Alpine, at rock bottom: 'F' grade and the worst team in F1 2025

The first half of the 2025 Formula 1 season was an ordeal for Alpine. The French team, which had become hopeful about competing in the midfield after an encouraging finish in 2024, is currently last in the Constructors' Championship and doesn't plan to introduce upgrades to its A525 car for the remainder of the year, prioritizing the budget for the ambitious 2026 project.

The outlook is so bleak that the British specialist outlet The Race labeled it as "the worst team" of the current season, giving it the lowest possible grade: an "F" in its performance report.

The analysis highlighted the team's chronic problems at its Enstone headquarters, ranging from a lack of traction and the car's inconsistency to shortcomings in the Renault engine's energy recovery, something that affects both the setup and race pace.

Although the chassis showed acceptable behavior in fast corners, the instability and poor performance over bumps turned the A525 into an unpredictable and difficult vehicle to drive, according to its own drivers, Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly, and even Jack Doohan. The result is a poor total of 20 points in 14 Grands Prix, leaving it 15 points behind Haas, its closest rival in the standings.

Alpine is the only team with an "F" grade in The Race's ranking. In the rest of the grid, Red Bull and Ferrari received a "D," while Mercedes and Haas earned "C-" and Aston Martin "C+." At the other end, McLaren took the only "A" of the season, leading both the Constructors' Championship and the internal battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris for the drivers' title.

The complete ranking according to The Race

1. McLaren | A
2. Williams | A-
3. Kick Sauber | B+
4. Racing Bulls | B-
5. Aston Martin | C+
6. Mercedes | C-
7. Haas | C-
8. Ferrari | D
9. Red Bull | D
10. Alpine | F