The 2025 F1 season promises to be one of the closest battles in recent memory, with a whole host of drivers and teams hoping to challenge for supremacy heading into this weekend’s opening race in Australia.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is bidding to become the first driver since Michael Schumacher to win five world titles on the bounce, but he will not enter the season as favourite, that honour belongs to McLaren’s Lando Norris.
McLaren certainly impressed over the second half of last season, as they landed a first Constructors’ Championship since 1998, while Norris finished best of the rest behind Verstappen in the Drivers’ standings.
A strong showing in pre-season testing has further enhanced the claims of McLaren and Norris, but, with Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari – the latter with Lewis Hamilton now at the wheel – all looking in good shape, the season is set up to be as competitive as ever at the front of the grid.
The Australian Grand Prix is certainly a race that provides competition, as there have been five different winners in the last five stagings of the Melbourne race, and there will be some extra glamour at Albert Park this year with the GP having been restored to its place at the start of the season.
Australian Grand Prix Tips
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Momentum with Norris ahead of Melbourne opener
All the momentum appears to be with McLaren heading into the new season, with Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri tipped for strong campaigns, but it is the Brit, who ended 2024 with victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, who could take some stopping in Melbourne.
A slow start to last season ultimately cost Norris a chance of landing his first world title, but history is unlikely to repeat itself this year given his and his team’s efforts in pre-season testing.
Norris himself has acknowledged McLaren have a favourites’ tag on their back and he does have a strong record at the Australian GP, claiming top-six finishes in each of the last three years, including third place 12 months ago.
The Bristolian is favourite for this race and the world title for a reason, and he can add to his burgeoning reputation by taking the chequered flag in Melbourne.
Piastri to back up team-mate
It could prove a perfect weekend for McLaren, who will be hoping to capitalise while their stock is high, with Norris’ team-mate Piastri capable of joining the Brit on the podium in his home race.
Piastri finished fourth in the Drivers’ standings in 2024, the position he also filled at last year’s Australian Grand Prix, while he claimed eight podium finishes across the campaign, including race victories in Hungary and Azerbaijan.
With strong form behind him and a car that appears ahead of the rest coming into this race, Piastri can make his way on to the podium in Melbourne and could even ensure that McLaren claim a one-two finish.
Sainz to make strong start with Williams
Carlos Sainz, then of Ferrari, was the winner of the Australian GP last season, but he is no longer with the Scuderia after making way to allow seven-time world champion Hamilton to join the team.
While that exit was not a surprise, it did raise eyebrows when Sainz opted to join a Williams team that finished ninth of 10 in last season’s Constructors’ standings.
However, the early signs are that Williams are an improving outfit and Sainz, who ended his time at Ferrari with four podium placings in his final six races, is capable of finishing in the top six at decent odds.
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