Formula One could be at its absolute best in 2025. Competitive action returned in spades during 2024 to halt the march of Red Bull Racing's recent domination. With all early indications for 2025, that trend looks set to continue, setting up a barnstorming season.
Tighter racing, nearly half of the teams capable of victories, and a shake-up in drivers just before a change in regulations are all here. It's a recipe for must-watch weekends. So, if you're looking to finally watch F1 after bingeing on Drive to Survive, took a break after Red Bull's domination, and are thinking about joining back in, or simply want to know what's new, here's why you should watch F1 in 2025.
Legend and Legends - Hamilton and Ferrari
You don't have to know anything about Formula One to know the Ferrari name. The iconic Italian outfit with the famous Prancing Horse is synonymous with the sport and is the only team to have raced in every single season. Under the stewardship of Team Principal Frederic Vasseur, the Scuderia lured F1's most decorated driver, Lewis Hamilton, from Mercedes to Italy for 2025 and beyond.
Hamilton is the sport's greatest driver, statistically speaking, boasting seven titles, 105 victories, a further 97 podiums, and 104 pole positions. Like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, or David Beckham, here is an athlete who has transcended the sport he contests. No matter what your allegiance as a fan may be, it's impossible not to be curious about how Hamilton will fare at Ferrari.
Adding to the story is Hamilton's teammate for 2025. Charles Leclerc, who Ferrari backed from junior racing, faces the toughest test of his career. Leclerc has grown a reputation by winning for Ferrari and outperforming four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel in his first year wearing red. The Monegasque driver will want to show he's every bit as good as Hamilton. Even if they ultimately don't fight for the championship, seeing how the two compare is a fascinating subplot for 2025. And if the Scuderia produces a title-challenging car? Expect fireworks at Ferrari.
Red Bull's House of Cards
Red Bull Racing looked like an unstoppable force in 2023. The Anglo-Austrian team and Max Verstappen toppled Hamilton's dominance with Mercedes in 2021 and never looked back. 2022 had them win all but five rounds, and they went four better in 2023 when they almost whitewashed the season. It looked like 2024 would be the same... until it didn't.
Allegations of inappropriate behavior towards a female member of staff by Team Principal Christian Horner rocked the boat in early February, and rumors of an internal rift began. The team initially managed to shrug off the story with distractions of early-season victories, but success didn't last long. A mechanical problem caused them to lose the Australian GP, and they soon didn't have the fastest car.
Despite an investigation clearing Horner, long-time CTO Adrian Newey left for rival team Aston Martin, fueling the civil war speculation. Poor performances by Sergio Perez caused a slip to P3 in the constructor's standings, costing millions of dollars. Cue Red Bull ending Perez's contract early for a largely unproven driver to replace him for this year. It leaves a full-season rookie partnering Verstappen and no aerodynamic wizardry from Newey available. There's a feeling that we're in the end times of Verstappen's supremacy, leaving the door open for competition and unpredictability.
Musical Chairs
While Hamilton's move to Ferrari is undoubtedly the transfer of the season, it's not the only driver switch. How the movement of drivers between teams affects the championship standings by December will answer many questions that were only hypothetical before. Yes, we'll see if Leclerc can beat Hamilton in equal machinery, but it's not the only comparison of interest.
The loser from Hamilton's earthshaking move, Carlos Sainz, has ended up at Williams. He joins a team trying to rebuild themselves and sits alongside Red Bull reject Alex Albon, who has cultivated a solid reputation at the British team. Albon's stock could rise further if he beats a proven race-winning driver like Sainz. Sainz will want to make sure that doesn't happen but will need to work openly with his new Thai teammate to help push Williams forward. That is setting up a delicate balancing act for the Spaniard.
Liam Lawson, who effectively ended Daniel Ricciardo's career after replacing the Aussie in consecutive seasons, will also look to show his ability. He partners Verstappen at Red Bull, where he could become a hero if he matches the reigning champion's pace. If he doesn't, however, then he faces losing his seat in F1. The pressure is on.
Elsewhere, Esteban Ocon swapped his Alpine pink for Haas's stars and stripes as Nico Hülkenberg vacated the Haas seat to jump to Sauber. Though neither switch is a jump up the grid, the duo will be thankful to remain employed. Their previously tenured peers, Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen, Perez, and Ricciardo are all out of a drive. Ocon and Hülkenberg will need to show they shouldn't be the next ones kicked to the curb.
Closer Than Ever
We're in the final season of the regulations controlling car development in F1 before new rules come for 2026. Late-regulation periods in the sport usually bring close racing because all teams have found, copied, or improved on every technical advantage, bringing them closer together. The last time we reached a point like this was in 2021, which had Hamilton and Verstappen entering the finale level on points.
We saw how close things were already in 2024. Despite Verstappen's title, only his early-season advantage took him to the top. From Miami onwards, there was no way of knowing who'd be the winner of any race. The Dutchman's ten-race run from Austria to Sao Paulo had Verstappen go almost half the season winless, and he was off the podium more often than he was on it.
Pre-season testing in Bahrain suggests it'll be more of the same for 2025. McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes look close to each other, with no one seemingly holding any advantage that will guarantee them silverware, let alone victory. With the midfield looking just as tight and even closer to the big four, it will be impossible to predict a top 10 this year.
The F1 Future is Here
A significant caveat from the driver switching section above really deserves its own section as F1 welcomes new names for 2025. A quarter of the grid are rookies for the season (though Ollie Bearman shakes off this title with a technicality). Such a swap of old to new is unprecedented in the modern era and shows the depth of talent in the ladder below F1.
Say hello to F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto, his close competitor and vice-champion Isack Hadjar, MotoGP legend Mick Doohan's son Jack Doohan, the teenage sensation tasked with replacing Hamilton, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and, of course, the 2024 three-race sensation Ollie Bearman.
Forloc covered these newcomers, plus full-season rookie Liam Lawson, in detail earlier this year, and they represent a palpable changing of the guard. One of these names could be an F1 champion in the future. 2025 could let you see their first moments of brilliance, just like 2015 had with Verstappen or 2007 did with Hamilton. You won't want to miss it.
