higher of his team-mate. He has extra race wins, has been extra constant and has had the one-lap pace to go toe-to-toe with a legitimately wonderful qualifier in Norris.
Piastri has earned each proper to be labelled a title challenger and to date he hasn’t appeared like being fazed by the stress.
Connor McDonagh: Oscar Piastri is undoubtedly essentially the most shocking overachiever to date this season. Lando Norris dismantled the Australian throughout each potential metric final season. Piastri solely managed to out-qualify Norris 4 instances throughout 24 races. Any religion in Piastri heading into the brand new marketing campaign was primarily based on the premise that he would enhance over the winter break – or Norris would take a step again.
Each issues have occurred. Piastri has upped his sport in qualifying, main his teammate within the head-to-head going into the summer season break. Equally, in races, the pair are evenly matched. It wouldn’t be unfair to say that Norris’ peak potential and ceiling as a racing driver are nonetheless larger, however Piastri’s execution and talent beneath stress are why he’s main the world championship.
The issue for Piastri is that if Norris begins to get extra snug – and his confidence stays intact – then he can have a troublesome time successful the title in Abu Dhabi.
Rachit Thukral: My decide for essentially the most shocking overachiever is Nico Hulkenberg. Whereas Hulkenberg has all the time been recognized for extracting the utmost from a midfield automobile and banking the factors that may determine whether or not a crew finishes fifth or eighth, it was satisfying to lastly see him seize the chance to attain a podium.
Audi’s resolution to signal Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto for its highly-anticipated F1 entry initially felt underwhelming, not as a result of they lacked expertise, however as a result of neither had the front-running expertise you would possibly want at a manufacturing unit crew. But with the German enjoying a serious function in lifting Sauber from final within the standings to sixth in only a handful of races – with fifth nonetheless inside attain – the 2026 transfer now makes much more sense.
With Bortoleto adapting shortly and Hulkenberg proving he can lead a midfield outfit, Audi appears to be like to have assembled a balanced line-up for its first few seasons in F1.
