F1. 2025 Preview

By Gavin Huet, Aiden McLaughlin, Graeme Woolf and Chelsea Wintle

This weekend marks the start of the 2025 F1 season. As is custom, some of us with way too much time and even worse sporting reckons have come up with a preview to get everyone laser focused on F1 again.

 

What are you looking forward to this season?

Chelsea: Absolutely Lewis in Ferrari. I’m so excited. I wouldn’t even say optimistic – Ferrari have broken my heart so many times – but Hamilton seems genuinely up for the challenge, and has apparently slotted into the team at Maranello much more tidily than expected. The first few races will give us a good taste of how comfortable he is with his new crew. A driver’s championship for Hamilton would be a dream come true, but realistically I’m hoping for a solid season nipping at the heels of the McLarens.

Aiden: A continuation of the excitement that the second half of 2024 brought. Yes, Max may have won another world championship, but the pack was much closer. In the end there were seven different race winners, the most since 2012, and at one stage there was a serious thought that Lando Norris could overtake the Dutchman. Max had built up a big enough lead in the early part of the season and hung on, but I can’t see him gaining such an important advantage this season.

Graeme: I’m looking forward to a few things this year. Those little battles on and off track. George Russell v Max Verstappen from last year, will that beef continue? I’m interested to see how Liam Lawson goes, of course. Can he become a regular points scorer in the Red Bull? Those middle spots in the order and lower points scorers will be key this year too. And how many rookies will be cut by season’s end? It’s going to be another fun season.

Gavin: The drivers versus the FIA is going to be an interesting backdrop to the season. The current head of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, is looking to be re-elected and has been flexing his muscles in some odd ways over the last season – firing personnel and banning swearing to name a few. THe drivers have already pushed back but they have seemingly been ignored so I expect a standoff between them all at some time during the season.

 

Which Grand Prix are you most looking forward to?

Chelsea: Let’s go with Brazil. By early November both championships should still be in contention, and competition will be hot – but I love Brazil for the chaos. Often a wet race, anything could happen over the weekend, meaning runoffs, tantrums, and at least one team principal tearing out their hair. Bring it on.

Aiden: Abu Dhabi, the last race of the season. Why? Because I have a feeling that both the drivers and constructors championships will come down to that race. Dreams are free, right?

Graeme: I’m going to make my own rules here and select two, a modern Grand Prix and a traditional Grand Prix. My modern one is the Miami Grand Prix. It’s the glitz and glamour and the fact that they’ve made it out of the Hard Rock Stadium car park and incorporated the stadium into the precinct. It’s just cool. And my traditional Grand Prix is Spa in Belgium. That fast, long, curvy straight up the hill is amazing viewing, right after the sharp first corner. What a spectacle! I think it’s a fantastic track.

Gavin: There is only one possible choice and that is Melbourne because it is the first race of the season and we have been waiting since early December for this day to come around. And as a bonus for us here in Aotearoa the race is in a very friendly time zone. Bring on the weekend!

 

Who is your driver to watch?

Chelsea: Liam Lawson, obviously. In salary terms, he’s 1/65th of a Max Verstappen, but his performance needs to be right alongside the reigning champion if he’s to keep his seat. Many have tried; few have remained. I’ve seen a lot to be optimistic about with Lawson, and if he keeps his head straight while continuing to flaunt his cajones on occasion, he could be a real highlight of the season.

Aiden: Charles Leclerc is widely acknowledged as the fastest driver over one lap in F1 at the moment; but he only has eight race wins from his 26 pole positions. Now he has a seven time world champion for a teammate so this is a huge season for him. I assume he can out qualify Hamilton regularly, but can he beat him over a whole season, in the same car? If he can, he’ll show his true ability.

Graeme: From a New Zealand point of view, the obvious answer is Liam Lawson. But I’ll be watching Carlos Sainz. This was a great piece of business by Williams to sign the Spaniard. With multiple Grand Prix victories under his belt, he brings a lot of high end experience from his time at Ferrari over the past few years. If he performs, Williams climbs the ladder.

Gavin: Sir Lewis Hamilton. One of the greatest drivers of all time kitted out in the red of the iconic Italian team that is Scuderia Ferrari. The Ferrari will be more sympathetic to his driving style so I am hoping he will hit the ground running and be competitive from lights out.

 

Which is your team to watch?

Chelsea: Aston Martin. So hear me out – nobody’s expecting bombshell changes in 2025 with the addition of Adrian Newey to the team. The impact of Newey’s recruitment aren’t expected to be fully felt until this time next year, but it’s worth keeping a beady eye on the team in the mean time. I’m looking for subtle changes that indicate a change in team culture, an increase in energy, or maybe even hints of a different lineup. Both Stroll and Alonso have contracts through to 2026, but anything could happen.

