As the 2025 Formula 1 season enters its final stretch, the battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship is shaping up to be just as fierce as any title fight. With McLaren already securing the championship in dominant fashion, all eyes now turn to the trio of Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull — three giants of the sport separated by just a handful of points. Each team has shown flashes of brilliance and moments of frustration, and as recent form tightens the gap, the fight for runner-up honours could go right down to the wire. Who will emerge as the best of the rest when the chequered flag falls on 2025?
A Snapshot of the Standings
As of the most recent tally, McLaren have already clinched the 2025 Constructors’ Championship, leaving the real contest now for the runners-up positions.
Here’s how the top-four (post-McLaren) look:
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Mercedes: ~ 325 points
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Ferrari: ~ 298 points
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Red Bull Racing: ~ 290 points
So Mercedes currently hold second, followed by Ferrari in third and Red Bull close behind in fourth (but within striking distance).
Note: Some sources invert the order of Ferrari and Mercedes, reflecting how tightly matched they are.
Recent Form & Trends
Mercedes
Mercedes’ resurgence has been anchored largely on George Russell’s consistency. He has delivered strong qualifying performances, podium finishes, and fewer errors than earlier in the season. With his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli contributing in support, Mercedes have looked like the most reliable “best of the rest” option behind McLaren.
Their ability to score in nearly every race, avoid major mechanical failures or DNFs, and extract points even on weaker weekends gives them a strong foundation.
Ferrari
Ferrari’s campaign has been very up and down. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have flashed speed, particularly in qualifying and in favorable conditions. Yet their race pace sometimes falters, and they’ve suffered from strategic missteps, tyre degradation, and occasionally reliability worries or driver errors.
Leclerc recently admitted that Ferrari’s chances of winning another race this season are slim, citing McLaren’s strength, particularly in warmer conditions — a statement that underscores Ferrari’s self-awareness of their limitations.
Nevertheless, Ferrari remain dangerous — when things go right, they can vault into podium contention. Their challenge is sustaining that performance more frequently than Mercedes or Red Bull can.
Red Bull
Red Bull’s form has been more volatile in 2025 than in prior years. After a shaky start to the season, Max Verstappen and the team seem to have found more pace and reliability, stringing together wins and podiums. Reuters reports that Mekies (now Red Bull’s team principal) gets little public credit, but the team’s turnaround is real.
However, Red Bull still trails both Mercedes and Ferrari in consistency. Their occasional mechanical failures, traffic incidents, or strategic gambles have cost them points. Their upside is high — if they can deliver on weekends when the car clicks, they can leapfrog rivals.
Key Factors That Will Decide the Outcome
To forecast who finishes 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, a few major factors will play out:
Consistency vs. Spiky peaks
The team that can reliably score decent points every weekend — even if not always winning — will have an edge over the one that alternates between dominant and poor weekends.
Driver lineup contributions
It’s not just about the #1 driver. The second driver’s performances (or lack thereof) will tilt the balance. Mercedes’ second car (Antonelli) is often more stable. Ferrari must get good contributions from Hamilton. Red Bull’s Tsunoda (or Lawson) must improve consistency.
Reliability & DNFs
A mechanical failure or crash in even one race could swing the balance. The tight margins mean that each zero is magnified.
Upgrades & development trajectory
As the season progresses, the team that evolves its car faster may gain an edge. Red Bull’s recent resurgence suggests their development path may be gathering momentum.
Track types & conditions
Some circuits favour Ferrari (grippy, medium speed), some favour Red Bull’s racecraft, some favour Mercedes’ consistency. The remaining calendar will influence who has advantage when.
Prediction: Who Will Finish Where
Given the current points, recent trends, and upside potential, here’s how I see the final order:
Mercedes — 2nd place
I expect Mercedes to maintain enough consistency and avoid major disasters to hold on to 2nd. Russell will keep collecting solid points, and Antonelli will chip in. Their foundation is strong enough that they might not need many wins, just strong average finishes.
Ferrari — 3rd place
Ferrari will fight tooth and nail; I see them leapfrogging occasionally and making Red Bull fight for every point. But their occasional lapses and strategic inconsistencies probably mean they’ll fall short of Mercedes by the end. Leclerc’s comments that they may not win again this season indicate they see the gap as narrowing but not vanishing.
Red Bull — 4th place
Red Bull will be dangerous and may challenge Ferrari or even steal 3rd on a few weekends, but I think they lack the consistency and second-driver reliability to overtake both Mercedes and Ferrari over the full season. Their recent resurgence gives them hope, but I see them finishing just behind Ferrari.
In short: Mercedes 2nd, Ferrari 3rd, Red Bull 4th.
Why This Prediction Makes Sense
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Mercedes already have the psychological boost of performance, and their drivers have avoided big mistakes more often than rivals.
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Ferrari, though capable, have shown cracks in operational execution and consistency.
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Red Bull have upside, but their volatility is a limiting factor in a tight fight.
If Mercedes can string together a few safe weekends, they’ll make the gap to Ferrari too large to close. Meanwhile, Ferrari will need more wins and fewer errors to suppress Red Bull’s late surges.
Final Thoughts
The battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship has become one of the most compelling subplots in 2025 now that McLaren’s title is secured. Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull each bring different strengths — consistency, speed, resurgence — to the fight.
I expect Mercedes to take those second-place laurels, Ferrari to push hard but stumble occasionally, and Red Bull to hover dangerously but fall just short.
But in F1, predictions are just that — the real story will be decided on track, where one DNF, one strategy misread, or one brilliant weekend can change everything. Let’s see who has the heart, the car, and the nerve to come out on top.
