With the announcement of Liam Lawson as the new Red Bull driver replacing Sergio Perez The grid for the next Formula One World Championship has now almost completely been outlined. To date, 19 out of 20 places are secure, while for the last vacant seat the only thing missing is the official arrival in Racing Bulls (alongside Yuki Tsunoda) of the Frenchman Isack Hadjar coming from F2.
The market has provided numerous twists this year and in the end there will be even five rookies present in 2025: Jack Doohan (Alpine), Oliver Bearman (Haas), Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) and Hadjar. Lots of news also in terms of transfers from one team to another, after a season in which the situation had crystallized compared to 2023.
The spotlight is obviously on Ferrari, which welcomes seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton alongside Charles Leclerc to hunt for the much-coveted world title. McLaren, fresh from its triumph in the constructors’ championship, is aiming for continuity and confirms the young duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in an attempt to further raise the bar and win among the drivers too.
With Hamilton’s farewell and Antonelli’s promotion, George Russell becomes the leader of Mercedes, at least on paper, while the duo of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will continue in Aston Martin. At Alpine the Frenchman Pierre Gasly will be joined by Doohan, while at Williams the former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz will have to deal with Alex Albon. Distorted line-up for Haas with Esteban Ocon together with the English rookie of the Ferrari Academy Oliver Bearman, but also for Sauber who turned the page by hiring Nico Hulkenberg and F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto.
