Formula 1 2025 season preview and predictions: Leclerc could be the one to stop Verstappen's run

When to bet

The 2025 Formula season starts with the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, March 16, at 3am UK & Ireland time

Where to watch

All practices, qualifying and races live on Sky Sports F1

Best bets

Charles Leclerc to win world drivers championship
1pt 9-2 general

Andrea Kimi Antonelli to beat Liam Lawson in season match bet
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli to win a race
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Formula 1 season predictions

Drivers championship predictions

You might not guess it from the final points table, but the 2024 Formula 1 season was the most open for decades.

Seven different drivers stood on the top step of the podium, with all of them winning at least twice, while four teams won at least three races each.

Entering the fourth and final year of the current set of technical regulations, there’s every reason to expect this season to be just as competitive, so it’s little surprise that the championship markets are wide open.

Max Verstappen collected his fourth consecutive drivers championship last season, and it would be folly to write off the Red Bull maestro.

Verstappen’s title was effectively sealed by his run of seven victories in the first ten races. However, while the team took their development of the car in the wrong direction and saw their dominance disappear, Verstappen continued to wring strong results out of it.

The Dutchman enjoyed a 69-point lead over Lando Norris after his seventh win of the season at the Spanish Grand Prix, and finished the year 63 points in front.

However, there was nothing from testing to suggest that all of the handling problems which kept Verstappen off the podium for several races last year have been ironed out, and while his odds are tempting it could pay to look elsewhere.

Norris starts as favourite and for once McLaren look set to begin the season in compet­itive shape.

The British racer picked up his first career victory in Miami last season, but although he won two of the next 12 races, in other circumstances he may well have won all 12 of those.

Poor starts, driving and strategic errors proved costly and while he and the team will have learned a lot, his price is on the short side.

His teammate Oscar Piastri could also be more of a threat as he will be treated as equal number one this season.

Ferrari have gone from strength to strength since Frederic Vasseur took over as team principal. They put in a strong finish to 2024 and were still in the fight for the constructors’ champ­ionship on the last lap of the last race.

Charles Leclerc enjoyed his strongest season, with emotional wins at home in Monaco and in front of the adoring Tifosi at Monza, and this year, his seventh with the Scuderia, could be the year he finally brings home the title.

Having Lewis Hamilton as teammate will keep him on his toes, but it would be understandable if the seven-time world champion takes time to find his feet and the team could throw their full weight behind Leclerc, particularly if he makes a strong start to the campaign.

Leclerc is a famously strong qualifier, and starting ahead brings with it strategic advantages which can help Leclerc to cement his status as top dog in the team. 

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Other F1 2025 season predictions

Andrea Kimi Antonelli is not yet a household name but the teenage prodigy is held in the highest regard by his Mercedes bosses. The team look to be starting the season in much better shape than in recent years.

Under certain conditions last season, their car was the class of the field, although the team weren’t always great at predicting when that would be.

Antonelli has looked capable of challenging his more experienced teammate George Russell on pace during the winter, and if the team find themselves in a similar situation to last year, the Italian could well get himself in front on one of the car’s better days.

Although only 18, Antonelli has shown maturity and doesn’t seem fazed by the weight of replacing Hamilton.

He is a confident pick to outperform Liam Lawson, who is the latest youngster to be thrown in at the deep end alongside Verstappen at Red Bull.

Daniil Kvyat, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon all found that job beyond them and even the experienced Sergio Perez struggled to coax a decent result from the car last year. 

Lawson, who has impressed on occasion but has also been inconsistent, could suffer a similar fate.

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