F1 2025 driver line up predictions
Discussion
asfault said:
carinaman said:
Regarding Antonelli check lastnights Missed Apex YouTube video with Joe Saward.
If what Saward said is correct then Antonelli's current results may not matter.
An hour.. im not watching that,If what Saward said is correct then Antonelli's current results may not matter.
can you give us the gist?
Leithen said:
asfault said:
carinaman said:
Regarding Antonelli check lastnights Missed Apex YouTube video with Joe Saward.
If what Saward said is correct then Antonelli's current results may not matter.
An hour.. im not watching that,If what Saward said is correct then Antonelli's current results may not matter.
can you give us the gist?
asfault said:
Leithen said:
asfault said:
carinaman said:
Regarding Antonelli check lastnights Missed Apex YouTube video with Joe Saward.
If what Saward said is correct then Antonelli's current results may not matter.
An hour.. im not watching that,If what Saward said is correct then Antonelli's current results may not matter.
can you give us the gist?
Leithen said:
asfault said:
Leithen said:
asfault said:
carinaman said:
Regarding Antonelli check lastnights Missed Apex YouTube video with Joe Saward.
If what Saward said is correct then Antonelli's current results may not matter.
An hour.. im not watching that,If what Saward said is correct then Antonelli's current results may not matter.
can you give us the gist?
spikyone said:
Surprised to read that he apparently already has enough super licence points. Perhaps an argument for a change in the weightings, or limiting the number of points that can be scored at a particular level, it seems absurd that you can just enter a load of national and regional F3/F4 championships and get points from all of them.
There was a lot of talk about Mercedes putting him straight in alongside Russell next season without considering that he had to prove himself in F2 at the moment. His current position isn't entirely his own making but he'll need to up his game to justify progressing. Ironically with the new rules in 2026 he might be better off spending two seasons in F2.
On the other predictions, it's a travesty that Ollie Bearman can come into Ferrari of all teams, be close to Leclerc's race pace in an unfamiliar car on a very difficult circuit, and yet we all know he's only going to be at Haas next season. His name ought to be in the hat for a number of the teams with vacancies. Young driver contracts are doing more harm than good in F1.
Isn’t rookie Antonelli doing better than F2 2nd year Bearman, at the same team? There was a lot of talk about Mercedes putting him straight in alongside Russell next season without considering that he had to prove himself in F2 at the moment. His current position isn't entirely his own making but he'll need to up his game to justify progressing. Ironically with the new rules in 2026 he might be better off spending two seasons in F2.
On the other predictions, it's a travesty that Ollie Bearman can come into Ferrari of all teams, be close to Leclerc's race pace in an unfamiliar car on a very difficult circuit, and yet we all know he's only going to be at Haas next season. His name ought to be in the hat for a number of the teams with vacancies. Young driver contracts are doing more harm than good in F1.
thegreenhell said:
spikyone said:
On the other predictions, it's a travesty that Ollie Bearman can come into Ferrari of all teams, be close to Leclerc's race pace in an unfamiliar car on a very difficult circuit, and yet we all know he's only going to be at Haas next season. His name ought to be in the hat for a number of the teams with vacancies. Young driver contracts are doing more harm than good in F1.
Young drivers always need to go through a year or two in a backmarker or midfield team before getting the top job. This has always been the way. Young driver contracts aren't helping in some ways, restricting where drivers can go when there are so few opportunities, but the lack of opportunities is a bigger issue to me. There are fewer teams than at any time I can remember, and established drivers are having longer careers than ever, meaning a much lower turnover of drivers than at any time in the sport's history. I think this year is the first time ever that their was not a single driver change from the end of last season to the start of this.That being said, it was just one race, he needs to prove his worth for an entire season and a drive in a lower rank team will do this, he’s already proven that he can drive, but he now needs to show he can be consistent.
On another note, I’ve been a Ferrari supporter since I was a kid in the late 90’s/early 00’s and not liking the signing of Hamilton, I understand why they have done it for the merchandising benefits of his fan base, but can’t see him being an asset in actual racing.
S366 said:
On another note, I’ve been a Ferrari supporter since I was a kid in the late 90’s/early 00’s and not liking the signing of Hamilton, I understand why they have done it for the merchandising benefits of his fan base, but can’t see him being an asset in actual racing.
Hahaha...explain where Lewis finished in 2023 and how he was not an asset to Merc in that season? 
