This is an amazing time to be a Formula 1 fan. The upcoming 2025 season is headlined by big driver trades, six rookies and the prospect of an exciting fight for the championship. The first race, the Australian Grand Prix, is in Melbourne on March 16.
A points system forms the basic structure of Formula 1, also known as F1. In every race, the top ten out of the 20 drivers score points (see points table).
Whichever driver finishes the 24-race season with the most points wins the driver’s championship. The constructor’s championship is based on each team’s total points between their two drivers by the end of the season.
Despite a common misconception, F1 is a true sport; the drivers are top-level athletes who undergo intense physical and mental training to prepare for races. For hours at a time, they have to be able to withstand up to six G’s of force (six times the force of gravity) and manage their cars’ systems and pit-stop strategies, all while battling other cars at over 200 miles per hour.
When talking about 2025, it’s impossible to gloss over one of the biggest driver moves ever. Ex-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton’s signing at Ferrari shocked the world when it was announced last February.
To put this in NFL terms, this is of a similar caliber to Tom Brady leaving the Patriots for the Buccaneers. Hamilton’s partnership with Mercedes from 2013 to 2024 was the most successful in F1 history, winning six driver’s championships and helping his team win eight constructor’s championships, but recent years have been disappointing.
“I was both surprised and sad,” junior Ana Maria Stana said. “I never envisioned Hamilton switching to Ferrari and wearing a red driver’s suit, especially since he won six world championships with Mercedes. As for the Ferrari duo, I was super sad to see Sainz go since Leclerc and him were great teammates.”
The refreshed Hamilton will be looking to challenge for a record eighth driver’s championship, but he’ll have to go through some other great drivers to get there. McLaren comes into the season on top after winning their first constructor’s championship since 1998 last year. Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will certainly be fighting for wins, along with Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. Mercedes also showed signs of success last year and could be a dark horse for a constructor’s championship.
Reigning driver’s champion Max Verstappen also can never be counted out, even considering his team’s struggles. The end of Red Bull’s dominance gave way to a thrilling 2024 season which included seven different winners, something that hadn’t happened since 2012.
“I’m excited for the competition,” social studies teacher Nicolas Atencio said. “Last season was so much fun and I hope it’s a competitive year for both the constructors and drivers championships. The two years before that weren’t the most fun with Red Bull dominating.”
18-year-old Kimi Antonelli is the star of this year’s rookie class, the largest since 2014. Antonelli won four junior series titles, flying through the ranks en route to his seat at Mercedes. Gabriel Bortoleto will be driving for Sauber and has also dominated as a junior driver, winning Formula 3 and Formula 2 in back-to-back years leading up to his first F1 appearance. Both will be under a lot of pressure to perform well.
Oliver Bearman, Liam Lawson and Jack Doohan, who have already driven as substitute drivers on a few occasions, will be making their full-season debuts for Haas, Red Bull and Alpine respectively.
2025 will be very exciting, but there will also be anticipation building for new regulations in 2026. The rules the teams follow when building their cars (the “formula”) are changing drastically, from aerodynamics to engines. The cars will look very different and, like every past regulation change, there’s a chance a new team could come out on top. Aston Martin is one to watch for with the signing of Adrian Newey, the most successful designer in F1 history, and the construction of a new state-of-the-art headquarters.
“A lot of the higher level teams are going to invest for the future, while the lower teams focus on this year. It’ll definitely even out the field,” freshman Spencer Golden said.
If you have any free Sundays, see if there’s an F1 race on TV. There’s never been a better time to start following the sport and all it takes is one race.
“My dad actually introduced me to F1 and we watched a race together one weekend and that’s what initially got me into the sport,” Stana said.
Give it a shot. Who knows? Maybe cars going in circles will become your new favorite sport.
