In 2023 Crimson Bull have been so dominant they might have received the constructors’ championship as a one-car crew – offering the automotive was pushed by Max Verstappen.
However final 12 months their rivals have been a lot nearer and all of a sudden the gulf in efficiency between Crimson Bull’s two drivers price them dearly. Verstappen clinched the drivers’ title once more however the crew fell to 3rd within the standings as Sergio Perez contributed little greater than 1 / 4 of their complete.
For 2025 all bar two of the F1 groups have completely different line-ups – together with Crimson Bull. Two of them have all-new pairings and no fewer than six drivers will begin their first full seasons.
However amid all that change, which crew now has the strongest line-up of driving expertise? That’s so that you can resolve on this week’s ballot.
Crimson Bull
Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson
Perez slumped to his worst lead to 4 years at Crimson Bull final season, the crew misplaced the constructors’ championship and confirmed him the door. In his place comes Lawson, who has simply 11 grand prix appearances to his identify. Verstappen will certainly proceed to set the usual by which different drivers are judged, however will his new crew mate sink or swim?
Mercedes
George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes have misplaced their star driver as Lewis Hamilton defects to Ferrari. However Russell’s performances final 12 months prompt he might now be simply as fast. Then there’s the fascinating query of Antonelli’s potential: Mercedes have tried to maintain a lid on the hype, however the haste with which they’ve pushed him by means of the junior ranks plus his quick promotion to a front-running crew made that unattainable.
Advert | Turn into a RaceFans supporter and
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton turns into the newest in an extended line of a number of champions to pursue the dream of successful a title for Ferrari. In his case, in fact, it might be a record-breaking eighth. However his last season at Mercedes was lower than stellar, whereas Leclerc produced considered one of his greatest performances final 12 months at Ferrari.
McLaren
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
McLaren’s drivers ran one another too shut for consolation at occasions final 12 months, inflicting strained moments on the Hungaroring and Monza. The crew might be heading for a repeat in 2025 if their automotive stays as aggressive because it was for a lot of final season and Piastri continues to shut the hole to Norris.
Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Alonso will flip 44 subsequent season however has proven no signal of letting up both his relentless tempo or his uncompromising racecraft. Stroll languished properly off his tempo once more final 12 months, nevertheless.
Alpine
Alpine made a belated effort to lure Carlos Sainz Jnr after Esteban Ocon determined to go away, however have been unable to entice him. Doohan subsequently turns into the primary member of their junior crew to make his F1 debut for them (Piastri and Zhou Guanyu having finished so for different groups).
Advert | Turn into a RaceFans supporter and
Williams
Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz Jnr
Williams pulled off a coup by attracting Sainz to affix them after Ferrari moved him apart to make manner for Hamilton. He’ll undoubtedly show the strongest competitors Albon has confronted since he partnered Verstappen at Crimson Bull.
Racing Bulls
Having been handed over for promotion to Crimson Bull, Tsunoda goes into his fifth season at Racing Bulls. Hadjar arrives in F1 and not using a junior collection championship to his identify, although he led the System 2 standings final 12 months and suffered some poor luck on his solution to the runner-up spot.
Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto
The final two groups have utterly reset their driver line-ups for 2025, taking one skilled hand and one newcomer. Hulkenberg’s F1 profession was unexpectedly revived by his return to Haas final 12 months, whereas former McLaren junior Bortoleto has finished the Leclerc/Piastri/Russell trick of successful F1’s prime two feeder collection in consecutive seasons.
Haas
Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon
Haas might be Ocon’s fourth completely different crew since he made his F1 debut in 2016, and his first time sharing a crew with somebody considerably much less skilled than himself. Bearman significantly impressed Haas on his appearances for them in follow classes and in its place.
Advert | Turn into a RaceFans supporter and
I say
When you can’t low cost prime skills like Verstappen and Alonso, they’re one half of considerably imbalanced driver pairings. Stroll more and more appears to be like like a drag on Aston Martin’s potential, and whereas Lawson has the potential to impress, he’s nonetheless very a lot an unknown amount.
McLaren’s pairing of Norris and Piastri undoubtedly served them properly final 12 months, and given their relative inexperience in comparison with many different drivers on the grid, they nonetheless have potential to enhance. However one crew has shaped a really spectacular partnership.
Ferrari already had arguably one of many strongest line-ups in F1 with Leclerc and Sainz. However changing the latter with essentially the most profitable driver in F1 historical past creates a formidable line-up. The times of this crew not wanting ‘two roosters in the identical hen home’ are lengthy gone.
However one fascinating query within the upcoming season might be whether or not Mercedes’ religion in Antonelli is vindicated. If he’s actually nearly as good as they suppose he’s, their squad might be a critical power.
You say
Which crew has the strongest driver line-up for 2025? Forged your vote beneath and have your say within the feedback.
Which System 1 crew has the strongest driver line-up for 2025?
- Haas: Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon (0%)
- Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto (0%)
- Racing Bulls: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar (0%)
- Williams: Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz Jnr (0%)
- Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan (0%)
- Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll (0%)
- McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri (67%)
- Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton (33%)
- Mercedes: George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli (0%)
- Crimson Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson (0%)
Whole Voters: 3
Loading …Advert | Turn into a RaceFans supporter and
A RaceFans account is required with a purpose to vote. In case you don’t have one, register an account right here or learn extra about registering right here. When this ballot is closed the end result might be displayed as an alternative of the voting type.
Miss nothing from RaceFans
Get a every day e-mail with all our newest tales – and nothing else. No advertising, no adverts. Join right here:
