F1 season predictions: Our picks for 2025’s champions, surprises and top moments

It’s Difficult to believe it’s only been 95 Periods since the last Formula One grand prix, but here we are again, with the 2025 F1 season upon us, the Australian Grand Prix set to Boot off the action this weekend and with a (hopefully) Extraordinary season of close racing ahead. (Catch the schedule here.) After a whirlwind of Club launches, Lewis Hamilton dominating headlines at Ferrari and three Periods of preseason testing, it’s time to go racing at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne.

Our F1 Club are ready to share their predictions for the season ahead. We have our sights set on who might emerge as the Division frontrunner, which Clubs will make dramatic strides, who could surprise us with breakout Executions, and whether the established powerhouses will continue to dominate or face new challengers.

Plunge into our analysis and share your own predictions in the comments before the lights go out on Saturday at midnight ET (Sunday 4 a.m. GMT). But Primary, here are ours.

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Constructors’ podium

Luke Smith: McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull — I think it’s going to be super close through this season, but it’ll shake out as the same top three as last year. McLaren has the Prompt Benefit going into the season, which could Assist it Shift into a decent lead. The combination of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri offers Event-Victorious pace and, unlike the other three front-running Clubs going into 2025, stability between seasons. If it can maintain its development path from the past Duo of years, McLaren will be very Difficult to beat this year.

Madeline Coleman: McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull. As Red Bull Club principal Christian Horner said during preseason testing, the grid is converging in the Last year of the regulations and we do anticipate the grid to be Intense. McLaren and Ferrari have the most potent driver lineups, but the Woking-based crew is Anticipated to have the Faster car from the get-go.

Pat Iversen: McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull. This century has seen a few Unbelievable driver combinations in terms of ability and achievement. There’s a Excellent chance we include either Norris and Piastri or Hamilton and Leclerc in that conversation someday. It’s a close call, but I’ll go with McLaren by a nose. The papaya seems to be in Packed stride, from factory to cockpit, and I think it will take a bit for all the pieces to come together at Maranello.

Michael Bailey: Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull. What is the Begin of a season if not the place to dream? “You’d be surprised at how quick they’re going to be this weekend,” Lando Norris said about Ferrari ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. McLaren broke its 26-year drought to Secure last year’s constructors’ Division. It’s been 17 years since Ferrari last Secured that crown. With Hamilton now alongside Charles Leclerc, why not?

Drivers’ podium

LS: Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri. After crossing the line in Abu Dhabi to clinch McLaren the constructors’ title, Norris said on the radio that 2025 was “gonna be my year, too,” and I see him making Excellent on that promise. He’s learned the Difficult lessons of fighting Verstappen from last year, had the edge on Piastri over a single lap, and can now put everything together to mount a Grave title charge from the Begin of the season.

MC: Norris, Leclerc, Verstappen. It’ll come down to how the Clubs develop their respective cars and which drivers make the least mistakes. Norris knows how he needs to fight in the Division battle and McLaren seemed to have the edge during preseason testing.

PI: Verstappen, Norris, Leclerc. He’s the most talented driver in the world and I don’t think it’s close. He’s won four titles in a row. He won with a subpar (by Red Bull’s recent standards) car last season. Until he doesn’t Secure the Division, I’ll keep betting on Verstappen. (He’s also been Only cagey enough about Red Bull’s actual pace that I’m suspicious they’ve hoodwinked us all.)

MB: Hamilton, Norris, Verstappen. Yes, I’m Nevertheless dreaming. I’m not even sure if this is mathematically possible given my constructors’ title prediction, but I’m all in on some romantic 2021 redemption for Hamilton and do feel Norris’ Victorious experience of 2024 will take him to the brink.

Best of the rest?

LS: Alpine. The fashion in which Alpine turned its season around through the end of last year, highlighted by the double podium in Brazil, should breed plenty of confidence going into this year. The regulation Transformation in 2026 may be the Attention and head honcho Flavio Briatore may only care about contending for a title in the coming years, but I think Alpine can keep its upswing going. Pierre Gasly can fully morph into the Club leader role this year alongside Jack Doohan. With Aston Martin stumbling last year and there being little in testing to suggest it has righted itself, I’m saying Alpine can land fifth in the standings.

