“It must be one of many best seasons in Method 1 historical past.”
The tantalising expectation expressed by Martin Brundle throughout a latest Sky Sports activities Information interview in an early preview of a 2025 season that already sparkles with promise and anticipation even earlier than a single wheel has been turned by one of many grid’s 10 new soon-to-be-launched automobiles.
The countdown to pre-season testing in Bahrain on the finish of February, after which the primary race in Australia on March 16, lastly really begins to ramp up over the following week, with Williams taking the wraps of their newest automotive – albeit in a one-off livery – on Friday earlier than subsequent Tuesday’s first-of-its-kind all-team and driver occasion at London’s O2 proves the centrepiece of a launch season with a distinction.
Max Verstappen will begin the 12 months aiming to turn out to be simply the second driver after Michael Schumacher to win the drivers’ title 5 years in succession however Crimson Bull’s reigning champion could face his hardest quest for the crown since profitable his first in 2021…
What the second half of the 2024 season advised us
So what gives the prospect of a wide-open, true multi-driver championship combat this time given the identical driver has gained the final 4 world titles, two with absolute dominance and the final with the consolation of two races nonetheless to spare.
Nicely, for exhibit A, we provide the drivers’ factors standings from the second half of final season.
Whereas the spectacular Verstappen in the end completed a snug 63 factors away from second-placed Lando Norris within the standings regardless of resurgent McLaren ending Crimson Bull’s reign as constructors’ champions, a lot of the leg work in the direction of the Dutchman’s fourth consecutive title had been carried out within the marketing campaign’s first half.
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Verstappen gained seven of the primary 10 races and was already a dominant 84 factors forward of Norris, and greater than 100 away from everybody else, by the point the 24-race season reached its midway level after July’s British Grand Prix the place the Dutchman completed second to Lewis Hamilton.
The following 12 races, nonetheless, to the tip of the marketing campaign in Abu Dhabi in December painted a really completely different image.
Prime factors scorers in last 12 races of 2024 season (Hungary-Abu Dhabi)
- 1. Charles Leclerc – 206 factors – 2 wins
- 2. Lando Norris – 203 factors – 3 wins
- 3. Max Verstappen – 182 factors – 2 wins
- 4. Oscar Piastri – 168 factors – 2 wins
- 5. Carlos Sainz – 144 factors – 1 win
- 6. George Russell – 134 factors – 1 win
- 7. Lewis Hamilton – 113 factors – 1 win
Having been nearly unbeatable for a lot of the earlier two years in his Crimson Bull, Verstappen gained simply twice extra and was solely the third highest-scoring driver from the Hungarian GP onwards
As a substitute it was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who prime scored over the ultimate dozen rounds, with Norris a detailed second.
Leclerc scored 206 factors, simply three greater than Norris however 24 greater than Verstappen. In all, the ultimate 12 race wins had been shared between the highest seven drivers with nobody claiming greater than Norris’ three.
Martin Brundle believes Ferrari driver Hamilton has misplaced his edge however he backs the seven-time world champion to win a file eighth World Drivers’ Championship in 2025
Moreover, had the factors been reset from that summer time Budapest race onwards, then 4 drivers – Leclerc, Norris, Verstappen and Oscar Piastri within the second McLaren – would have gone into the Abu Dhabi finale with a shot on the title.
In fact, a season’s factors tallies do not ever reset midway by way of a season, so it’s a purely illustrative instance of F1’s growing competitiveness – however a tantalising one nonetheless. The narrative heading into the brand new marketing campaign, after all, has been additional fuelled by mass adjustments to the grid’s 10 line-ups, with Hamilton’s transfer to affix Leclerc at Ferrari the headline match-up.
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Teenage rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli joins Russell at a new-look Mercedes, with Liam Lawson promoted to the seat subsequent to Verstappen after the struggling Sergio Perez lastly misplaced his Crimson Bull drive.
“We’ll see if Crimson Bull have recovered their automotive. That is the important thing factor,” steered Brundle on one of many key early questions to return in pre-season testing.
