As the F1 world gears up for another thrilling season, anticipation is at an all-time high. Will reigning champion Max Verstappen maintain his dominance, or are we in for a shake-up at the top? Join the Sports section as we break down our key predictions for the upcoming season!
World Drivers’ Championship (WDC) predictions:
Samhi Boppana: Lando Norris
As much as I would love to see Lewis Hamilton (re)-claim his 8th WDC or Charles Leclerc finally achieve his first WDC, I don’t know if this year is going to be it for Scuderia Ferrari — the McLaren Formula 1 Team has proven they have the faster car. Norris seems to have also found confidence in his capabilities as a driver throughout the title race with Verstappen. He earned multiple wins, including on notoriously difficult circuits like Singapore’s Marina Bay, and is a strong contender. However, I’m not counting Leclerc out and neither should you. From his exceptional performance in Abu Dhabi and wins in Monza and Austin, he has shown that he is a competitive and strong driver who gives his all during the race. You can feel his passion for Ferrari and his ability to extract the most out of the car makes him another strong competitor for the WDC.
Shirlene John: Lando Norris
This season of F1 is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent years, with multiple teams and drivers vying for the championship. As this marks the final year under the 2022 regulations, teams have extracted nearly every ounce of performance from their cars, leading to an exceptionally close field. At last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, just three-tenths of a second separated P1 from P16 in the first qualifying session, highlighting how marginal the differences are. Coming into this year, several drivers are looking to make a statement and capitalize on the tightly contested field; however, the title favorite is seemingly Norris. He ended the year confident after faltering earlier in the season. If pre-season testing rumors are to be believed and McLaren has indeed produced the fastest car on the grid, Norris will be under immense pressure to deliver. Anything less than a serious title challenge — or even a championship win — will be seen as a missed opportunity. Norris must prove he can go wheel-to-wheel with the best and seize his moment at the top. Personally, however, I’m holding out hope for a Ferrari title challenge. We’re moving in silence, but there is something about this year that is looking to be special.
Julia Mendes Queiroz: Lewis Hamilton (for the plot)
This year is going to be a mixed bag, for sure. Unless Red Bull builds another RB19 rocketship, I predict that this season will be a lot like the last, with several drivers picking up race wins. A Hamilton WDC at Ferrari would be an absolutely incredible turn of events – and could lead to his retirement – but he’d face consistent competition by his teammate, Charles Leclerc, whose years of loyalty to the Scuderia have earned him a lot of favor. After years of being the unofficial Driver Nº1 (2024 notwithstanding), Hamilton will have to adjust to a new “balance of power.” Norris and Verstappen are the two other obvious candidates; the former had a great season last year, finding his groove and winning races, but a championship with so much competition will be an uphill climb. Verstappen, on the other hand, has been the dominant driver in the past three seasons, with talent and experience to spare, but he’ll have to deal with a new car, team changes and a lot of moving parts. All that to say – I’m hoping for a change, and hopefully one in Ferrari red.
Talia Lehrer: Lando Norris
As a McLaren fan, my prediction for the WDC goes to Lando Norris. After finishing the 2024 season only 63 points behind reigning world champion and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, the battle for the championship was fierce until the very end. The British driver not only secured his first victory at the Miami GP, but also three more first place results throughout the rest of the season. While Norris is my pick for the WDC, the battle for the title will be intense. Don’t write off Verstappen and Red Bull just yet. They may have produced a car that was outperformed by both Ferrari and McLaren, but the four-time world champion has proved his skill countless times, taking the car to multiple victories. Both Ferrari drivers are also strong candidates. Leclerc may be more familiar with the team dynamics, but Hamilton has proven his own abilities, also securing victories during the 2024 season in a car slower than both Ferrari’s and McLaren’s. Put Hamilton in a faster vehicle, and he may outperform his teammate. All in all, the race is just too complicated and close to be 100% confident in a Norris WDC.
World Constructors’ Championship (WCC) predictions:
SB: McLaren
After securing their first constructor’s title in 26 years last season, McLaren are in for a repeat. Through the last half of the season, it has become clear that McLaren has the fastest car on the grid and has an advantage in speed unmatched by any other team. Like last year, I predict the Constructors’ will be a close race and come down to McLaren and Ferrari, with the former once again edging out the Prancing Horse. Hamilton and Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri and Norris are both strong driver pairings, but the strength of McLaren’s car pushes Piastri and Norris over the edge and on the path to claiming their second WCC.
SJ: Ferrari
Under Fred Vasseur's helm, Ferrari has shown signs of greater stability and strategic improvement, addressing some of the operational weaknesses that plagued them in previous seasons. With Hamilton joining Leclerc, Ferrari now has — in my opinion — the strongest driver lineup on the grid. The team also has completely changed their car concept for the 2025 season, switching from a pushrod to pullrod suspension system. While some might say that such a drastic change so late into the regulation cycle is a mistake, I actually think it’s really exciting that Ferrari is being bold with their car and are confident in their ability to continue to progress and compete for the title. If the new concept delivers on its promise, Ferrari could finally find the consistency they've been missing and challenge for both championships. Additionally, both drivers seem genuinely excited and confident about the season. Hamilton brings a wealth of experience and a winning mentality, while Leclerc is in prime form; both drivers have performed in moments that mattered the most — winning both their home races last season. If Ferrari can maintain a competitive development pace throughout the season, they have a real shot at disrupting the established order and making a serious bid for the championship.
