F1 2025: Who is driving for who?

F1 2025: Who is driving for who?

1st January 2025 0 By Kamron Kent

The Formula 1 grid is set with a fresh season on the horizon but there will be new faces in the sport, who will be driving for who?

Feature image credit: Red Bull Content Pool

Many drivers will be returning to the paddock next season with the teams they raced for in 2024, but some have shifted teams to move with the dynamic evolution of the relentless driver market. A total of five drivers will settle into their new teams with 10 drivers remaining where they were in 2024.

However, the sport will also welcome a total of five new faces to the grid who will embark on their new full-time F1 careers: Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, Jack Doohan, Isack Hadjar and Andrea Kimi Antonelli for Haas, Kick Sauber, Alpine, Racing Bulls and Mercedes respectively.

So who will be driving for who in 2025?

McLaren – Lando Norris / Oscar Piastri

The defending team’s driver pairing will be on a mission to try and defend the team’s first constructors title since 1998. 

With a championship in the bag, and a combined effort to defend their constructors title in 2025, there is no doubt the two will be eying up their first chances of the driver’s title. Given the chance of both constructors and drivers’ glory, Andreas Stella, Zak Brown & co. will have to learn from their issues this year to enhance their chances next season.

Ferrari – Lewis Hamilton / