David Coulthard isn’t far off calling 2025 a classic. The only thing stopping it from being a Hollywood script, he says, is that Ferrari – and Lewis Hamilton in particular – haven’t shown up as billed.
With seven different drivers on the podium and five on pole so far, this season has had range and rhythm. McLaren brought the punches from round one, Lando Norris converting in Australia and stringing together an early run of podiums. Ferrari, tipped alongside McLaren to take the fight to Max Verstappen, never quite matched the hype, and Hamilton’s teething pains with the SF-25 have become the year’s most scrutinised subplot.
Hamilton’s early frustration with the car’s behaviour gave way to something heavier: self-critique. It boiled over in Hungary, where the seven‑time champion publicly called himself “useless,” even suggesting Ferrari “probably need to change driver.” For Coulthard, that dip is the missing ingredient. “If you’re a McLaren fan, you’re loving the run they’re having,” he told F1.com. “Even if you’re a generalist, it’s a great season. The closeness of the grid, especially in qualifying, is really impressing me… To have a perfect Hollywood season, we need Ferrari doing a bit more. We got a little excitement with Lewis in the Sprint, but they obviously got disqualified on race day.”
McLaren, meanwhile, has turned the constructors’ race into a rolling thriller. Norris led early, but Oscar Piastri’s third win of the year in Saudi Arabia flipped the balance. It looked like the Australian might stretch clear, only for Norris to clap back — even after that costly rear-end clash with his teammate in Canada. The response since has been decisive: three wins for Norris to Piastri’s one across the next four, all McLaren 1-2s, sending them into the summer break separated by just nine points.
How you manage that kind of intra-team tension often decides titles. On that front, Coulthard is impressed. “I think McLaren have handled it really well. Both their drivers are on the tamer side of animal than the wilder side, so that probably makes it a little easier,” he said. “This could be their only chance to win a World title; we don’t know what 2026 brings, so you’ve got to seize the moment. Oscar has stepped up this year. But Lando’s response over the last two races shows his quality as well. It’s one of those where both of them deserve it, but only one can get it.”
If Ferrari and Hamilton light the fuse after the break, this season edges from great to unforgettable. If not, McLaren’s duel might be all the drama we need.