HTP99 said:
sidewinder500 said:
Who wants to have Vettel, please not....
On the same page as Ricciardo
Yep, please no to Vettel, he alwasys seems to get mentioned by a few posters when these topics come up, just no! On the same page as Ricciardo
Edited by HTP99 on Monday 1st April 09:22
thegreenhell said:
spikyone said:
On the other predictions, it's a travesty that Ollie Bearman can come into Ferrari of all teams, be close to Leclerc's race pace in an unfamiliar car on a very difficult circuit, and yet we all know he's only going to be at Haas next season. His name ought to be in the hat for a number of the teams with vacancies. Young driver contracts are doing more harm than good in F1.
Young drivers always need to go through a year or two in a backmarker or midfield team before getting the top job. This has always been the way. Young driver contracts aren't helping in some ways, restricting where drivers can go when there are so few opportunities, but the lack of opportunities is a bigger issue to me. There are fewer teams than at any time I can remember, and established drivers are having longer careers than ever, meaning a much lower turnover of drivers than at any time in the sport's history. I think this year is the first time ever that their was not a single driver change from the end of last season to the start of this.Look at the most recent two seasons of F2. Of the top 5 finishers in each season, only Logan Sargeant has got a regular F1 seat and he was Williams-contracted in F2. Lawson had a couple of highly impressive races standing in for Danny Ric but is now in his second season of being paid not to race in F1.
Additional teams aren't much use because the best young drivers will likely be unable to race for them. Unless, of course, we allow yet more teams to run second/junior teams, and that is quite rightly an unpopular idea.
spikyone said:
I don't see how more teams will help. There are 8 teams with available seats for 2025, yet we're already pretty sure thar Bearman will only have Haas as an option if he's promoted to F1 next year. It would be a surprise if Antonelli were to end up anywhere but Williams. Drivers like Piastri and both the most recent F2 champions have been prevented from racing in F1 because the team that holds their contract didn't have a seat available; ten years ago Piastri in particular would've had teams fighting to get him in their car.
Look at the most recent two seasons of F2. Of the top 5 finishers in each season, only Logan Sargeant has got a regular F1 seat and he was Williams-contracted in F2. Lawson had a couple of highly impressive races standing in for Danny Ric but is now in his second season of being paid not to race in F1.
Additional teams aren't much use because the best young drivers will likely be unable to race for them. Unless, of course, we allow yet more teams to run second/junior teams, and that is quite rightly an unpopular idea.
Unfortunately the teams have all learned precisely the wrong lessons from what happened to Piastri, and will now seek to put even tighter handcuffs on their junior drivers until one of them takes a team to court for restraint of trade. It almost certainly falls foul of UK or EU employment law to handcuff an employee for years without offering them a drive. Look at the most recent two seasons of F2. Of the top 5 finishers in each season, only Logan Sargeant has got a regular F1 seat and he was Williams-contracted in F2. Lawson had a couple of highly impressive races standing in for Danny Ric but is now in his second season of being paid not to race in F1.
Additional teams aren't much use because the best young drivers will likely be unable to race for them. Unless, of course, we allow yet more teams to run second/junior teams, and that is quite rightly an unpopular idea.
The problem is that participating in the F3 and F2 circus has got a lot more expensive in recent seasons, with both series doing many more flyaways than previously, so you need several million in sponsorship to compete unless you can get a ‘junior’ drive with an F1 team.
Yes, I’d bet on Bearman to Haas and Antonelli to Williams for next year, with Lawson possibly arriving at RB2 earlier than that, unless Ricciardo suddenly discovers a huge amount of form in Japan and China.
asfault said:
Leithen said:
asfault said:
Leithen said:
asfault said:
carinaman said:
Regarding Antonelli check lastnights Missed Apex YouTube video with Joe Saward.
If what Saward said is correct then Antonelli's current results may not matter.
An hour.. im not watching that,If what Saward said is correct then Antonelli's current results may not matter.
can you give us the gist?
carinaman said:
asfault said:
Leithen said:
asfault said:
Leithen said:
asfault said:
carinaman said:
Regarding Antonelli check lastnights Missed Apex YouTube video with Joe Saward.
If what Saward said is correct then Antonelli's current results may not matter.
An hour.. im not watching that,If what Saward said is correct then Antonelli's current results may not matter.
can you give us the gist?
there will be a few TP remembering what happened with Nyck de Vries performance when he was given a F1 drive
Purosangue said:
I think Bearmans drive was exceptional ,
there will be a few TP remembering what happened with Nyck de Vries performance when he was given a F1 drive
Agreed but he has benefited from the ferrari now clearly being the second best car and maybe only Max is making the redbull number 1. there will be a few TP remembering what happened with Nyck de Vries performance when he was given a F1 drive
Total props to him for getting a result on one of the hardest tracks with limited running and not binning it. But the stars probably alligned for the result he got.
I think there will be a huge difference between driving the current Ferrari and trying to drag a dog of a car around the track whilst trying not to be lapped twice.
He did really well given the lack of prep and the track (although he'd had running in F2) but this isn't a Max/Lewis moment, I'd love to see him and Lawson given a chance, surely Lawson will get a drive next year if Daniel continues to get beaten by Yuki? But I wouldn't expect them to light any fires in the cars they would be given.
Wills2 said:
I think there will be a huge difference between driving the current Ferrari and trying to drag a dog of a car around the track whilst trying not to be lapped twice.
He did really well given the lack of prep and the track (although he'd had running in F2) but this isn't a Max/Lewis moment, I'd love to see him and Lawson given a chance, surely Lawson will get a drive next year if Daniel continues to get beaten by Yuki? But I wouldn't expect them to light any fires in the cars they would be given.
I think Lawson will be given the drive sooner than next year if Riccardo doesnt get his act together. Vettel has been doing some time with Porsche in their 963 Hypercar so i'd imagine moving towards Endurance racing for a bit.He did really well given the lack of prep and the track (although he'd had running in F2) but this isn't a Max/Lewis moment, I'd love to see him and Lawson given a chance, surely Lawson will get a drive next year if Daniel continues to get beaten by Yuki? But I wouldn't expect them to light any fires in the cars they would be given.
My 2025 predictions are:
Ferrari:
Charles Leclerc
Lewis Hamilton
Red Bull Racing:
Max Verstappen
Carlos Sainz
Mercedes:
George Russell
Fernando Alonso
McLaren:
Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin:
Lance Stroll
Sergio Perez
Williams:
Alex Albon
Kimi Antonelli
Visa Cash App RB:
Yuki Tsunoda
Liam Lawson
Stake F1 Team:
Theo Pourchaire
Zhou Guanyu
Haas:
Ollie Bearmann
Nico Hulkenberg
Alpine:
Pierre Gasly
Estaban Ocon
Perez and Alonso could be switched, with Perez at Merc and Alonso staying with Aston
Maybe I've just become a grumpy old git, but I don't particularly rate Bearman.
I think his showing in Saudi is nothing more or less than any competent F2 driver would do in the same circumstances. My opinion is you could have put almost half the F2 grid in that car in those circumstances and achieved that result. Nothing he's done in F2 sets him apart from any number of his peers.
He's definitely a solid driver, and didn't fumble his big moment in the spotlight, but nothing he's doing in F2 at the moment says to me "we have to put this kid into F1".
Moving from informed opinion to wild speculation ... I believe the 2025 grid will be decided from the top down, with everything on hold until Max is off the table, and then the top teams with seats available confirming first, before working down the grid roughly in order.
Max will stay at RB for 2025 (final year of having a near guaranteed car advantage) and move elsewhere for 2026, most likely Merc.
So that leaves Merc with a 1 year vacancy for 2025 - I'm going to go out on a limb and have them move for Albon as a 'placeholder'.
The various political infighting issues at RB leaves CH in charge, and with an axe to grind, and - while strongly suspecting Max is looking to jump ship for 2026 - so he signs Carlos for the 2nd seat with a "both drivers have an equal opportunity to win" brief as two fingers up at the Verstappen camp.
Fernando thinks about retiring, but realises he's getting paid a huge sack of cash to basically have fun, and so decides to ride this gravy train for as long as he can. Papa Stroll thinks about becoming a serious team, rather than a plaything for his son, but with Lance's "I might switch to tennis" comments having died off in recent months, he decides to continue the status quo there.
After another year of being poor, but not dreadful, the Danny Ric train finally hits the buffers and he's dropped for Lawson. Yuki endures another season in RB purgatory, neither "good enough" for the big boy team, nor poor enough to be dropped.