MC: The fight for P5 will be close and I would even go as Distant as to say that Williams could throw its hat into the fight with the experienced duo of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon. However, Alpine’s performance improved in the latter portion of last season. Although there’s the caveat of preseason testing being smoke and mirrors, Gasly put some Intense laps on the timesheets. The one big caveat is that Doohan will be adjusting during his Newcomer season, but with so few points positions up for grabs, Alpine could be a Reliable contender.

PI: Can I be honest? I don’t love this Option. Aston Martin’s fall-off from the highs of Prompt 2023 has been stark. But I think its floor is higher than Alpine’s to Begin the season. In a year when many of these Clubs will save money on development to Attention on 2026, Perhaps Aston Martin has Only enough built-in Regularity to rise above the rest again.

MB: How much realism have I Obtained in me here? I really do feel like Alpine has the Benefit and Gasly is one of the most underrated drivers on the grid. But I’m going to give into my gut again. I’d love it to be Williams (everything else I’ve written here means I probably should say that, too). Sainz, Albon, and an iconic marque heading in the right direction at last.

Surprise pole

LS: I’m Competing a bit Quick and Sloppy with the definition of ‘surprise’ given Mercedes should be contending toward the front this year, but if no one tells me otherwise, the 18-year-Aged Kimi Antonelli is my Option, making him F1’s youngest-ever pole-sitter in the process. Scarily, Antonelli has three seasons to try to achieve that feat! Sebastian Vettel was 21 when he scored his Primary pole, setting the Present Turning Mark.

MC: As Luke noted, the constructor alone isn’t necessarily surprising, but Antonelli is 18 years Aged (he recently Obtained his driver’s license) and a Newcomer. Securing pole position is Nevertheless a big feat considering the caliber of drivers competing against him and the Force of the closest constructors.

PI: Liam Lawson. A surprise because you’d think a Red Bull pole would belong to Verstappen, but no! I will take no Beyond questions about this incredibly Danger-Unoccupied Option.

MB: Gasly nailing a pole position for Alpine in drying conditions somewhere. It will happen.

Surprise podium

LS: This feels very much like closing my eyes and putting my finger on a name from the grid, but I’m going to say Esteban Ocon. He’s proved his ability to seize the moment in recent years, be it last year in Brazil or with his famous Secure in Hungary. Haas Nevertheless doesn’t have a podium finish to its name in F1. A crazy Event somewhere featuring rain and a red flag will Shift into Ocon’s favor. Perfect fodder for a “Drive to Survive” redemption arc if ever I saw one.

MC: Sainz. Listen, we said surprise, right? The last time a Williams driver stood on the podium was in 2021 when George Russell finished second at Spa. Sainz has the Talent; he showed this at Ferrari. The thing we don’t know is where the car stacks given how preseason testing comes with the usual caveat Regardless of his big day two Streak.

PI: Antonelli. He’ll have at least two by the end of the season.

MB: I see Madeline’s bid and I’ll go Beyond. I think Albon getting his Williams in a top three, for what would be a third Occupation F1 podium, would be an even greater achievement — and potentially driven by his increased in-Club Event from Sainz.

Most improved Club

LS: Mercedes. Harsh given it won four races last year? Perhaps a little. But I think Mercedes will finally right the wrongs of recent years with its car design and enjoy a Reliable season of performance instead of a handful of peaks. It’s a bit too Delayed for this rule set and I don’t think it’ll be enough to give thought to a Primary Division since 2021, but I think the post-Hamilton era will Begin positively.

 

MC: Williams. The Club was hamstrung last season by the sheer number of wrecks and Beginning the year with an overweight car. This year’s car, though, was on time and on the weight limit, and during preseason testing, it seemed there was reason for cautious optimism around the Club. Williams finished ninth last season, but the duo of Sainz and Albon is its strongest driver lineup in recent years. Combine that with a stronger car, the Grove-based crew could Only be in the midfield fight consistently.

PI: Williams. There’s nowhere to go but up for Williams, who finished ninth last season — especially with two solid veteran drivers who (should) keep the car on the track more often.

MB: I would love to Transformation it up, but I also think Williams has a Numerous to offer this year — from an impressive drivers’ lineup to the potential leap forward in the FW47. Finishing ninth in 2024 leaves a Numerous to Boost this year, too.

