3 F1 drivers that have exceeded expectations in 2025

At the start of any F1 season, one thing that stands out more often than not is the fact that every driver already has a reputation attached to them. Whether it is a top driver like Max Verstappen or someone closer to the lower rungs of the pecking order, there's a pre-existing expectation from all these drivers.

More often than not, these expectations are based on how these drivers have performed in the previous years, and often that reputation is used as a foundation for how someone would perform during a season.

On the 2025 F1 grid, there are a few drivers this season that have exceeded the expectations that one would have had before the start of the year. Let's take a look at the top 3 drivers who have surpassed what was expected of them.

#3 Nico Hulkenberg(Sauber F1)

One cannot help but applaud Nico Hulkenberg for the kind of job he's done at Sauber and continues to do in F1 since his return to the sport with Haas. The German was almost a relic of the sport when he was pushed off the grid in 2019 by Renault. After multiple years off, nobody knew what to expect from the German, especially since he was going to the American team, which was maybe not the best place for any F1 driver to be in.

With that being said, he did a commendable job on the team in the two years he had at Haas, but at the same time, when he was moving to Sauber, there was a certain level of trepidation that this was the retirement team for him.

He's getting closer to 40 years of age, and the team had a woefully anonymous 2024 season where the car was right at the back of the grid. With Audi taking over in 2026 and a new team's start to life in F1 often a question mark, not many expected Hulkenberg to have his career-best race this season.

Yet, it appears that he has a completely new lease of life at Sauber. He's making the most of the opportunities that he's had in the car. Be it the race in Australia or the one in Barcelona where he overtook Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari or his podium, the season has delivered far more than what Hulkenberg expected and what we would have expected of him, in all fairness.

#2 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)

Out of all the F1 rookies, if we told you that Isack Hadjar was going to be the one who was shining the brightest this season after 12 races, it would have come as a surprise. The young French driver is a dynamic racer, and he always has been, even in his junior career. The rookie, however, was not the one who had the biggest spotlight on him as the season began.

It was on the likes of Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Ollie Bearman, and for all the right reasons as well. As the season has gone on, however, it's safe to say that Isack Hadjar has made a mark within the team and in the sport. He's slowly become the best driver within his team, Racing Bulls, and has shown an ability to stay more or less mistake-free.

It's not a far-fetched comment to say that the Frenchman is arguably the best rookie on the grid right now, and in terms of expectations, he has exceeded almost all of them.

#1 Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

Oscar Piastri takes the cake for sure, and there's no way one can deny how big a surprise it has been to see the Australian transform himself over the summer break. At the end of last season, there was the sense that Lando Norris more or less had his teammate under his thumb. The Aussie could do well on his days, but more or less, it was the Brit who was not only more consistent but also had more raw pace.

During the winter break, Oscar Piastri has just cut down the gap that existed between him and his teammate. Now it's safe to say that at worst, both of them are on equal footing, or the Australian is probably a smidge ahead of the Briton.

At the halfway mark, we have Oscar Piastri leading the championship with 5 wins in the bag, and none of this has come as a surprise.