FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN FORMULA ONE FOR 2025
The Red Bull show: Red Bull F1 was the team last year that looked like an episode of the television series The Weakest Link.
As Max Verstappen cemented his fourth straight world title by winning seven of the first 12 races – the halfway point – his team-mate Sergio Perez went missing. Practice crashes, eliminations in early Qualifying sessions and lacklustre race performances sealed his fate despite a contract extension. In fact, of the 589 Constructors' points Red Bull scored in 2024, Perez only contributed 152.
Christian Horner and Helmut Marko made the logical decision and sacked Perez.
Of the current crop of Red Bull drivers, the RB duo of Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson were the obvious contenders. Lawson got the gig; however, it is more likely his elevation to join Verstappen was due to the Honda connections of Tsunoda as RB has its looming Ford association in 2026.
Lawson will need to keep an even keel. He needs to rid the team of the Perez era, but at the same time does not get ahead of himself and take on the team’s clear number one.He will need to mature quickly in that environment.
It is fascinating that Dr Marko still hires Antipodean drivers, as the road before Lawson is littered with falls from grace. Brendon Hartley, Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo all felt the Austrian’s cold stare. Let’s hope Lawson is not the next one.
Carlos Sainz and Williams: The dump master at the rear of the Williams factory in Grove must be a treasure trove of broken Formula 1 bits. In 2024 the team destroyed more cars than any other team by a long way.
Williams team boss James Vowles was clearly on a mission to move away from a pay drive position, having sacked Logan Seargent and taken Argentinian Franco Colapinto – and some cash – for the back end of 2024.
But he played a master stroke by luring Carlos Sainz to the team.
Sainz’s movements were the talk of the sport for months: was he going to Mercedes to replace Lewis Hamilton, to Red Bull – despite being ‘removed’ by Dr Marko some years ago alongside mighty Max, to Sauber to warm the seat in 2025 and wait for Audi?
It was a 'no' to all of these as he chose Williams.
Clearly there was something that Vowles and his management were showing Sainz that he liked. This will be a fascinating year for the once powerful Williams team with two classy drivers, and Alex Albon defending his top dog status against Sainz.
Lewis Hamilton at the Scuderia: The biggest news of 2024 was the signing of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari. Just over a year ago, Ferrari made the announcement and Ferrari shares gained $43.53, or 13 per cent, in New York trading that day. This was a reflection of Hamilton's superstar status and bringing the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion on board at the reds.
With Charles Leclerc entrenched as marginally the lead driver in 2024, this will be an intriguing battle of teammates. Hamilton will be hungry for instant success as Leclerc will want to stamp his authority – pointing to a headache at some stage for team principal Fred Vasseur.
The focus on Hamilton will be huge, but this is not new for Lewis and no doubt the global tifosi will lap it up.
With the team coming on strong in the later part of 2024, nobody at Maranello will want to see the strategy and race mistakes return to the fabled Prancing Horse.
Jack Doohan and the Alpine triangle: Pierre Gasly must have smiled from ear-to-ear when he heard that Esteban Ocon was moving on. Two French drivers, in a French team, had been anything but friends.
Huge restructuring of management, largely driven by the returning Flavio Briatore and the ditching of the engine program at the end of 2025 to become a Mercedes customer team, represents the biggest upheaval at Alpine (Renault) in decades.
Gasly as a firm Number one would also have welcomed the arrival of Jack Doohan at the end of last year. On pure results Doohan does not have the runs of some of the other F1 Rookies, but his strong work as Alpine Reserve driver and the simulator work he has performed no doubt were factors in his elevation.
But, as always, Briatore threw a curved ball when he signed Willams' stand-in Franco Colapinto as one of three reserve drivers at Alpine.
The internet blew up on the theory that Doohan would be ousted if he did not perform, but for now it all sits in his hands. The quote from the team was that Jack is determined to "cement" his place on the Formula 1 grid.
Doohan perhaps has the most pressure on him of any Formula 1 driver in 2025, rookie or seasoned performer.
The rest of the rookies: A record number of full-season rookies will take to the grid at the Australian Grand Prix in 2025.
There are six in all, so that leaves us with Oliver Bearman at Haas, Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto at Sauber, Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli as Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes-AMG.
The promotion of Ferrari Academy driver Bearman was no surprise as he takes his place in an all-new line up at HAAS joining Estaban Ocon. Bearman had run several practice sessions and three grands prix with HAAS and, as the key Ferrari suppled team, he was a hot favourite for the spot.
His form was backed by Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur as a substitute for the injured Carlos Sainz at the Saudi GP. He drove impeccability all weekend in Jedah to score an eighth-place finish.
Bearman’s F2 campaign appeared interrupted by the ongoing HAAS commitments on a GP weekend and he only finished in twelfth place as his team also struggled with a new generation of F2 cars.
He teams with Estaban Ocon, who is switching from Alpine to HAAS and can be a difficult customer. But, if HAAS continues its push forward then Bearman could be one of the standouts.
Gabriel Bortoleto has been recruited by Sauber. Like Oscar Piastri, he is a Formula 3 and Formula 2 Champion. His 2024 campaign flew under the radar as he kept scoring points while other fancied drivers went from feast to famine.
After a rookie error in Monza qualifying, Bortoleto turned around his championship hopes with an extraordinary last-to-first race performance. He believed prior to the race that he could win and that shows a very strong mental approach. He may struggle in the Sauber but has a great teammate in Nico Hulkenberg to learn from.
Young Red Bull Junior driver Isack Hadjar gets the nod to partner Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls.
With four wins and second place in the 2024 F2 Championship his credentials are clear. However, many mistakes mid-season may well have cost him the title.
Hadjar also appears to need some calming. His outbursts on the Campos team's radio were more like an angry Formula Ford kid than someone knocking on the door of Formula 1.
And then there is Kim Antonelli, who was signed by Mercedes-AMG boss Toto Wolff as soon as he knew Hamilton was leaving.
He was massively fast in his first F1 practice session at Monza, then he crashed.
So he promises to be mercurial from the get-go, and the silver arrows squad is prepared to pay any price for his early mistakes.
If nothing else, the Italian teenager will add plenty of excitement to the mix for season 2025.