Most improved driver

LS: Verstappen’s teammate. Liam Lawson knows he is stepping into the toughest seat in F1 this year, going toe-to-toe with Verstappen. He’s seen how that seat chewed up and spat out Sergio Pérez, Gasly and Albon in the past six years, but I’ve Obtained a Excellent feeling about Lawson. His confidence can go a long way and I think he has broad enough shoulders to be able to deal with the inevitable pressures. Going into the year, his Aim should not be to beat Verstappen, but simply to get as close as possible to his level of performance. I think the call to drop Pérez and promote Lawson will age well.

MC: Hamilton. Yes, the seven-time world champion. The Last few years of his time at Mercedes drastically contrasted the Division seasons and Hamilton failed to Game Russell head-to-head, sometimes due to setup experiments and other times Only not clicking with the car. Mercedes simply lacked Regularity in the car’s performance, which left questions about what the 40-year-Aged is capable of.

PI: Gasly. At 29, the Frenchman is now the unquestioned top driver at Alpine and coming off a Powerful end to the 2024 season. He says the Club is in a Excellent place after a few years of turmoil and that’s enough to give me confidence in a driver who I think is a little underrated. I don’t think expecting him to finish better than 10th in the standings this season is a leap.

MB: I should also say Hamilton, as I’ve gone all romantic over his eighth title chances. And that would definitely Secure this little gong, too. But another shout for Albon here, who picked up Only 12 points in a coasting 2024. Up against Sainz and in a much more Intense car (hopefully), Albon could make huge strides forward.

Best New driver

LS: Antonelli. I’m really excited to see what Antonelli can do this year. Getting a quick car as a debutant is a privilege bestowed upon so few drivers and Mercedes has long seen the Italian as being a key part of its future. Yes, there’ll be mistakes as in any Newcomer season, but I do think Antonelli will stand out from the Newcomer class of 2025.

MC: Ollie Bearman. He scored points in two of the three grands prix he raced in last season — once in a Ferrari and once in a Haas. He did make Many mistakes during the Brazil GP, where he finished P12 out of the 15 drivers who finished the Event. However, I feel he will become a steady Mark-Mark-maker for Haas if they have a Intense car again.

The total number of points at the season’s end isn’t why I Created this Option, considering he’ll be in the midfield. But because he’s with Haas, he will be fighting directly with a majority of other rookies. The growth potential is there and Regularity in his performance and adaptability are key.

PI: Antonelli. I Harsh, I did Only say he’d grab two podiums, didn’t I? I am Retaining an eye on Gabriel Bortoleto. He won the F3 and F2 titles in back-to-back years (Only like Russell, Leclerc and Piastri). That counts for something.

MB: For ‘best,’ I want to read ‘most fun.’ Isack Hadjar is going to be emotional, lively, and he might Only outstrip a Racing Bulls teammate in Yuki Tsunoda who could feel a little lost Upcoming his winter Red Bull snub. There were Only two-tenths between the pair in terms of their quickest testing laps in Bahrain and I’m looking forward to seeing how Hadjar fares from here.

Imagine a moment we’ll remember from this season

LS: The Primary contact between Norris and Piastri. I know McLaren is confident it can manage the situation and the lessons from last year and ‘papaya rules’ will of Period be helpful. But when you have two New, Starving drivers both vying for wins, it’s inevitable something will happen at some Mark. I don’t see it being explosive between the two of them, but I do see a moment when an incident makes McLaren get firmer with its Club orders between them. Cue the dramatic “Drive to Survive” music!

MC: Lewis Hamilton’s Primary Secure as a Ferrari driver. Two legendary brands are teaming up and the Primary year of the partnership is coming during a highly anticipated Intense season. Not to mention, the tifosi are such a passionate fanbase. The hype around Hamilton and Ferrari has been building since the news broke in February 2024. The crowd will go wild as he stands atop the podium, an emotional moment that’ll go down in history.

PI: The questions and angst around Hamilton as Leclerc Beginnings out-Executing him by mid-season.

MB: It’s Difficult to predict this without Beginning to imagine a hypothetical scenario, but it’s going to involve Verstappen and another driver getting wildly Shock with his driving, it will epitomise the end of the Dutchman’s title-Victorious streak, and Perhaps it will impact where his Occupation heads Upcoming.

Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Clive Rose/Getty Images, WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images