F1 2025 predictions: Sky Sports F1 team pick world...

“Something can occur in Formulation 1, and it often does.”

That’s certainly one of legendary F1 commentator Murray Walker’s most well-known sayings and one which feels notably apt forward of a 2025 season which sparkles with promise and seems set to be probably the most closely-fought and unpredictable in years.

So, because the countdown to this weekend’s opening spherical in Australia continues, varied members of the Sky Sports activities F1 crew have been requested to gaze into their respective crystal balls to make some predictions for the yr forward, in addition to explaining their hopes and expectations for the 24-race marketing campaign forward…

Who will win the Drivers’ Championship?

Martin Brundle: Max Verstappen

Nico Rosberg: Lando Norris

Simon Lazenby: Lando Norris

Natalie Pinkham: Lando Norris

David Croft: Lando Norris, however solely simply – I feel it will be a terrific battle

Naomi Schiff: Lando Norris

Karun Chandhok: Lando is my choose, however the one I wish to win the Drivers’ Championship is definitely Lewis Hamilton as a result of I feel that may be an incredible story to go to Ferrari and turn into world champion

Ted Kravitz: Max Verstappen

Rachel Brookes: Lando Norris, however with Oscar Piastri very shut

Bernie Collins: Lando Norris

Anthony Davidson: Lando Norris

Who will win the Constructors’ Championship?

Martin: McLaren

Simon: Ferrari

Nico: McLaren

Natalie: McLaren

Crofty: McLaren once more

Bernie: McLaren

Naomi: McLaren

Rachel: McLaren

Anthony: McLaren

Ending 1-2-3 order on Australian GP podium?

Ted: Norris, Piastri, Russell

Natalie: Two McLarens and Lewis

Simon: Hamilton, Norris, Leclerc

Rachel: Norris, Piastri, Hamilton

Naomi: Norris, Leclerc, Verstappen

Martin: Do not have a clue!

What number of drivers will win a race this season?

Natalie: Eight

Martin: Six

Naomi: Eight

Simon: Six

Rachel: Six

Bernie: Eight

Ted: Seven

Which rookie will make the most important relative impression at their crew?

Ted: Kimi Antonelli. I feel as soon as he figures out work the tyres he will likely be one of many stars of the season. And you will not see it, however Gabriel Bortoleto too!

Bernie: Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman

Rachel: Oliver Bearman. Him up in opposition to Esteban Ocon will likely be fascinating

Simon: Oliver Bearman. He was good when he got here in final yr

Naomi: Liam Lawson. He is had successfully half a season in what was the RB, exhibiting clear potential in these automobiles. I feel he is a fast, younger driver, so given the truth that he is in a Purple Bull, he’ll have the ability to make apparent impressions whereas others like Gabriel Bortoleto, or Isack Hadjar, because of their equipment not being as fast, it could be more durable for them to show their expertise

Karun: Kimi Antonelli

Natalie: Oliver Bearman has already made an impression, that super-sub efficiency off the bench in Saudi Arabia was simply unbelievable. I feel probably the most stress might be on Antonelli as a result of he is stepping right into a seven-time world champion’s sneakers and people laps in Monza observe sum it up for a rookie – blisteringly quick, then a mistake

It is inevitable that there will likely be errors since you solely iron these out with expertise. However I feel he’s simply coming throughout as such a beautiful younger man who’s attention-grabbing. I keep in mind at F1 75 he is going round shaking everybody’s hand in conversations, simply completely well-mannered, well mannered, beautiful man and to date, so good when it comes to dealing with the stress, however the true take a look at will are available Australia

Anthony: I feel Lawson goes to run Verstappen fairly exhausting.

Martin: Oliver Bearman.

First driver exterior of a big-four crew to face on the rostrum?

Bernie: Sainz

Ted: Sainz

Natalie: Oliver Bearman

Martin: Carlos Sainz

Rachel: Pierre Gasly

Naomi: Carlos Sainz or Pierre Gasly

Which crew will end FIFTH within the Constructors’ Championship?

Rachel: Alpine

Ted: Williams

Bernie: Williams

Simon: Alpine

Martin: Williams

Naomi: Williams

Natalie: Williams

Which 2025 automotive livery will sparkle most on Sky F1 screens from Melbourne?

Martin: The McLaren will ‘pop’ on display screen however the one I preferred most at The O2 was the Racing Bulls

Naomi: Racing Bulls

Ted: Racing Bulls

Bernie: Racing Bulls

Rachel: Racing Bulls

Simon: The Sauber stands out!

Natalie: Racing Bulls

In the event you have been a crew boss, which of the ten groups’ current driver line-ups would you signal?

Rachel: Ferrari. Lewis’ expertise counts for an enormous quantity when it comes to growing the automotive and performing nicely. I feel he nonetheless has it. Charles is good in qualifying and in the event you get the race tempo to match that, they’re unbeatable. The others all have extra areas of weak spot.

