People love to argue about numbers. Give a Formula 1 fan a list of stats and they will find a way to tell you why every single one of them is an insult to the sport. When EA Sports dropped the initial f1 25 driver ratings, the internet basically had a collective meltdown. It happens every year, but this time feels different because the grid looks so weird.
Lewis Hamilton is in a Ferrari. Max Verstappen is trying to hold off a McLaren surge that actually happened in real life. And somehow, according to the game, Carlos Sainz is technically "better" than the seven-time World Champion.
Honestly, the way Codemasters handles these ratings is a bit of a black box. They use real-world data from the 2024 and early 2025 seasons, but when you see a rookie like Kimi Antonelli sitting at a 72 while Fernando Alonso is still pulling an 88 at age 44, you start to wonder if the "Experience" stat is doing too much heavy lifting.
The Top Tier: Max is Still King (For Now)
Max Verstappen sits at the top with a 95 overall. No surprises there. Even though the Red Bull dominance started to flicker toward the end of '24, the game still treats him like a literal robot. His Pace and Racecraft are both pinned at 96. If you've played the Career Mode, you know that trying to catch him in an equal car is basically a chore.
But look at the gap. Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc are tied at 91.
That four-point jump from 91 to 95 is massive in this game. It's the difference between winning a DRS battle and getting left in the dust. Lando has a 94 for Pace, which feels right given how that McLaren has been flying, but his Awareness is stuck at 80. EA is clearly still thinking about those scrappy opening laps and the occasional strategic blunder.
The 2025 Launch Ratings (Initial Grid)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 95
- Lando Norris (McLaren): 91
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): 91
- George Russell (Mercedes): 90
- Carlos Sainz (Williams): 90
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari): 89
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): 88
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren): 87
See that? Lewis Hamilton, the guy with 103 wins, is a 6th-place driver in the eyes of the algorithm. He’s an 89. It’s the first time in over a decade he’s been rated below a 90 at launch. The game weights his recent Mercedes struggles heavily, especially in qualifying. His Pace stat took a hit, landing at 87, which is the same as Oscar Piastri.
Why the Lewis Hamilton Rating is Stirring the Pot
The Ferrari move changed everything. In F1 25, you’re finally seeing Lewis in the red overalls, but the stats don't reflect a "saviour" coming to Maranello. During the ratings reveal, even Carlos Sainz was caught on camera looking shocked. He literally asked, "I have a higher rating than Lewis?"
It’s awkward. Sainz is a 90; Hamilton is an 89.
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The "Awareness" stat is usually where Lewis gains ground, but the game is punishing his "Pace" relative to George Russell’s qualifying performances. If you’re a Hamilton fan, it feels like a slap in the face. If you're a data nerd, you'll argue that the numbers don't lie—George out-qualified him consistently in the lead-up to this game's release.
But stats don't account for "Sunday Lewis." The game tries to fix this with the Racecraft stat (he’s a 90 there), but it doesn't quite make up for the lower overall.
The Rookies: A Rough Start for the New Blood
If you’re planning a "Road to Glory" career, the rookies are in a tough spot this year. Kimi Antonelli—the kid Mercedes is betting the house on—is only a 72.
Isack Hadjar is even lower at 68.
- Oliver Bearman (Haas): 74
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi/Sauber): 74
- Jack Doohan (Alpine): 73
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes): 72
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull/RB): 68
It’s brutal. The game basically says these guys are barely better than the F2 field they just left. However, the 2026 DLC expansion that's coming later this year might shake this up. Since EA decided to skip a standalone "F1 26" game to focus on a ground-up rebuild for 2027, we're getting a massive update instead. Expect these rookie numbers to jump significantly once they have a few "Real World" races under their belts.
How the Ratings Actually Change Your Game
These numbers aren't just for show. They actually dictate how the AI behaves and how the car feels in My Team mode.
Pace is the big one. It literally determines the maximum speed the AI can extract from the car. If you have a teammate with a low Pace rating, they will never, ever qualify near you, even if you’ve maxed out the car’s development.
Awareness is what keeps the AI from turning into you like a heat-seeking missile. Drivers with high awareness (like Leclerc’s 93) are much better at wheel-to-wheel racing without clipping your front wing. If you’re racing against Stroll (78 Awareness) or Hadjar (65 Awareness), you'd better give them a wide berth.
Racecraft helps with overtakes. A driver with high racecraft will find gaps that others won't. This is why Alonso (90) is still a nightmare to have in your mirrors even if his car is slower.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Updates
EA updates these ratings throughout the season. People often think a bad race on Sunday means a rating drop on Monday. It doesn't work that way. They usually bundle the updates every few months based on "rolling averages."
By July 2025, we already saw the first major shift. Oscar Piastri, who was criminally underrated at 87 at launch, saw a bump after his strong start to the real-world 2025 season. Meanwhile, the veterans who struggle with the new handling model in the game tend to see their "Experience" stat stay high while their "Pace" crumbles.
Real Talk: Is the Rating System Broken?
There’s a valid argument that the system is too rigid. It relies on four pillars:
- Experience: Based on the number of race starts.
- Racecraft: Ability to gain positions.
- Awareness: Avoiding penalties and incidents.
- Pace: Raw lap time.
The problem? It doesn't account for the car. If a driver is outperforming a "tractor" of a car, the algorithm sometimes struggles to see it. It looks at the gap to the teammate more than the gap to the front of the grid. This is why Alex Albon (83) often feels lower than he should be—he’s dragging that Williams into places it shouldn't be, but the game sees him finishing 12th and shrugs.
Actionable Tips for Managing Ratings in Career Mode
If you're playing F1 25 and want to maximize your team's potential, don't just look at the Overall (OVR) number.
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- Hire for Pace: If you're the lead driver, you want a teammate who can actually back you up. Ignore the "Experience" stat if you're on a budget. Look for high Pace and Racecraft.
- Invest in Facilities: In My Team, your "Personnel" facility level directly buffs your teammate's stats. A Level 3 simulator can turn a 74-rated rookie into an 80-rated threat.
- Watch the "Season 2" DLC: Since the 2026 content is coming as an expansion, keep an eye on how the new Audi and Cadillac teams are rated. Their drivers will likely start with "provisional" ratings that could swing wildly after the first few patches.
The f1 25 driver ratings are a snapshot in time. They’re meant to be argued over at the pub or on Reddit. But in the game, they’re the difference between a podium and a "DNF - Mechanical Failure" because your low-awareness teammate lunged down the inside at Turn 1.
Choose your teammate wisely. Don't just pick Lewis because of the name; pick him because you need that 90 Racecraft to fight through the field. Or, if you’re feeling brave, take Kimi Antonelli at a 72 and spend three seasons turning him into the next 95-rated legend.