Written by Aditya Bains, Edited by Meghana Sree
The 2024 Formula One season kicks off this month and in celebration of the upcoming season, I have compiled my predictions for the 2025 season driver lineups.
Racing Bulls - Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson
About two years ago I predicted that the 2023 lineup for AlphaTauri, now Racing Bulls, would consist of Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson. While I was wrong about the timing of this duo, I believe that this lineup will most certainly emerge in 2025.
Lawson has seemingly been guaranteed a seat at Racing Bulls by the Red Bull family and Tsunoda will likely be retained on a short-term contract after a showcase of consistent performance over the past few seasons.
Haas - Nico Hulkenberg and Ollie Bearman
Gunther Steiner is gone and it appears that Haas is hoping to find a new trajectory for their team after subpar performances year after year. Haas will likely look to retain Hulkenberg after a strong performance during his stint with the team.
The team will likely move on from the struggling Kevin Magnussen, and bring in a rookie in the form of Ollie Bearman.
Sauber - Carlos Sainz and Theo Pourchaire
Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas will likely both part ways from the team after giving mediocre performances during their time with the team. Carlos Sainz as of now has no seat for the 2025 season, after being ousted from Ferrari in favour of Lewis Hamilton.
However, strong family ties to Audi will likely result in him landing a seat at Sauber, soon to be Audi. The other seat will likely be given to 2023 Formula Two Champion Theo Pourchaire, who has been patiently waiting for a chance in Formula One.
This driver pairing would be one that Audi would certainly be confident in having for their debut season.
Williams - Logan Sargeant and Mick Schumacher
I am rooting for Logan Sargeant to have a strong 2024 campaign and I firmly believe that he will. If all goes well for Sargeant I see him landing another contract for Williams as their number one driver following the departure of Alex Albon.
Albon will likely not stay with the Williams team after the 2024 season. Interest from both Mercedes and Red Bull will likely tempt him into making a jump to one of the premier teams on the grid.
If Albon signs with Mercedes, it is likely that Toto Wolff will push for current Mercedes reserve driver Mick Schumacher to get the open seat at Williams.
Alpine - Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly
After a strong season from both Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, it is likely that Alpine will retain their all-French lineup for the future. However, this does produce questions regarding the future of their talented reserve driver, Jack Doohan, with the team.
Aston Martin - Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Fernando Alonso will likely stick with the increasingly well-performing team that is Aston Martin, in hopes of fighting for another championship. It is also highly possible that Lance Stroll retains his seat with the team for the coming years.
McLaren - Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have contracts with McLaren that keep them locked in for the 2025 season. This strong pairing will only keep improving as McLaren continues to work towards being at the top of the grid.
Ferrari - Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
In quite a shocking occurrence, Hamilton has made the move to Ferrari in hopes of getting his eighth Drivers’ Championship with the iconic Italian team. Paired with Hamilton is long-time Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who recently signed a new contract extension with the team.
Red Bull Racing - Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo
Max Verstappen will be staying at Red Bull for the 2025 season and will likely continue to do so till the end of his career. With Sergio Perez out of contract for 2025, I do not see him retaining the second Red Bull seat, as Daniel Ricciardo may be promoted from Racing Bulls by the Red Bull family, with support for him within the team continuing to rise.
Mercedes - George Russell and Alex Albon
George Russell will look to take over the number one driver role in Mercedes, now with Hamilton departing the team. The chances of the second seat going to Albon are high, who had a very impressive showing at Williams during his time there. Albon and Russell are also good friends, likely making this driver pairing quite cooperative and team-oriented.
The conclusion of the 2024 Formula One season will certainly lead to one of the most disruptive and grid-altering off seasons seen in the sport’s history. We look forward to this upcoming season and the future of these drivers with immense optimism and excitement.