The start of the new Formula 1 season is getting closer. Before the March 16 race at the Albert Park circuit in Australia, the new cars will debut in Bahrain for the usual three days of pre-season testing, giving an early indication of performance. But even before the official car launches, predictions have already begun on who will be crowned the 2025 F1 world champion.
The upcoming season, set to begin in less than a month, is expected to be one of the most competitive in recent years. Four teams—McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes—are in contention for the two world titles. Additionally, as happens every year, the midfield battle between Haas, Alpine, Aston Martin, and Williams will be fierce.
McLaren cannot be overlooked. They are coming off an excellent 2025 season, having secured the Constructors’ Championship after years of struggle, and they have a fundamentally competitive car. Ferrari, on the other hand, will not be given much room for error. The entire team, led by Frédéric Vasseur, has announced that the SF25 will be a completely new car designed to fight for the world title.
Red Bull and Mercedes remain major question marks. The Milton Keynes team is coming off a brutal year, having lost key figures from its organizational structure, suffered a dramatic drop in performance, and relied on results from just one driver. Meanwhile, Mercedes must prove they can finally emerge from the slump they entered in 2022 with the introduction of the new regulations.
As for the drivers, the situation appears clearer. Ferrari boasts the best lineup: seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and young talent Charles Leclerc, who is ready to make history. No other team has a pairing as strong. McLaren’s drivers tend to make mistakes under pressure, as seen with Norris in his battles with Max Verstappen and with Oscar Piastri, especially in Abu Dhabi.
The other two top teams will have to rely on a single driver: Max Verstappen for Red Bull and George Russell for Mercedes. Meanwhile, Liam Lawson and Kimi Antonelli will use their first year to acclimate and gain confidence within their teams before aiming higher in 2026.
As the official car launches approach, predictions about the 2025 world champion are surfacing. Tom Kristensen, a nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner, shared his pick on the RacingNews365 podcast. “Verstappen? No. I am more than certain that the favorite to become the 2025 Formula 1 world champion is Lando Norris.”
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