Written by Ria Ann Sam, Edited by Julia Bissessar
The 2024 Formula One season has been one of the most thrilling seasons in recent years. The season saw Max Verstappen earn his fourth championship despite competition from Lando Norris, McLaren win their ninth championship after 26 years, and numerous overtakes and battles on track.
Yet, the 2025 season is set to be as - if not more - exciting than last season.
The sport will say hello to four new faces and see the return of Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman competing in their first official F1 season.
Of course, we will see the usual faces but at other teams and hopefully witness another nail-biting Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship.
So put on your seatbelts, and prepare for a hot lap preview of the 2025 F1 season!
Restructuring at Red Bull
Red Bull dominated the 2023 season securing both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships by winning all but one race.
With Verstappen and Perez earning another 1-2 in the opening race of the 2024 season, many fans groaned, thinking they would have another repeat of 2023. However, we were all pleasantly surprised when that did not happen.
Over the course of 2024, Red Bull seemed to struggle, which allowed competitors McLaren and Ferrari to defeat them in the Constructors’ Championship.
Was Red Bull’s declining 2024 performance due to a lack of overall competitiveness or down to Sergio Perez’s lack of performance?
Regardless, we will see a new driver line-up at Red Bull in 2025 with Verstappen and Lawson that may lead to some answers and improvements.
Whilst Lawson already made his debut and competed in several races over the past two years, 2025 marks his first official season in the sport.
Driving next to Verstappen is a difficult feat, meaning Lawson will need to land podiums and points finishes to help out Red Bull in the Constructors’ fight.
Fresh faces in F1
British Driver Oliver Bearman will officially compete in his first F1 season with Haas. He ended 2024 with seven points after three races, making him the first driver in F1 history to score points in his debut races for two different teams, Haas and Ferrari.
Bearman is certainly one to look out for next season, as he drives alongside Esteban Ocon.
Alongside these two relatively new faces, we will see four rookies:
Kimi Antonelli
Antonelli is maybe the most exciting rookie to look for in 2025. Predicted to be a future F1 World Champion, his Mercedes seat had been hinted at since Lewis Hamilton’s announced departure to Ferrari.
Many fans will watch him closely to see how he performs alongside George Russell as he has some big shoes to fill.
Gabriel Bortoleto
For those unfamiliar with Bortoleto’s performances in the lower Formula series, his resume includes Formula 2 Champion, Formula 3 Champion, and several outstanding race performances.
Bortoleto is a talented driver joining Sauber for the 2025 season. Hopefully he can earn them points and put them in a more competitive position compared to last year.
Jack Doohan
Doohan has been part of the Alpine Academy since 2022 and made his F1 debut with Alpine in Abu Dhabi, replacing Ocon for the last race of the 2024 season.
However, recently, there have been rumours swirling around the paddock that his contract may come to an end after five races as Alpine are looking to get a hold of Franco Colapinto.
Alpine seems to be playing a game of musical chairs so it will be interesting to see how the drama unfolds.
Isack Hadjar
Hadjar is the final rookie to join the grid, taking a seat at Racing Bulls team alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
He finished second in the 2024 F2 season and performed well consistently in his junior career. Yet, the pressure is on as the Red Bull family can be ruthless if a driver doesn’t perform up to standard.
Hello and goodbye
As these rookies come in, several drivers are leaving the sport. The sport will say goodbye to faces such as Sergio Perez, Franco Colapinto, and Zhou Guanyu amongst others.
However, there are also many exciting driver changes. Lewis Hamilton shocked the world when he announced that he would be joining Ferrari for the 2025 season, and many fans and viewers are eager to see how he performs.
It will be interesting to see the new team dynamic as Hamilton is gunning for his eighth championship, whereas Leclerc - Ferrari’s golden boy - is after his first.
Carlos Sainz, who made way for Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, is joining Williams alongside Alex Albon.
The Spaniard had an incredible run with Ferrari over four years, notably his 2023 Singapore win that broke Verstappen’s dominating streak and a number of formidable performances throughout the 2024 season. It will be exciting to see how he helps Williams develop into a more competitive team.
Esteban Ocon moves to Haas to partner with Bearman as Nico Hülkenberg is joined by Bortoleto at Sauber. Hopefully these experienced drivers can share their knowledge with the incoming rookies.
Rewriting the rules
2025 is also the final year before the new regulations come in, including lighter cars with moveable wings amongst other changes. It will be intriguing to see how the teams take this news and act this season.
There are already some small changes coming in in 2025, including the removal of the fastest lap point which will have an impact on the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship.
The main question for the 2025 season is - how will the teams progress? Will teams focus on developing their rookies and driver pairings?
Or will they already be planning for the regulation changes in 2026? All we know is: 2025 is set to be an unforgettable season filled with drama and beauty, so come along for the ride!
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