Twelve out of 24 Grands Prix of the 2025 Formula 1 season have been completed. Time for a half-time balance. Formula 1 expert and RTL commentator Christian Danner, together with Sport.de, pulls a half-year conclusion of the 20 drivers. Part 2 focuses on places 10 to 1. While superstar Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari is still “no foot on the floor”, Germany’s F1-Mohican Nico Hülkenberg also blooms in addition to the McLar dominators.
At Alpine, Esteban Ocon didn’t like it at all, at Haas the Frenchman seems to have found an environment this year in which he fully brings his performance. “If a person is doing well, he can do more,” summarizes Formula 1 expert Christian Danner.
“Perhaps it is up to Laura Müller that he will experience a second spring,” the RTL commentator alludes to the German racing engineer of the Haas pilot with a smile. “She is very confident and the racing engineer or the engineer, of course, makes a difference because there is simply a relationship of trust with the driver.”
Who would have thought that Nico Hülkenberg was in the top 10 in the clean at the season half? The 37-year-old shows GP weekend for GP weekends of sparkling clean performance and always fully races when a chance window opens.
“He drives as quickly as the car, which he has made very successful at Haas in recent years. “It is nice when a man I always had a high opinion of this consistently and sustainably confirmed.”
Hülkenberg is not kissed from happiness. Danner notes. “Happiness is so banal. I call it Fortune, that’s a little more elegant. Fortune, make the right decisions and implement them. And in implementation, Nico is simply brilliant.”
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Alex Albon for Williams was the dot and millions of guarantee in recent years. Due to supposedly weak teammates, observers nevertheless put a question mark behind the Thai and prophecies of Albon alongside Carlos Sainz. But nothing there – Albon also has Sainz under control.
“I am honest: I too was one of those who thought that Sainz pulls the crown the Albon,” Danner admits: “It was the other way around. Great respect, Albon is very mature without having lost speed.”
Measured by the advance laurels to be a “talent of the century”, Kimi Antonelli can be attested to a “satisfactory” after the first half of the season. The crash orgie predicted by some critics has failed to materialize, Antonelli scored its points, set a first highlight with the pole position during Miami’s sprint qualifying. But: the Italian is also more slow than George Russell.
“He already gives a couple who find that he would have to assert himself a little better, given the huge test of tests that Mercedes invested with him. One could also ask why he doesn’t at least drive as quickly as Russell,” then draws a mixed conclusion.
Except for the victory in the China Sprint, Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari has almost nothing. The Brit is not cope with the SF-25, communication with Scuderia Hapert is still tremendous.
“For Hamilton this is actually a catastrophic season,” says Danner: “Apart from Shanghai, he doesn’t get a foot on the floor.”
The familiarization period for the record world champion has expired, in the second half of the year Hamilton has to deliver. The RTL expert does not yet see any signs of a turnaround. “But I think he can do it.”
Before the start of the season, Charles Leclerc dreamed of fighting the Rede around the World Cup. Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that. The Ferrari-experienced Monegasse also runs without a chance in the SF-25. Leclerc has his highly decorated stable rival Hamilton under control, but he also has nothing to do with the tip. The 27-year-old has not yet left real highlights this season.
“He is now like an Alonso or a Vettel at the time. He now has to struggle with the typical Ferrari frustration when you find out at some point that everything turns in a circle again,” says Danner Miseria Rossa together.
“Hats off, he drove clean and top, got everything out of the car that could be got out of the position. In qualifying, Russell also set some highlights “that one has to imitate him”.
Conclusion: Russell drives perfectly. Actually, Toto Wolff shouldn’t let a driver of this kindness go. But: Russell’s contract expires and Max Verstappen is dissatisfied with Red Bull. “However, I don’t think it is very cleverly to let George Russell stuck in the air at the moment,” the RTL expert criticizes the silver bosses.
With the fifth World Cup title in a series, it will probably not be anything in 2025. Of course, this is not due to Max Verstappen, who still makes the difference in the cockpit and is annoyed by the superior McLaren thanks to his class here and there. The RB21 is simply too slow and leap.
“He is a class in his own. What is surprising to me is that he is still not more critical of the technical orientation of his team,” Danner sees the need for action at the defending champion: “It is like this: If the car is right, Max can do it somehow. Only-how much easier would be a stack if the team would not only put a car in a square. Microfen, works, but also over the entire route. “
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Lando Norris showed changeable performance in the first twelve races, with Oscar Pistri an ice -cold stable rival that puts him under heavy pressure. Thanks to its victories in Spielberg and in the Silverstone home game, the Brit has turned the notorious momentum again.
“Norris is a brilliant driver when it comes to the speed is admirable,” says Danner. However, it seems that he found his master in Piatri, who can do all of this too, just a little more constant, “says the RTL commentator Norris in the favorite role.
“I am looking forward to the duel, which will deal with us until the last race, since McLaren is politically wildly determined to let both drive free,” said Danner.
Five victories – no one has won more often in 2025 than the young Australian. Oscar Pistri impresses with his nerve strength, thanks to which he can also win duels with Alpha-Tier Verstappen. “Norris is more of an emotional, Piatri more of an analytical genius,” Danner compares the McLarenass.
Piatri understands to deal with his possibilities “very efficiently”. “I am thrilled by him how he finds his way around the world of icy headwind, how he goes his own way – really great!”
To person:
Christian Danner (67) With the winning of the Formula 3000 European Championship in 1985, he made the leap into Formula 1. Until 1986 in the premier class for several small teams and won four World Cup points at 36 Grand Prix starts. Then he drove in the US Indycar series and became the first German racing driver to score points in Formula 1 and Indycar. In the DTM, Danner won five races between 1988 and 1996, in 1997 he retired from motorsport. Since 1998, Bayer commented on the Formula 1 at RTL on the side of Heiko Wäßer. Danner also works as a driving safety trainer.