F1 2025 predictions: Sky Sports activities F1 workforce decide world champion, Australian GP podium, race winners and extra

“Anything can happen in Formula 1, and it usually does.”

That’s one in every 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 one of the crucial 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 workforce 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 may be a terrific battle

Naomi Schiff: Lando Norris

Karun Chandhok: Lando is my decide, however the one I wish to win the Drivers’ Championship is definitely Lewis Hamilton as a result of I feel that might be an incredible story to go to Ferrari and turn out to be 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: Haven’t got 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 affect at their workforce?

Ted: Kimi Antonelli. I feel as soon as he figures out the way to work the tyres he can 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 towards Esteban Ocon can 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, displaying clear potential in these automobiles. I feel he is a fast, younger driver, so given the truth that he is in a Crimson Bull, he’ll have the ability to make apparent impressions whereas others like Gabriel Bortoleto, or Isack Hadjar, on account of their equipment not being as fast, it could be tougher 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 unimaginable. I feel probably the most strain 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 can be errors since you solely iron these out with expertise. However I feel he’s simply coming throughout as such a stunning younger man who’s fascinating. I keep in mind at F1 75 he is going round shaking everybody’s hand in conversations, simply totally well-mannered, well mannered, beautiful man and to this point, so good by way of dealing with the strain, however the actual take a look at will are available in Australia

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

Martin: Oliver Bearman.

First driver outdoors of a big-four workforce 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 workforce will end FIFTH within the Constructors’ Championship?

Rachel: Alpine

Ted: Williams

Bernie: Williams

Simon: Alpine

Martin: Williams

Naomi: Williams

Natalie: Williams

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

Martin: The McLaren will ‘pop’ on display screen however the one I favored 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

For those who have been a workforce boss, which of the ten groups’ current driver line-ups would you signal?

Rachel: Ferrari. Lewis’ expertise counts for an enormous quantity by way of creating the automobile and performing properly. I feel he nonetheless has it. Charles is sensible 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 point.

Ted: Williams – Sainz and Albon

Naomi: McLaren

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

Simon: Ferrari. As a mixture that is nearly 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 completed brilliantly at ironing these out since.

With Lando and the workforce, it was expertise by way of successful, I feel they knew what it was to really feel like successful and when you get that successful feeling, it is a sort of muscle reminiscence factor. I feel each of them can be extremely aggressive this yr.

By way of what I am most intrigued by, can be Charles and Lewis as a result of I feel they’re each exceptionally proficient and I feel for Lewis to really feel this reinvigorated, I really feel like he simply appears to be like like a very pure match with Ferrari. However to see him go up towards a single-lap wizard in Charles, who clearly is aware of the workforce extremely properly, it is going to be so fascinating to see who comes out on prime of that. If I’ve to decide on a driver line-up, I will say McLaren by way of potential collectively.

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

Bernie: It is the final yr of the rules and the way tight we expect the highest 4 groups can be and the uncertainty of who can 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 and so they’re simply disruptive.

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

Rachel: Every part excites me! Australia is the very best place to begin 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 Crimson Bull, but it surely appears to be like 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 subject, they may have much more of a job to play. Will probably be among the finest years we’ve got had in a very long time.

Martin: I noticed nothing on the take a look at in Bahrain to vary my thoughts that it may be very shut on the entrance of the sphere in Components 1 this yr.

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

Simon: Every part! I can not keep in mind a yr that I felt was this tight going into it and had so many groups probably successful. You get these sort of seasons as soon as each 5, perhaps 10 years.

I really feel this can 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 distinct driver line-up, in order that in itself is tremendous thrilling, simply to see how persons are going to adapt to new groups.

Then we’ve got 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 automobile goes to carry out properly and simply to see him adapt to a brand new setting. I feel it may be large yr.

What race weekend are you trying ahead to most?

Naomi: From the racing perspective, I actually do love Brazil. We appear to only all the time have sensational races out in Brazil. Monaco is one which I look ahead to largely for the ambiance, I’d say.

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

Bernie: My first race is China, which I have never been to since pre-Covid-19. Will probably be fascinating to see how totally different it’s. I like Baku. I prefer it as a race weekend and it may be chaotic. For the younger drivers, that is an fascinating 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 stated it will not take months to get on prime of the automobile. All of us price totally different drivers in a different way and I’ve all the time rated some drivers a bit greater than Charles. He is an excellent qualifier however generally within the race he is not the identical driver and I’m wondering if Lewis can put some early strain on him, how will he address that?

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

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

If they provide him a automobile that may struggle for wins, it is going to be thrilling to see. His large factor towards Leclerc can be qualifying. He must be shut in qualifying and that can be his largest problem.

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

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

He’ll do properly inside the workforce. It looks like he actually loved the automobile in testing, which is already a terrific signal. We have not heard him be as constructive a couple of automobile in too lengthy.

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

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

Will Russell step up once more as Mercedes workforce 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 workforce will do wonders for his confidence and hopefully iron out these errors.

Martin: George carries a confidence; the sort of confidence I want I had after 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 Crimson 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 rules for 2026, they may have an excellent engine so they could change improvement from this automobile to subsequent yr.

That is tough since you nonetheless want to know what’s gone improper with this yr’s automobile, you must maintain your drivers pleased, 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 out to be more difficult to handle?

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

With Oscar, he realized an terrible lot final yr. He is obtained Mark Webber behind him and he is not going to let Oscar turn out to be a quantity two driver. There is a ruthlessness within the Oscar camp and in the event you get that within the Norris camp as properly, Andrea Stella may have a very large season forward of him to handle that.

Simon: If McLaren come out of the blocks quick, there can 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 suppose value them factors.

McLaren have gotten the luxurious downside of getting among the finest driver line-ups in Components 1. They have two unimaginable drivers within the workforce. Lando clearly all through the second half of final season proved to be the faster of the 2 and Oscar was perhaps 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 may be a problem for the workforce to actually choose between one driver to the opposite. However I feel it might be price doing so early on, so it does not value them any drivers’ championship factors.

Sky Sports activities F1’s dwell Australian GP schedule

Thursday March 13

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

Friday March 14

• 1am: Australian GP Apply One (session begins at 1.30am)*
• 2.55am: F3 Qualifying*
• 3.40am: Workforce Principals’ Press Convention
• 4.45am: Australian GP Apply 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 Apply 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 Foremost Occasion

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