“If Crimson Bull have recovered their automotive and Verstappen’s on kind, he’ll nonetheless be the person to beat for the title as a result of Piastri might take factors off Norris and Hamilton and Leclerc might take factors off one another.”
Verstappen exams his cricket expertise with England gamers Reece Topley, Issy Wong and Will Jacks. Courtesy of Oracle Crimson Bull Racing and England Cricket
The consequence of static laws and the legislation of diminishing returns
The approaching season marks the fourth – and last – marketing campaign of the present regulation period.
Subsequent 12 months F1’s technical rulebook is turned the wrong way up for 2026 in a approach arguably by no means fairly seen earlier than owing to simultaneous adjustments to each the chassis and engine laws.
Scuderia Ferrari share model new EXTENDED footage of Hamilton’s first check drive in purple – from storage to trace!!! (Credit score: Scuderia Ferrari)
Earlier than then, although, and historical past has tended to point out that the deeper right into a static regulation period F1 goes the nearer the racing will get and the extra aggressive the battle for wins turns into.
“The laws are very mature so we’re not anticipating one staff to immediately soar forward,” mentioned Brundle of 2025’s seemingly aggressive image.
“They’re reaching the height on this final season of how these automobiles can carry out.”
With little long-term worth in groups pursuing season-long automotive growth this time owing to the shortage of carry-over components into 2026, the flip ought to imply that if 2025 begins as shut as is hoped, then it’s more likely to keep that approach throughout the 24-race marketing campaign.
‘Mega’, ‘epic’ – what the main groups are predicting
Chatting with Sky Sports activities at varied pre-season occasions in latest weeks, staff bosses at a few of the main outfits have been singing from a really related hymnsheet close to what to anticipate within the new season.
Zak Brown, McLaren: “[Lando’s] positively one of many favourites. I might put Oscar in there, Max in there. Charles in there, Lewis in there, George in there.
“I believe Kimi [Antonelli] might be going to win a race or two, although clearly, as a rookie, will probably be robust to place collectively 24 races with out having a couple of rookie days. Liam [Lawson] I am certain shall be sturdy, and do not rule out Fernando [Alonso]… so I believe it’ll be an epic season.”
As Method 1 returns to Australia for the 2025 season, try what the drivers have been as much as throughout their winter break
Christian Horner, Crimson Bull: “I believe it’ll be a mega 12 months. I believe that McLaren had a powerful 12 months final 12 months, however we nonetheless gained extra particular person races than some other driver, nearly double.
“Max shall be robust to beat, however we do not underestimate the opposition.”
Toto Wolff, Mercedes: “I believe this 12 months could possibly be the identical once more that three, 4, 5 groups are actually shut to one another combating – which is nice information for the game – and on the similar time balancing growth for subsequent 12 months. It may be fairly fascinating how the priorities are set.”
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When will we discover out extra about the place groups stand?
It’s the three days of testing in Bahrain on February 26-28 that may, as ever, begin to present the primary clues and the hints at an early-season pecking order.
Nonetheless, this 12 months even then that may simply be the proof of automotive efficiency on a monitor which doesn’t stage the primary Grand Prix on condition that for the primary time since 2020, the primary race of the season is just not additionally in Bahrain.
Australia’s Albert Park – a really completely different monitor to Sakhir – hosts the March 16 opener with Bahrain’s Grand Prix not going down till the fourth spherical in April.
As Method 1 returns to Australia for the 2025 season, try what the drivers have been as much as throughout their winter break
“It must be so shut and whoever wins it’ll win an excellent championship,” mentioned Brundle.
“However till we see the automobiles on monitor, and doubtless not till the Saturday of Melbourne, the primary race, the place they’re low gasoline, flat out, contemporary tyres, giving it all the things will we really know the tempo of who’s simply aced it. Then it is about who’s nonetheless quick 30, 50, 60 laps right into a grand prix.
“I believe it’s totally courageous to put in writing anyone off or write anyone right into a championship-winning place.”
Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2025 Method 1 season dwell on Sky Sports activities F1, beginning with the Australian GP on March 14-16. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
