F1 2025 season preview: Lewis Hamilton Ferrari verdict and MUCH more

Finally, the first Formula 1 race weekend of the year is upon us and as stars of the sport both old and new take to the track for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend, all eyes are on Lewis Hamilton and his title hungry peers.

Ahead of the upcoming 2025 season, GPFans have unpacked the potential highlights of what many predict could be the most competitive season in the modern history of the sport.

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READ MORE: FIA summon Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari at Australian Grand Prix

Hamilton shocked the sporting world last season by announcing that he would be leaving his former Mercedes team to pursue his childhood dream of racing for Ferrari, with the goal of achieving a record-breaking eighth championship still well within reach for the racing legend.

The 40-year-old will join new team-mate Charles Leclerc at Albert Park Circuit this weekend to showcase what the SF-25 is capable of as the Scuderia gear up to go one further than last season and bring home their first constructors' championship since 2008.

Reigning champions McLaren will also be looking to go one further by doing the double, but despite many fans labelling Lando Norris the title favourite, could his fellow papaya driver Oscar Piastri still be in contention for his maiden championship?

Now many of you may be reading this thinking, 'No. No one will steal the title from Max Verstappen this year.' Granted, the Dutchman is on a roll after securing four consecutive drivers' titles, but ahead of the first grand prix of 2025, the Red Bull star hasn't been shy to admit that his chances of retaining the trophy could be impacted by the decrease in performance from his machinery.

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What to keep an eye out for in 2025

But how does this year promise to provide more excitement than recent seasons? Verstappen has dominated the standings since his maiden title in 2021, Hamilton has never wavered in popularity with his legions of fans. Well, how about we throw six new rookies into the mix?

*Disclaimer*- there are not six rookies on the grid this year, not even if you include Fernando Alonso, but there are six drivers who have finally been handed their first full-time F1 contract this season.

We've got the true rookies who fit the FIA definition of the term, which states that a rookie is a driver who has only competed in two or fewer championship races.

By those official metrics the 2025 rookies are: Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar, Alpine's Jack Doohan and Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto, who is also the reigning F2 champion.

19-year-old Ollie Bearman misses out on the official categorisation of a rookie, having been called upon three times in 2024 by Ferrari and Haas as a reserve driver. The British star stepped in for an unwell Carlos Sainz and Kevin Magnussen and also drove for Haas when Magnussen served a one-race ban in Azerbaijan.

After scoring points on two out of those three occasions, Bearman secured a full-time seat with Haas and could be one to watch.

One young star who finds themself in a unique position is Liam Lawson, who is up against reigning champion Verstappen and under pressure from the get-go at Red Bull after replacing the Dutchman's former team-mate Sergio Perez.

The Kiwi racer has waited in the wings for a while now and in every interview even before his full-time seat was announced, seemed to be snapping at the heels of Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda and Sergio Perez, all of which he beat to the coveted Red Bull seat.

To see how the GPFans team believe Lawson and the rest of his 2025 peers will fare this season, be sure to check out our pre-season preview below.

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