Guenther Steiner’s departure from Haas F1 Team in January came as a surprise, followed by the shocking announcement of Lewis Hamilton’s move from Mercedes to Ferrari for the 2025 season. Additionally, Red Bull has launched an investigation into the conduct of their team principal, Christian Horner. Charles Leclerc has recently extended his contract with Ferrari, while McLaren has secured Lando Norris for the foreseeable future. Let’s take a closer look at the key topics that will dominate the F1 season ahead.
Last year, the reigning F1 world champions had an incredibly dominant season, winning 21 out of 22 races. Max Verstappen, a triple world champion, emerged as the star, winning 19 of those races. The question now is how far ahead Red Bull will be this year and whether their rivals will be able to close the gap.
Christian Horner is currently facing allegations from a Red Bull employee, although the details have not been disclosed. Whether he stays or goes will have significant implications for the team, considering his status as the longest-serving F1 team boss and one of the most successful.
Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, is entering his final season with Mercedes before joining Ferrari for a minimum of two years. The question remains whether the 39-year-old made the right decision and if he can achieve success with Mercedes once again. After two years of struggles, have Mercedes finally found the right formula?
The driver market is likely to be a hot topic, with more than half of the grid’s contracts expiring at the end of 2024. Who will replace Hamilton at Mercedes? Where will Carlos Sainz, currently with Ferrari, end up? Will Daniel Ricciardo take Sergio Perez’s place at Red Bull Racing? Is Alex Albon from Williams preparing for a move? It remains to be seen who will be left without a seat for the 2025 season.
Fernando Alonso, a two-time world champion, will turn 43 in July. The question arises as to how much longer he will continue racing and whether he can add to his impressive record of 32 wins. Furthermore, it remains uncertain which team he will be driving for in the upcoming season.
AlphaTauri’s transformation into Visa Cash App RB has brought about new leadership and closer ties with sister team Red Bull Racing. McLaren’s Zak Brown has raised concerns about Red Bull’s ownership of two teams and the potential advantages that come with it.
The relationship between the commercial rights holders and the governing body of the sport was confrontational at times last year. Anticipate a continuation of this dynamic in 2024.
As the months progress, the extensive schedule of 24 races may start to take a toll on certain team members, including mechanics. This topic is likely to be increasingly discussed.
There is a new schedule in place for this season, eliminating the standalone sprint day on Saturday. Instead, the sprint qualifying ‘shootout’ now takes place on Friday, followed by a 100km race on Saturday morning. Qualifying for the grand prix occurs later that day.
Despite being rejected by F1 as a potential 11th team for 2025, the Andretti Cadillac bid, backed by General Motors, is not disappearing. The possibility remains open for them to join in 2028. What will be their next course of action?
Could this be the year that McLaren’s Lando Norris secures his first victory after finishing in second place six times in 2023? Or will he break the record for the most podium finishes without a win, currently shared with retired German driver Nick Heidfeld (13)?
Ayao Komatsu has assumed control at Haas, while Laurent Mekies has taken over at RB. The Sauber-run team, Alfa Romeo, now competes as Stake F1 in jurisdictions where betting laws permit, or under the alternative name of Kick. However, many fans are likely to continue referring to them as Sauber. (Reported by Alan Baldwin)