2025 season | Five stories to follow in Formula 1

The 2025 Formula 1 season may be one of the most intriguing in recent years. While only two pilot pairs remain intact and many recruits will arrive, there are multiple stories to follow. Here are five.

Will Lando Norris win a first title?

After a start to the season which suggested another domination, Max Verstappen was finally seriously threatened on the track in 2024. There were several architects of this threat, but the main one was Lando Norris. Aboard his McLaren, the Briton had his best career season, which, combined with excellent performances from Oscar Piastri, allowed the Papaya team to win a first constructors’ title in 26 years. . Norris has won four races in 2024, and we can expect even more in 2025, now that the driver and his team are aware of what they can achieve – which was not the case at the start of 2024. “Next year will be mine,” Norris said into his microphone after winning the last Grand Prix of the campaign, in Abu Dhabi. However, there is a world of difference between stating it and realizing it. One thing is certain: this one will have the knife between his teeth from the first race of the next campaign, on March 16.

Ferrari and its two stars

On paper, Ferrari undoubtedly has the best driver duo with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. It remains to be seen what it will do on the track. The year 2024 has been full of ups and downs for Hamilton in his final season at Mercedes; he himself has sometimes doubted his ability to be as fast as he has been in the past. The seven-time world champion finally won two races in July, in England and Belgium, after 945 days without a victory. He will now have to get used to a brand new car, and a brand new team, with the Scuderia. In the case of Leclerc, he has been one of the most consistent drivers on the grid in 2024. If Hamilton starts the season in his new car strong and Leclerc continues the work of last season, all hopes will be high for the continuation of things. And it will be very interesting to see how the competition between the two veteran teammates will be managed…

Will Aston Martin come back strong?

Aston Martin has been very clear for several years that it will aim for the championship in 2026. Last season, she added to her team the most coveted free agent in F1: engineer Adrian Newey, architect of Red Bull’s successes over the past 18 years. As Newey will only begin his work with the team on the 1^is March 2025, its impact should be felt more in 2026. It remains that next season will be important for the team, which will want to take a big step forward. While we expect a more competitive car, one question remains: does Lance Stroll still have his place? The Quebecer only finished in the points six times last season. Fernando Alonso has done it 14 times. The gap between the two drivers is substantial, both in qualifying and in the race. It makes you wonder if Aston Martin will be able to achieve their championship goals with Stroll in their ranks. The latter will absolutely have to do better in 2025.

Which recruit will be able to establish themselves?

Unlike last season, there will be new faces on the grid in 2025. And new faces often mean nice surprises. The new names are Jack Doohan at Alpine, Oliver Bearman at Haas, Gabriel Bortoleto at Sauber, Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes, Isack Hadjar at RB and Liam Lawson at Red Bull. Bearman, still very young at 19, and Lawson have already proven that they have their place in the premier discipline; both have already taken part in a few races. As for Doohan, a large part of his performance will depend on the car he has in his hands – 2025 was, remember, a complicated year for Alpine. Antonelli, for his part, is the subject of great expectations at Mercedes; at 18, he was seen as one of the future great stars of sport. Bortoleto and Hadjar will probably be the signings with the least pressure; in mid- and back-of-the-grid teams, they will benefit from the advice of veteran partners (Nico Hulkenberg for Bortoleto, Yuki Tsunoda for Hadjar) when they enter F1.

Lawson and Verstappen, what to expect?

Of all the aforementioned young drivers, Liam Lawson will arguably be the one with the most pressure. After the departure of Sergio Pérez, he will be the partner of the best driver on the grid, Max Verstappen. Without matching the reigning champion in terms of performance, Lawson will have to collect as many points as possible race after race, which will not be easy. His style – a fierce driver who does not fear battles on the track – however suits the team well, and could counterbalance his inexperience. It will be intriguing to see if he can meet the usual expectations of a second driver at Red Bull, which we know are always high.