Formula 1 is Back!
Yes, that’s right, Formula 1 is back! After over 3 months of waiting, cars will officially hit the track in important sessions as everyone looks to start their season off as they mean to go on! Can McLaren build on last year’s performance to take both Championships home? Can Ferrari’s star-studded driver lineup bring glory back to Maranello? Can Max Verstappen drag his Red Bull car to a 5th consecutive Drivers’ World Title? Can George Russell and Mercedes get themselves in the hunt? And what about the midfield, which team will come out on top in that department? Whatever happens, 2025 promises to be an incredibly exciting year, and there’s no better way to start than returning to Australia for their first Season Opener since 2019!
An Awful Lot of Rookies
One of the exciting parts of 2025 has to be the fact that there are so many Rookies joining the Grid! The youngest of them all, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, already finds himself at a strong team in Mercedes as he somehow has to try and attempt to fill the shoes left by the one, the only, Lewis Hamilton! Even though he probably doesn’t and shouldn’t count as a Rookie, Liam Lawson also steps up to Red Bull, and he’ll be aiming to prove a lot of people wrong in his first full season in the sport! Jack Doohan is also looking to prove a lot of people wrong at Alpine whilst last year’s super sub-Oliver Bearman gets a full-time drive with Haas! Isack Hadjar is the latest Red Bull Junior Driver to get a shot in the big leagues as he gets set to drive for Racing Bulls whilst the reigning FIA Formula 2 Champion Gabriel Bortoleto will be up against it in his Rookie year at Kick Sauber! Which Rookie will stand out, and which ones will get dropped, only time will tell!
Australia’s 2 Home Heroes
Just like 2024, Australia has 2 Home Heroes to cheer on, but that doesn’t mean they’re the same as last year! Firstly, Oscar Piastri enters his third season in Formula 1 targeting Championship glory! It’s important for Oscar to get off to a good start to prove that he is truly in the fight this year, and he’ll certainly have the crowd’s full support! Secondly, Jack Doohan is raring to go in his Rookie Season after debuting in Abu Dhabi last year! There’s been so much noise around Jack heading into the season, to the point where it’s been incredibly unfair, but Doohan is a talented driver, he’s showcased that throughout his junior career, and he’ll be hoping to benefit from a potentially quick Alpine car! Whilst Piastri is more likely to challenge at the front of the field, there’s no reason why both Aussies can’t start the year off strongly!
Carlos Sainz’s Williams Debut
After 4 years being towards the front of the field with Ferrari, Carlos Sainz is set for a new challenge as he enters a brand-new era with Williams! Whilst it couldn’t really be avoided, Carlos was very unfortunate to lose his drive at Ferrari, he was competing very well, and he showcased that last year with 2 of the best wins all year! It’s pretty fair to say that Sainz shouldn’t be expecting to fight for Wins and Podiums, certainly not at this early stage of the season, but the Spaniard will take confidence over the fact that he was the one who set the fastest time in all of Pre-Season Testing! You also have to remember that in last year’s Australian Grand Prix, Sainz returned from appendicitis surgery to win so he’s definitely got form around Albert Park! Whilst it won’t be easy, if Williams can deliver a competitive car, you can bet that Carlos will be there to capitalise!
Lewis Hamilton is Ferrari
After a long year+ wait, Lewis Hamilton is finally set to make his Grand Prix debut for Ferrari! The 7-time World Champion is a history maker and record breaker in Formula 1, Lewis has done everything, but his final year with Mercedes wasn’t to be the fairytale ending, with poor Qualifying performances plus a number of other issues resulted in Hamilton having his worst year in Formula 1 to date! However, to say that the pace wasn’t there would be a lie, Lewis showed glimpses that he’s still just as capable as anyone else, especially when he returned to winning ways in Silverstone! The hype and talk heading into 2025 has been about Lewis Hamilton, and whether or not he can return Championship glory back to both himself and Ferrari as a whole! Whilst it’s not going to be easy, you cannot count Lewis out, and the world is eager to see what one of the G.O.A.T’s can achieve!
My Predictions for Melbourne Qualifying
Lando Norris
Charles Leclerc
Oscar Piastri
Max Verstappen
George Russell
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