Ted: Williams – Sainz and Albon

Naomi: McLaren

Bernie: McLaren. Each drivers are quick in qualifying. They’ve expertise and are usually not new anymore, so their pairing is robust going ahead.

Simon: Ferrari. As a mix that is virtually unbeatable if everybody’s in the identical equipment.

Natalie: It is between McLaren and Ferrari. McLaren have been missing expertise and I am speaking for Oscar, his rookie yr in 2023 we noticed errors, we noticed points with tyre administration, coming to phrases with new tracks, which I feel he is performed brilliantly at ironing these out since.

With Lando and the crew, it was expertise when it comes to profitable, I feel they knew what it was to really feel like profitable and when you get that profitable feeling, it is a form of muscle reminiscence factor. I feel each of them will likely be extremely aggressive this yr.

By way of what I am most intrigued by, will likely be Charles and Lewis as a result of I feel they’re each exceptionally gifted and I feel for Lewis to really feel this reinvigorated, I really feel like he simply seems to be like a extremely pure match with Ferrari. However to see him go up in opposition to a single-lap wizard in Charles, who clearly is aware of the crew extremely nicely, it will likely be so attention-grabbing to see who comes out on prime of that. If I’ve to decide on a driver line-up, I’ll say McLaren when it comes to potential collectively.

What are you most excited by on the eve of F1 2025?

Bernie: It is the final yr of the laws and the way tight we predict the highest 4 groups will likely be and the uncertainty of who will likely be fast the place.

Ted: I wish to see whether or not McLaren actually are the quickest or whether or not it is fourth-time fortunate with these guidelines for Ferrari and the place Ferrari sits in with that.

Natalie: I feel the inflow of recent expertise is probably the most thrilling factor about this yr as a result of not solely do they arrive in stuffed with confidence and dedication, however I feel they maintain the opposite drivers on their toes they usually’re simply disruptive.

Additionally I simply assume it is good for any sport, any group, any enterprise to usher in new blood and it needs to be thrilling.

Rachel: Every thing excites me! Australia is one of the best place to start out the season, it simply feels proper. The groups all look very shut from testing. Mercedes and McLaren maybe confirmed extra of their hand than Ferrari and Purple Bull, nevertheless it seems to be very shut.

Six drivers of their full rookie season would excite me usually anyway however, as a result of it is such an in depth area, they are going to have much more of a task to play. It will likely be among the best years we now have had in a very long time.

Martin: I noticed nothing on the take a look at in Bahrain to alter my thoughts that it will be very shut on the entrance of the sector in Formulation 1 this yr.

We have a terrific grid of drivers all through the sector and a really thrilling consumption of rookies, and while you study over time to be cautious of predicting an excessive amount of, all of the components are there for an all-time basic season.

Simon: Every thing! I am unable to keep in mind a yr that I felt was this tight going into it and had so many groups probably profitable. You get these form of seasons as soon as each 5, possibly 10 years.

I really feel this will likely be as tight as 2021 and probably with three or 4 groups in it.

Naomi: There’s simply so many new storylines. Eighty per cent of the groups have a special driver line-up, in order that in itself is tremendous thrilling, simply to see how individuals are going to adapt to new groups.

Then we now have new rookies and probably the most thrilling storyline is Lewis to Ferrari, how he is going to slot in there, what he can do results-wise. Even Carlos Sainz to Williams, it appears the automotive goes to carry out nicely and simply to see him adapt to a brand new setting. I feel it will be massive yr.

What race weekend are you trying ahead to most?

Naomi: From the racing perspective, I actually do love Brazil. We appear to only at all times have sensational races out in Brazil. Monaco is one which I stay up for largely for the environment, I might say.

Ted: Monaco Grand Prix. It is on the finish of Could, we now have an image of who’s aggressive and who just isn’t however there is a separate set of calls for for Monaco.

Bernie: My first race is China, which I have not been to since pre-Covid-19. It will likely be attention-grabbing to see how totally different it’s. I really like Baku. I prefer it as a race weekend and it may be chaotic. For the younger drivers, that is an attention-grabbing one.

Simon: Australia as a result of it is the subsequent one, and Suzuka as a result of I’ve not been there for some time!

How will Lewis Hamilton fare in yr one at Ferrari?

Simon: Lewis has already mentioned it will not take months to get on prime of the automotive. All of us charge totally different drivers in a different way and I’ve at all times rated some drivers a bit greater than Charles. He is a superb qualifier however typically within the race he is not the identical driver and I ponder if Lewis can put some early stress on him, how will he address that?

You do not know how a driver will reply till they’re in a championship state of affairs. These will likely be answered for Leclerc this yr however I feel Lewis will prevail.

Bernie: It is good to see this Lewis 2.0. He is completely revitalised. We’ll get a significantly better model of him this yr in comparison with his final couple years at Mercedes.

If they offer him a automotive that may battle for wins, it will likely be thrilling to see. His massive factor in opposition to Leclerc will likely be qualifying. He must be shut in qualifying and that will likely be his largest problem.

Naomi: Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari might be probably the most attention-grabbing storyline this yr. It is going to be a really attention-grabbing dynamic between him and Charles, who is clearly a really fast, gifted younger driver. It is his stomping floor.

It is going to be a problem for Lewis to only stroll in there and make it his house. On the identical time, Lewis walks in as an extremely adorned driver with many accolades, seven-time world champion versus Leclerc, who’s not received a world championship but, so I feel he is available in with lots of gravitas, lots of weight.

He’ll do nicely inside the crew. It looks like he actually loved the automotive in testing, which is already a terrific signal. We’ve not heard him be as optimistic a couple of automotive in too lengthy.

Martin: We do see Lewis making a couple of extra errors than he used to, in qualifying particularly, however in the event you look again to Silverstone final yr – there was a race to be received, and he received it. He was additionally unbelievably quick coming again by means of the sector in Las Vegas after his issues in qualifying.

So, Lewis has nonetheless received it, and if Ferrari have a race-winning automotive and a championship-winning automotive, then Lewis continues to be able to reaching each, however he is received to beat some nice groups and drivers alongside the way in which.

Will Russell step up once more as Mercedes crew chief?

Natalie: George has been very affected person together with his profession. He waited a very long time to go from Williams to Mercedes. However I feel at every stage he was capable of study an enormous quantity and develop as a driver. We nonetheless see him make the odd mistake that as a race winner, you may’t make.

I feel stepping up now to be the chief of that crew will do wonders for his confidence and hopefully iron out these errors.

Martin: George carries a confidence; the form of confidence I want I had once I was driving. A self-belief that is not uncomfortable, and I feel that he’ll relish his main position at Mercedes this yr, lastly out of Lewis’ shadow even when he has outperformed him on many events.

Except McLaren and Ferrari actually have gotten a efficiency benefit over Purple Bull and Mercedes, then I feel George is one other one totally within the championship combine.

Bernie: They should get the bottom impact proper as a result of that may begin to have an effect on automobiles going ahead. I can envisage this being a construct yr for Mercedes.

I feel the brand new laws for 2026, they are going to have engine so they could swap growth from this automotive to subsequent yr.

That is difficult since you nonetheless want to know what’s gone fallacious with this yr’s automotive, you must maintain your drivers glad, you need the cash from the championship, you need place for the pit lane, you may’t simply throw it away. However I see this as a constructing yr and subsequent yr is their yr.

Will Norris vs Piastri at McLaren turn into more difficult to handle?

Rachel: I’ve mentioned Lando for the championship however I feel Oscar will push him so exhausting and there could also be factors when he is forward within the standings.

With Oscar, he discovered an terrible lot final yr. He is received Mark Webber behind him and he is not going to let Oscar turn into a quantity two driver. There is a ruthlessness within the Oscar camp and in the event you get that within the Norris camp as nicely, Andrea Stella may have a extremely massive season forward of him to handle that.

Simon: If McLaren come out of the blocks quick, there will likely be early selections to be made.

Naomi: Final yr, they did not appear to wish to decide on which driver they have been going to again, which I do assume value them factors.

McLaren have gotten the luxurious drawback of getting among the best driver line-ups in Formulation 1. They have two unbelievable drivers within the crew. Lando clearly all through the second half of final season proved to be the faster of the 2 and Oscar was possibly not nearly as good in qualifying, so there’s some areas the place Oscar must do some work.

Let’s examine going into his third season how a lot he is bridged that hole. However it will be a problem for the crew to essentially choose between one driver to the opposite. However I feel it could be value doing so early on, so it would not value them any drivers’ championship factors.

Sky Sports F1’s live Australian GP schedule

Thursday March 13

• 2.30am: Drivers’ Press Convention
• 5am: The F1 Present: Lights Out 2025*
• 9.45pm: F3 Follow
• 10.55pm: F2 Follow

Friday March 14

• 1am: Australian GP Follow One (session begins at 1.30am)*
• 2.55am: F3 Qualifying*
• 3.40am: Crew Principals’ Press Convention
• 4.45am: Australian GP Follow Two (session begins at 5am)*
• 6.25am: F2 Qualifying*
• 7.15am: The F1 Present*

Saturday March 15

• 12.10am: F3 Dash*
• 1.10am: Australian GP Follow Three (session begins at 1.30am)*
• 3.10am: F2 Dash*
• 4.15am: Australian GP Qualifying build-up*
• 5am: AUSTRALIAN GP QUALIFYING*
• 7am: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book*
• 9.55pm: F3 Function Race*

Sunday March 16

• 12.25am: F2 Function Race*
• 2.30am: Australian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
• 4am: THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX*
• 6am: Australian GP response: Chequered Flag*
• 7am: Ted’s Pocket book*
• 7.55am: Australian GP race replay
• 10am: Australian GP highlights
• 7pm: Villeneuve Pironi – Racing’s Untold Tragedy

*Additionally on Sky Sports activities Essential Occasion

Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2025 Formulation 1 season reside on Sky Sports activities F1, beginning with the Australian GP on March 14-16. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime