Formula 1 2025: The Teams
The history of the ten teams in Formula 1 is a tapestry woven through decades of innovation, rivalry, and triumph. Scuderia Ferrari, established in 1929, is the oldest and most successful team, known for its iconic red cars and passionate fan base. McLaren was founded in 1963 and has become synonymous with engineering excellence, boasting multiple championships. Mercedes, which has roots tracing back to the early 20th century, re-emerged as a dominant force in the hybrid era post-2014. Red Bull Racing, starting in 2005, revolutionized the sport with its aggressive design and marketing strategies, claiming several titles in the 2010s. Other notable teams include Williams, a mainstay since the 1970s known for its engineering prowess, and Alpine, the rebranded version of Renault’s team, which emphasizes a competitive spirit. Visa CashApp Racing Bull serves as Red Bull's junior team, providing a platform for emerging talent. Meanwhile, Haas F1 Team introduced American representation in the sport in 2016, and Aston Martin, previously known as Force India, carries a rich heritage dating back to the 1950s. Alfa Romeo- renamed Kick Sauber Ferrari F1 in 2024, rejoined the sport in 2019, representing the Italian legacy in F1. Each team contributes uniquely to the sport's rich narrative, showcasing remarkable engineering, strategic brilliance, and an enduring quest for victory.
McLaren Mercedes: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
The Papaya Twins! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I mean, when you have a championship winning team why would you? The reigning Constructor’s Championship team will be back for their third season as teammates and they are looking for blood. While the team looks to go back to back in 2025, Lando Norris is hunting for his first Driver’s Championship after narrowly getting beaten out by Max Verstappen. It would also be the team’s first driver’s championship since Sir Lewis Hamilton won it in 2008 His teammate Oscar is also looking to grow his trophy collection in the new year. After winning his first two races, he understandably wants more- including a championship- who on the grid doesn’t want one *Cough-Aston Martin-Cough-Cough*. The always calm, cool and collected Australian has been on a positive trajectory since his move to McLaren in 2022. Both drivers are hungry for even more and even bigger success in the 2025 but they will have stiff competition with the always dominant Verstappen and a newly inducted Hamilton to the Tifosi. Can the Papaya Twins be a repeat or will the restructured teams be too much for them?
Scuderia Ferrari HP: Sir Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc
In the most talked about move of the season, 7x (8x if you know you know) World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton made the surprising move to Ferrari starting in 2025. The veteran driver, who has been with Mercedes for the past 13 years is making the big move to the historic Maranello based team in what some have said is his last chance to win his stolen 8th championship. He brings his historic 106 race wins and even more experience to the Italian team. He will inherit teammate Charles Leclerc who has been with Ferrari in some capacity since his debut in F1 back in 2018. Charles has experienced his own success in the sport in recent years and is in the hunt for his first championship title but it will be a tough go as he will not only have to fight a dominant Max Verstappen in his rocket of Red Bull and the Papaya Twins but he will also be fighting his own teammate who needs to explanation of what he can do with a well equipped car (he’s done it 8 times). This paring offers Ferrari an incredibly competitive set for the 2025 season and if they can bring a car similar to, hopefully better than the one we saw in the last quarter of 2024, these two will be a team to watch out for, if not the one to beat.
Oracle Red Bull Racing: Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson
In a shocking move that absolutely everyone saw coming, it was announced after the 2024 season came to an end that Sergio Perez and the Milton Keans based team mutually parted ways after what was a disastrous season for the Mexican driver. His departure, which was speculated for much of the second half of the season has now paved the way for New Zealand native Liam Lawson to finally get a chance to prove what he can do on the big stage. Lawson who has shown he isn’t afraid to go up against the big boys on the track is expected to compliment his teammate who is aiming for his 5th consecutive championship and hopefully keep Red Bull’s competitive edge on the track.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
With Lewis Hamilton’s surprise departure to Ferrari, Mercedes took the anticipated route of promoting 18 year old Kimi Antonelli. He will be teamed up with the team’s “new” lead but veteran team driver George Russell who is expected to continue to lead the team in development and hopefully contend for race wins and overall championship points. He will have to play nice with his new teammate though who is a highly touted junior driver and brings fresh talent and ambition to the German branded team. With the team hungry to get back to the front of the pack and winning championships again, it will be interesting to see how the mix of experience and youth will help or hinder the team in the long run.
Aston Martin Aramco: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Aston Martin is one of only two teams to retain their 2024 driver duo for the 2025 season with veteran Champion Alonso and nepotisms favorite driver Stroll. With the incredible and unlikely addition of legendary car builder Adrian Newley, Aston Martin will be looking to make a real, albeit unlikely play at a championship title. Alonso’s extensive experience and willingness to be as competitive as possible will be invaluable to the team yet again. The team will most likely maintain its position in the upper midfield with aspirations for regular points finishes and some podiums sprinkled in as well. This will be a team that is watched closely if for no other reason than to see where they will go with Newey’s engineering and direction guiding them.
BWT Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan
After a tumultuous 2024 season with drivers going at each other, Alpine is looking at a refresh and reset. While retaining veteran driver Pierre Gasly, they chose to promote Jack Doohan from their junior team as his teammate. As in many cases, the team will look to Gasly to lead the rookie as he takes some time to acclimate. Alpine is looking to take the positive advancements they made in the end of 2024 into the 2025 season. While they aren’t expected to make any drive at a championship, they are looking to move up to the top of the midfield with consistent points finishes.
MoneyGram HAAS: Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman
One of two teams in 2025 to introduce a completely new driver line up, HAAS is looking to continue the success they saw in 2024 but with younger drivers. Veteran driver Esteban Ocon, who had a dramatic exit from Alpine before the end of the 2024 season, he brings the cut throat experience HAAS is most likely looking for as an advantage. However, his new teammate is none other than Formula 1 sensation Ollie Bearman. To catch everyone up, Ollie scored points in both his debut race with Ferrari (sitting in for the recovering Carlos Sainz) and HAAS when he sat in for a suspended and subsequently sick Kevin Magnussen. This pairing will be an interesting one to watch as Ocon is notorious for not playing nice with his teammates- see pretty much his entire time at Alpine with Gasly. My hope is that Bearman doesn’t back down to the Frenchman and solidifies himself as a contender for points and podiums. For Ocon, I think this may be his last chance to prove that he is a team player or he may find himself without a seat come 2026.
RB Honda RBPT: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar
Red Bull’s junior team will once again bring a new face to the grid in 2025. With the mid-season departure of Riccardo and promotion of Lawson, Formula 2 driver Isak Hadjar will work with veteran RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda as they both work to prove they are worthy of a main seat. Yuki is going into his fifth season as a RB Junior team driver but the question this season is if it will be his last for the Milton Keyens based team. He was a favorite for the promotion to Red Bull’s main team when news was “broken” that the team and Sergio Perez would be parting ways but the team made a slightly shocking choice in picking the lesser experienced driver in Liam Lawson. With what will have to be a chip on his shoulder, will Tsunoda being working with the team to improve their standings or is he going to be out there in 2025 to prove his skills and abilities as a driver to the other nine teams who may be looking for a new driver (looking at you Aston Martin) in 2026?
Williams Racing: Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon
Another consequence of the Hamilton/Ferrari collaboration was the annexation of Ferrari veteran Carlos Sainz. For what felt like the longest time, the number one question in the paddock was ‘Where is Sainz going?’. Red Bull and Williams were the most rumored suitors for the Spaniard but it would ultimately be the team from Oxfordshire that ensnared him. A multiple race winner, Sainz brings a lot of knowledge and experience with him from his time at Renault, McLaren and Ferrari. His teammate is long time Williams team leader Alex Albon- who recently signed an extension with the team during the 2024 season but saw very little success due to various complications throughout the season. The team is also looking to bounce back after what really could only be described as a disappointing season marred by crashes and a lack of chassis at one point. As a team that looks to not only develop drivers but also make a play for top of the midfield teams, they need this pair to not only work together but work some magic in 2025.
Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto
The last of the teams and probably the one that most people forget about, Sauber’s final year in F1 before Audi takes over will be a real old school vs. new school when it comes to their driver pairing. German-born driver Nico Hulkenburg has been in F1 on and off since his debut in 2005. For the record, his new teammate, Brazilian driver and reigning F2 Champion Gabriel Bortoleto wasn’t even a year old when Hulk took the grid for the first time. With this pairing, the team is looking to build a strong foundation with a wealth of experience on one side and new school confidence on the other. Brazil has a history of producing championship winning drivers (RIP Ayrton Senna) and Gabriel will be looking to follow in their footsteps. It will be interesting to see what this team does- one would think they can only go up from here.