Williams go for a clean slate and the tried & tested formula of 'safe pair of hands and potential hotshot rookie' and pick up the recently dropped Perez and roll the dice with Antonelli (in exchange for some very cheap engines for the next few years) who steadily improves through his rookie season in F2 and has a few eyebrow raising performances towards the end of the season.
Audi come in and want to have a 'big name' signing to be their marquee driver ... their only problem being that there isn't one available!
So they have the option of encouraging Vettel to give up his pension, taking Danny Ric for 'name value' or deciding that their best option already exists in their camp ... "the man that once ran Lewis Hamilton close for almost an entire season" and stick with Bottas. I think they wash their hands of that rather mediocre set of choices, and sign Gasly who is just happy to get out of the Alpine. For their second seat, Maloney seems to be doing OK in F2 and is already sponsored by Sauber, so why not roll the dice and see if he turns out to be the next wonderkid or not.
Haas stick with their strategy of not putting crash magnet rookies in the car and hoover up Bottas from Sauber and stick with Nico, for a solid but utterly unspectacular lineup.
Finally, Alpine hang on to Ocon (more due to him not being able to find a seat elsewhere) and promote Jack Doohan to their 2nd race seat because trying to tempt a credible current F1 driver or F2 hotshot into their car just isn't happening while the car's performance is being measured with a sundial rather than a stopwatch.
RB - Max & Carlos
Merc - Russell & Albon
Ferrari - Charles & Lewis
McLaren - Piastri & Norris
Aston - Alonso & Stroll
RB Visa Cash Grab - Yuki & Lawson
Williams - Antonelli & Perez
Sauber-Audi - Gasly & Maloney
Haas - Bottas & Hulkenberg
Alpine - Ocon & Doohan
Out - Danny Ric, Sargeant, "Suck my balls" Kev & Zhou
In - Lawson, Antonelli, Maloney & Doohan
I think his showing in Saudi is nothing more or less than any competent F2 driver would do in the same circumstances. My opinion is you could have put almost half the F2 grid in that car in those circumstances and achieved that result. Nothing he's done in F2 sets him apart from any number of his peers.
He's definitely a solid driver, and didn't fumble his big moment in the spotlight, but nothing he's doing in F2 at the moment says to me "we have to put this kid into F1".
Moving from informed opinion to wild speculation ... I believe the 2025 grid will be decided from the top down, with everything on hold until Max is off the table, and then the top teams with seats available confirming first, before working down the grid roughly in order.
Max will stay at RB for 2025 (final year of having a near guaranteed car advantage) and move elsewhere for 2026, most likely Merc.
So that leaves Merc with a 1 year vacancy for 2025 - I'm going to go out on a limb and have them move for Albon as a 'placeholder'.
The various political infighting issues at RB leaves CH in charge, and with an axe to grind, and - while strongly suspecting Max is looking to jump ship for 2026 - so he signs Carlos for the 2nd seat with a "both drivers have an equal opportunity to win" brief as two fingers up at the Verstappen camp.
Fernando thinks about retiring, but realises he's getting paid a huge sack of cash to basically have fun, and so decides to ride this gravy train for as long as he can. Papa Stroll thinks about becoming a serious team, rather than a plaything for his son, but with Lance's "I might switch to tennis" comments having died off in recent months, he decides to continue the status quo there.
After another year of being poor, but not dreadful, the Danny Ric train finally hits the buffers and he's dropped for Lawson. Yuki endures another season in RB purgatory, neither "good enough" for the big boy team, nor poor enough to be dropped.
Williams go for a clean slate and the tried & tested formula of 'safe pair of hands and potential hotshot rookie' and pick up the recently dropped Perez and roll the dice with Antonelli (in exchange for some very cheap engines for the next few years) who steadily improves through his rookie season in F2 and has a few eyebrow raising performances towards the end of the season.
Audi come in and want to have a 'big name' signing to be their marquee driver ... their only problem being that there isn't one available!
So they have the option of encouraging Vettel to give up his pension, taking Danny Ric for 'name value' or deciding that their best option already exists in their camp ... "the man that once ran Lewis Hamilton close for almost an entire season" and stick with Bottas. I think they wash their hands of that rather mediocre set of choices, and sign Gasly who is just happy to get out of the Alpine. For their second seat, Maloney seems to be doing OK in F2 and is already sponsored by Sauber, so why not roll the dice and see if he turns out to be the next wonderkid or not.Haas stick with their strategy of not putting crash magnet rookies in the car and hoover up Bottas from Sauber and stick with Nico, for a solid but utterly unspectacular lineup.