Aiden: Williams team principal James Vowles has been careful to set realistic targets for his troops and supporters, but with Carlos Sainz now joining Alex Albon, they have one of the best driver pairings on the grid. If they can get a competitive car, I’m expecting plenty of points and some podiums too, as they look to cement themselves in the middle of the pack, well away from the back of the field.

Graeme: Echoing my “Driver to Watch” point, Williams are my team to watch this year. Paired with Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz will drive this team only one way and that is forwards. I’m hoping they can become regular points scorers and finish in the middle of the pack rather at the rear as they have in the past.

Gavin: Scuderia Ferrari. With two very quick drivers and what looks like a decent car we could see some great days out this season. I don’t think they will take any titles as the team will be getting used to a different dynamic with Lewis on board but it will be fascinating to see which driver gets to be number one during the course of the season.

 

Who is your rookie to watch?

Chelsea: I spent some time this week toying with an F1 fantasy team, until the site crashed, losing both my picks and any energy I had for the process. While I was there, though, I did notice Kimi Antonelli cost around three times as much as the other full season rookies: Ollie Bearman for Haas, Liam Lawson for Red Bull, Jack Doohan for Alpine, Isack Hadjar for Racing Bulls, and Gabriel Bortoleto for Sauber. The excitement over Antonelli is enough to whet my appetite for the season, so I’ll have my wager on him for 2025, in the hope that won’t curse him – I am notoriously bad at picking rookies.

Aiden: Poor old Jack Doohan has been on the verge of a F1 seat for a fair while; I’ve lost count of the number of times his dad Mick has spoken to Martin Brundle during Brundle’s pre-race grid-walk. But now it seems the dream could be short lived with rumours saying he might only have five races to prove himself, with Franco Colapinto waiting in the wings as one of Alpine’s reserve drivers. Time for Doohan to make the best of first impressions, starting in his home grand prix.

Graeme: Kimi Antonelli. Stepping into Lewis Hamilton’s shoes is a large task for anyone, let alone a young man like Antonelli. Clearly, he has Toto Wolfs backing and has been earmarked for this seat for a long time. It’ll be interesting to see if he can make the leap that’s been promised, and how much youthful enthusiasm will come into play.

Gavin: Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls. Not lauded like some of the other rookies, and with many pundits stating he is in the seat by default as the next cab off the rank, I am not expecting him to be the fastest around and set the world on fire, however I do think if he can challenge Yuki Tsonoda in the other seat there could be some interesting times ahead. It does look like Yuki, who did not get the vacant seat in the main Red Bull team, is coming to the end of his Red Bull career, and if Isack can challenge him or even outdo him then the axe could fall sooner rather than later. Bonus points for seeing Danny Ricciardo stand in until the end of the season!

 

Predictions for Drivers’ Championship

Chelsea: Let’s go with Lando. I would love it to be Lewis, but this year I’ve got a good feeling about Lando, who has the benefit of almost a year’s experience in a top-tier car. Isn’t it bizarre that he only won his first F1 race in May 2024? I had to check my notes.

Aiden: Lando Norris wasn’t ready for the top spot in 2024 but he’s a quick learner and I think he’ll have used the off season wisely and come to terms with exactly what is needed to overhaul Verstappen at the top of the tree. It’ll be tight, but I see him getting to the last race of the season at the top of the standings and claiming the title on a tense weekend in Abu Dhabi.

Graeme: I’m not sure that it is Lando Norris’ time yet. And the same goes for Charles Leclerc. I think both of these drivers will be battling their teammates for points this season and that will open the door for Max Verstappen to win it all again. I must admit though, I hope I’m wrong…

Gavin: Max Vertappen. The Red Bull team have one very clear focus with a definite number one driver who, if the car is at least competitive, has the skill to win races where others would not. The team in papaya will no doubt be there or thereabout but because I expect them to trip over each other, their drivers will be taking points away from each other.

 

Predictions for Constructors’ Championship

Chelsea: McLaren for the second year in a row. I haven’t heard much enthusiasm about the Red Bulls in the pre-season, so it’s possible they have something up their sleeves, but the momentum McLaren built up in 2024 will be hard for them to keep pace with. I’ll go McLaren #1, Ferrari #2 and Red Bull #3.

Aiden: I see back to back championships for the team in papaya as McLaren show themselves to again have the best car on the grid. If last year’s success was unexpected, I get the feeling the whole operation will have learnt a lot from the experience and be well equipped to make it two in a row.

Graeme: For me, it’s Ferrari. It’s widely hoped throughout the Tifosi in particular, that Hamilton will compete for wins straight away. And Leclerc has been there or thereabouts for Ferrari for some years now. So, I think this is their year.

Gavin: McLaren. The reason they won’t win the drivers is the same reason they will win the constructors. Two very competitive and fast drivers in what is looking like the pick of the cars this season.

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