JMQ: McLaren
I’m going to go out on a limb this year and say that we probably won't have a Red Bull Constructors’ win; the main reason being that they have a new driver (Liam Lawson), and not to use a cliche, but practice makes perfect. We’ve seen in past seasons that drivers struggle to adapt to the Red Bull seat, with some notable exceptions, so it’s safe to say I think that the Verstappen-Lawson line-up will need some time to adjust. Secondly, Adrian Newey left last season – seeing as he designed most, if not all, of their championship winning cars, I think this might also impact their chance to bring a car that will compete with McLaren Racing’s design. Therefore, I’m going to go with McLaren again; in my opinion, Zak Brown’s team has the most well-balanced driver pairing in the Grid, competing in their third season together, and built a remarkably consistent car last season. And as a bit of a dark-horse, I think that Scuderia Ferrari has a chance to take second place, if they play their cars right.
TL: McLaren
McLaren will no doubt go back-to-back in the World Constructors Championship. Both McLaren drivers stepped it up during the 2024 season, driving to six wins between them and eight pole positions. Each upgrade saw a faster and more aerodynamic car, and McLaren is aiming to capitalize on this success. Red Bull experienced a downfall as the season progressed, and, if preseason testing is to be believed, have not created a car as strong as their RB19. With the loss of their second driver, and the replacement being Liam Lawson, a driver with limited racing experience, the team may not be able to recover from their slump. Adrian Newey, the legend and acclaimed engineer behind the success of Red Bull, left the team at the end of the season and joined Aston Martin – but Aston Martin still has a long way to go before climbing out of the middle of the pack. However, this departure signals the end of a Red Bull era.
Rookie Predictions:
SB: This season is full of young blood, and a far cry from the 2024 grid that was identical to 2023. With 5 rookies entering F1 for the first time, there is a lot up in the air. While I don’t see any of the rookies reaching the podium this season, I’m looking forward to seeing how young talent Kimi Antonelli matches up against George Russell. I predict that he may have a rough start from F2, but will quickly adapt to Mercedes. For Haas, based on Ollie Bearman’s superb performance in Jeddah last year, I predict that Bearman will quickly match Esteban Ocon and show off his talent (despite being in a Haas).
SJ: Many pundits and journalists are heralding Kimi Antonelli as one of the most highly anticipated rookies of the 2025 F1 season. After winning pretty much every type of single seater championship — from the Italian F4 Championship, the ADAC Formula 4 Championship and the Formula Regional European Championship — Antonelli faltered in his year in Formula 2, finishing only sixth in the championship. However, he is coming into F1 as one of the most prepared rookies of recent years; Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated that Antonelli has completed around 9,000 kilometres of testing in Mercedes F1 cars. I expect that he will be quick to catch up; however, as Mercedes do not seem to be title contenders this year, the pressure will be on Antonelli to focus on steady progress and learn from the experience rather than immediately fight for wins and the title.
JMQ: I have to say I am incredibly excited to see a Brazilian driver return to the grid, so my vote of confidence goes to Gabriel Bortoleto. After winning the F2 and F3 championships in his respective rookie years, I’m convinced he’s got what it takes to come in and take advantage of the opportunity extended to him by Stake. Bearman’s debut in Jeddah last year was also impressive, so I am looking forward to seeing how his season is going to go at Haas. I agree with Samhi that we might not see a rookie year podium – although I’m sure Mercedes are certainly hoping for one, and lastly, I doubt we’ll see any of the five rookies be fired in their first season.
TL: This may be an unpopular opinion, but I’m expecting some skilled performances from Haas rookie Oliver Bearman. Bearman may not score the most points out of all the 2025 rookies – as his F2 competitor Kimi Antonelli is now in a rocketship of a car in comparison to the Haas – he has demonstrated a talent for driving at this high level. Not only did Bearman score his first point during his first ever F1 race with Ferrari, later in the season he also replaced Magnussen at Haas and scored another point. However, the Brit is also coming off of a not-so-dominant F2 season. He will face an uphill battle at Haas, and will no doubt need to work twice as hard for the same results as Antonelli in the Mercedes. F1 hasn’t seen six new rookies in a season since 2001, so I can say with confidence: no matter who wins rookie of the year, the season will be full of excitement and drama.
Australia predictions:
SB: For the first race of the season in Melbourne, the past is prologue, and I predict it will end as the season did last year: a Lando Norris win and a Ferrari double podium. McLaren has proved last season and in pre-season testing that they have the fastest car on the grid. Norris, for his part, has shown that he is capable of capitalizing on the mechanical advantage of the car and converting qualifying success to race wins. With the reigning World Champion ruling out the possibility of a race win on the 16th, I predict that Leclerc’s Ferrari will land at P2 and his new teammate Hamilton claiming P3.
SJ: As Verstappen has stated that “Red Bull can't fight for the win in Melbourne,” I’m choosing to believe him, and predict that McLaren will lead the way, carrying through their form from last year. I think that this might be a preview of the season’s early Mclaren dominance before updates from other teams, with Norris and hometown hero, Oscar Piastri, finishing on the top-steps of the podium. However, this Melbourne weekend is looking to be a rainy one, which could shake up the usual order, throwing everything to the wind.
JMQ: I never know with Verstappen; he might say the car is bad and then pull an absolute masterclass, or he could be serious, and he won’t step on the podium in Australia. My bet is therefore on the hometown hero: Oscar Piastri will have a great start to the season, winning his first F1 home race and setting the tone for a year with McLaren as the Constructors’ frontrunner, with Norris and Verstappen joining him on the podium.
TL: In the grid this year are two Australian drivers, and seeing either victorious at their home GP would make for an amazing start of the season. Oscar Piastri, however, has not only a dominant car but two years of experience in F1 more than rookie Jack Doohan. While the Alpine made some serious progress at the end of last season, it can’t hold a candle to the McLaren. If history is any indication, neither driver will secure the P1 position, as no Australian has won their home GP. This fact makes me root even harder for Piastri to battle both his teammate and Verstappen for the pole and later the victory.
