As we approach Formula One’s curtain raiser in Melbourne, there is a sense that this season could prove to be one of the sport’s very best.
Four teams are expected to fight for race wins, and for the first time since Max Verstappen’s dynasty began in 2021, a new world champion come the end of the season seems a realistic prospect.
From Lewis Hamilton’s first season in Ferrari red, to a raft of new rookies looking to stake their claim as a star of the future, there is much to be excited about within the world of F1.
So, ahead of the first race weekend, here are our predictions for the 2025 Formula One campaign.
Drivers’ champion: Lando Norris
2024 proved to be somewhat of a breakout year for Lando Norris, recording four race wins, eight pole positions and 13 podium finishes. A slow start to the year ultimately cost him a realistic shot at the drivers’ title, but the experience could be set to serve him well in 2025.
Following pre-season testing, McLaren are expected to possess the quickest overall package, and many believe Norris will be best suited to snatch Verstappen’s crown. If the Woking-based team do have the fastest car, Norris is probably more likely to capatalise then teammate Oscar Piastri, who despite displaying great pace, hasn’t shown the same consistency as his opposite number.
Despite McLaren’s apparent advantage, it would be foolish to rule out Verstappen following the previous four years. The second half of last season showed that the Dutchman knows how to win a championship despite not having the fastest car, something that could serve him well in 2025. Ferrari, especially Charles Leclerc, will also be keen to challenge, but Norris heads into the season as the clear favourite.
Constructors’ champion: McLaren
The Woking-based outfit will begin the campaign confident that they can retain their first Constructors’ title this century, with two reliable drivers and a package that is expected to remain quickest.
It would be the first time since 1991 that McLaren have retained the championship, a time when icon of the sport, Ayrton Senna, was still in the cockpit. Mercedes and Ferrari may challenge, but there are less assurances regarding those team’s car performance, which make them less likely candidates.
Therefore, it is McLaren who head into the season as our strong favourite to beat out the other nine teams.
Surprise package: Williams
There is an air of excitement surrounding Williams as a team at the start of the season, with a race-winning driver arriving in the shape of Carlos Sainz, and the fastest time in testing nothing to be laughed at.
The Spaniard has revealed that the car is quicker than he expected, and there is a realistic feeling that Williams can fight towards the front of the midfield.
Team Principal James Vowles has been very vocal about the risks the team have taken in car design over the past few years, and it looks to have paid off in the final season of the current regulations. A lineup of Sainz and Alex Albon rivals most on the grid, something that will allow Wiliams to capatalise on points that they may have previously missed out.
Sainz has been part of team building projects in the past, with his time at McLaren and Ferrari coming during a period of strong growth for both. Therefore, we believe that Williams will be the surprise package of 2025, and if circumstances fell their way, could return to the Formula One podium for the first time since George Russell’s qualifying masterclass at Spa in 2021.
Biggest disappointment: Lewis Hamilton
With the sport’s most successful driver coupling up with the sport’s most successful team, only one expectation follows the seven-time world champion’s move to the Scuderia – success.
Anything other than title glory will be a shortcoming for the duo, especially after Ferrari have invested a lot of time and resources into their 2025 challenger. However, if a red car is going to win races, it feels like Charles Leclerc is the more likely candidate to do so.
Few in the field can match the Monegasque driver’s outright pace, and after testing, the signs point to Leclerc having the upper hand over his new teammate. Last term saw Hamilton struggle to match Russell’s lap times, so the 40-year-old may suffer equally when coming up against an arguably quicker opponent.
However, throughout Hamilton’s career, he has repeatedly proved the doubters wrong by continuing to win. There’s no doubt that he will compete for victories, providing the car is there, but questions still remain whether the racing icon will be able to secure a record-breaking eighth world title.
Aston Martin are also an honourable mention, but a pretty dire end to 2024 meant expectations weren’t too high surrounding the Silverstone-based team anyway.
Rookie of the Year
The 2025 gird will have six full-season rookies with Liam Lawson, Oliver Bearman, Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar, Jack Doohan and Gabriel Bortoleto.
Some, such as Lawson and Bearman, have experienced multiple Grand Prix weekends, with the former already competing in 11 Formula One races. Others such as Hadjar, Bortoleto and Antonelli are fresh on the scene and will be experiencing their maiden outing in Melbourne.
It is the latter, Antonelli, who arrives with the most hype, after filling Hamilton’s vacant seat at Mercedes. The 18-year-old has a certain stardust surrounding him, after dominating throughout the junior categories.
During testing, he looked immediately up to pace, not wasting any time to test the limits of his W16 car. As a result, coupled with what looks like a strong Mercedes car, Antonelli seems to be a likely candidate to impress on the rookie front.
If he continues to deliver on his hype, the Italian starlet could become the first F1 rookie to win a race since a certain Lewis Hamilton in 2007. Such is the positivity around the teenager right now, that some are suggesting he may be able to seriously trouble his much more experienced teammate, Russell, from the off. Therefore, our Rookie of the Year prediction is Kimi Antonelli.
