Papaya Rules and Unicorns: A recap of the 2025 Formula 1 season

Papayas, unicorns, and Racing Bulls. Oh my!

The 75th Formula 1 season proved that the sport is growing to exciting heights as we see the next generation of drivers step into the forefront of the sport.

The motorsport series has spread its net into all elements of culture. After a big opening season party in London, the 10 teams traveled across five continents in the second season with the longest schedule in F1 history.

Lando Norris won his first title after a tense battle with his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, and a late surge from defending champion Max Verstappen.

But the front of the grid wasn’t the only place with all the action. Williams and Racing Bulls made noise in their own ways with a certain sponsor laying bricks for a fun future ahead.

Here is Kick The Concrete's 2025 Formula 1 season recap:

Winner of the Year: Lando Norris

Lando Norris is this year’s World Champion. The British driver captured his first title after winning the season opener at the Australian Grand Prix and then his home race at Silverstone for the first time. He and Oscar Piastri were so dominant that McLaren wrapped up the Constructors’ Championship after the Singapore Grand Prix in October with six rounds remaining. 

How did the team balance having two strong drivers? A series of orders CEO Zak Brown called "Papaya Rules."

“Papaya Rules are: It’s your teammate. Race him hard, race him clean, don’t touch," he told Sky Sports after an especially competitive outing at Monza. "... It’s really just respect your teammate."

Max Verstappen, who won the past four straight titles in historic fashion, crept into the fold at the end of the season, winning back-to-back races in Las Vegas and Qatar. Norris was disqualified from the Las Vegas race after finishing second and then failed to reach the podium at Qatar. But Norris’ third place finish in the finale at Abu Dhabi was all he needed to reach his childhood dream. And bring his entire team to tears. He might have cried a little too.

Norris has also made an impact off the track. He continues to create a movement with his fanbase, so much so that he had his own neon grandstand at Silverstone. He garners support because of his transparency about mental health.

Fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton going to Ferrari was the biggest news of the offseason. Although the seven-time champion did win the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, this is the first season of his career where he did not score a podium. Perhaps there’s a bit of a changing of the guard in the UK.

Rookie of the Year: Isack Hadjar

Yes, Kimi Antonelli scored the most points of the rookies with 150 in his debut season, but Isack Hadjar was our favorite rookie to root for. He endeared fans with his enthusiasm at being in the presence of the best drivers in the world, including his idol, Lewis Hamilton. We loved seeing him fanboy over the seven-time champion and also act as a good friend when the Brit lost his beloved dog, Roscoe. He also got along well with his Racing Bulls teammate, Liam Lawson, and the duo was one of the most entertaining on social media.

Hadjar’s season started in Australia as a worst nightmare, with a crash during the formation lap. Hamilton’s father, Anthony, comforted him. He went from that to his first podium with a third place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix and the whole F1 world celebrated with him. 

He also tied Antonelli with a solid 16 appearances in Q3.

The French-Algerian driver impressed so many that he was named one of GQ Middle East’s Men of the Year. In the article, the 21-year-old reflected on his journey and what his goals are from here.

“It’s my best year in motorsports, and I’m enjoying it a lot,” he said. “But the target is to be a Red Bull driver. And not only a Red Bull driver, but a teammate to the best driver on the planet. That would be an unbelievable opportunity for me at such a young age.”

Ahead of the season finale, Red Bull announced that Hadjar will indeed replace Yuki Tsunoda in the second seat behind Max Verstappen next year. Bullseye!

Sponsor of the Year: Lego

Lego has been connected to motorsport for years now, but the toy brand really put its stamp on F1 this season. With the Rolex crowns gone, there was an open door for a sponsor to make a creative impact on the sport. And Lego walked in effortlessly.

Their first big splash of 2025 was at the Miami Grand Prix. The drivers’ parade featured life-sized Lego cars and the drivers clearly had fun bopping around the track in them.

In the summer, Lego made the British Grand Prix extra special by giving Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Nico Hülkenberg trophies made out of plastic bricks. The Stake Kick Sauber driver was excited to share the prize from his first podium with his daughter.

Lego made their presence known again at the Las Vegas Grand Prix when they announced their partnership with F1 Academy. The company will sponsor a car on next year’s grid driven by Esmee Kosterman. They also created bouquets of Lego flowers for one of the F1 Academy podium celebrations.

The highlight of the Las Vegas Grand Prix was definitely Terry Crews driving podium winners Max Verstappen, Norris and George Russell to their post-race interview in a pink Lego Cadillac. He even sang “A Thousand Miles!” Iconic.

Best Collab: Visa Cash App Racing Bulls x Slawn

Racing Bulls continue to show they have their pulse on culture. They made a major statement by collaborating with British artist Slawn for their livery and merch for the British Grand Prix. Isack Hadjar showcased the team’s kit and hoodie well.

The design, which was a collaboration with HUGO, showcases Slawn’s signature bubbly black spray paint aesthetic against a white backdrop.

“Art meets speed, and I brought the madness,” Slawn said in a statement. “Big love to HUGO and VCARB for trusting the vision.”

There were lots of highlights from Silverstone, but Racing Bulls did a good job making sure they stood out.

Surprise of the Year: Carlos Sainz in first year at Williams

When he announced he was signing with Williams after Lewis Hamilton took his seat at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz knew that it was probably a step back. He told fans this season would be a year of figuring things out for the future.

Well, it was definitely more than that. The Spaniard scored two podiums! More than both drivers combined on his old team this season…

Sainz endeared fans by putting a sticker of a unicorn named Sparkles on the back of his helmet at the request of a young fan. In his first race with Sparkles, he got third place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

“He’s powered by unicorns!” the little girl exclaimed while watching the race at home.

The Spaniard then got third place at the Qatar Grand Prix and was all smiles.

He finished the season not only with the sticker, but with a whole Sparkles-inspired helmet. And he said his furry friend is sticking with him next year, too.

Honorable Mention: Nico Hülkenberg Gets First Podium

Lando Norris won his first home race when he notched the victory at the British Grand Prix, but another major highlight of the race was Nico Hülkenberg finishing third for the first podium of his career. After 239 starts in Formula 1, the 37-year-old German driver finally got a trophy. 

Stake Kick Sauber was so used to being in the back of the pack that they didn’t even have champagne in the garage. So other teams brought some of theirs to help celebrate. It was a moment that the whole grid was excited for.

What next season brings...

As we predicted, McLaren did not slow down in 2025 and captured back-to-back Constructors' Championships along with Lando Norris taking home their first drivers' title in 17 years. Norris and Oscar Piastri are two of the torch bearers in the sport and it will be exciting to see how they carry this momentum into 2026.

Lewis Hamilton insisted that 2025 was not a complete waste of his time even though it was the first season of his career that he didn't land on the podium. He did win the sprint race in the Chinese Grand Prix. His commitment to the team was evident by the fact that he shelved his high fashion paddock looks for Ferrari gear (and a strand of pearls). We will see what changes the team makes in the offseason to get the seven-time champion back in contention.

The biggest changes on the track will be two-ish new teams! Cadillac will join in on the fun hoping to be an American powerhouse. Veterans Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas will get a seat again. Audi will also be making its mark in the competition. Unlike Cadillac, which will be a completely new addition, the German manufacturer is taking over Stake Kick Sauber. Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg will still be their drivers.

New car regulations mean we say goodbye to DRS in 2026. Drag reduction system, powered by a rear wing flap, gave us some thrilling passes. Surely the competition will still be heated enough without it.

The first testing of 2026 kicks off on January 26. So we don't have to wait too long for more F1 action!