Finally, Alpine hang on to Ocon (more due to him not being able to find a seat elsewhere) and promote Jack Doohan to their 2nd race seat because trying to tempt a credible current F1 driver or F2 hotshot into their car just isn't happening while the car's performance is being measured with a sundial rather than a stopwatch.
RB - Max & Carlos
Merc - Russell & Albon
Ferrari - Charles & Lewis
McLaren - Piastri & Norris
Aston - Alonso & Stroll
RB Visa Cash Grab - Yuki & Lawson
Williams - Antonelli & Perez
Sauber-Audi - Gasly & Maloney
Haas - Bottas & Hulkenberg
Alpine - Ocon & Doohan
Out - Danny Ric, Sargeant, "Suck my balls" Kev & Zhou
In - Lawson, Antonelli, Maloney & Doohan
Rotary Potato said:
Maybe I've just become a grumpy old git, but I don't particularly rate Bearman.
I think his showing in Saudi is nothing more or less than any competent F2 driver would do in the same circumstances. My opinion is you could have put almost half the F2 grid in that car in those circumstances and achieved that result. Nothing he's done in F2 sets him apart from any number of his peers.
He's definitely a solid driver, and didn't fumble his big moment in the spotlight, but nothing he's doing in F2 at the moment says to me "we have to put this kid into F1".
.......
I'd go a bit kinder on Bearman. He was dropped in with one practice session. It's a bI think his showing in Saudi is nothing more or less than any competent F2 driver would do in the same circumstances. My opinion is you could have put almost half the F2 grid in that car in those circumstances and achieved that result. Nothing he's done in F2 sets him apart from any number of his peers.
He's definitely a solid driver, and didn't fumble his big moment in the spotlight, but nothing he's doing in F2 at the moment says to me "we have to put this kid into F1".
.......
d of a track that doesn't allow any fkups onto airport size tarmac runoffs and he did well even if the car is evidently good.My takeaway from the hype is that is shows just how desperate so many are for new faces in F1.
As for the moves, agree with much of it. I wonder if Ocon will be the placeholder at Mercedes rather than Albon?
Verstappen's and Lawrence Stroll's moves are the tumblers that have to fall to unlock the puzzle. Arguably Aston is a more attractive destination than Mercedes at the moment. Until at least Wolff finds an engineer who understands airflow.
2025 could be fun, or a completely wet blanket with nothing really changing apart from Hamilton wearing red overalls and everyone speculating about 2026.
I do think that F1 knows that there is a clamour for new blood in the sport, it's a bit stale and has been for over 2 years, same excuses, same drivers. same results baring the odd exception that proves the rule, new drivers especially if they can bring some excitement and personality to the grid would be welcomed I think.
I have to say a love a bit of inter team rivalry and shenanigans, whether it's Nico vs Lewis at the front or Ocon vs Perez or Mag vs Grosjean in the lower orders, we need a bit of that, just think how great the last 2 seasons would have been IF Redbull had no number one driver.
Leithen said:
Rotary Potato said:
Maybe I've just become a grumpy old git, but I don't particularly rate Bearman.
I think his showing in Saudi is nothing more or less than any competent F2 driver would do in the same circumstances. My opinion is you could have put almost half the F2 grid in that car in those circumstances and achieved that result. Nothing he's done in F2 sets him apart from any number of his peers.
He's definitely a solid driver, and didn't fumble his big moment in the spotlight, but nothing he's doing in F2 at the moment says to me "we have to put this kid into F1".
.......
I'd go a bit kinder on Bearman. He was dropped in with one practice session. It's a bI think his showing in Saudi is nothing more or less than any competent F2 driver would do in the same circumstances. My opinion is you could have put almost half the F2 grid in that car in those circumstances and achieved that result. Nothing he's done in F2 sets him apart from any number of his peers.
He's definitely a solid driver, and didn't fumble his big moment in the spotlight, but nothing he's doing in F2 at the moment says to me "we have to put this kid into F1".
.......
d of a track that doesn't allow any fkups onto airport size tarmac runoffs and he did well even if the car is evidently good.Its more of a compliment to the talent of the f2 field that they are at such a level a good nubmer of them could jump into f1 and hold their own.
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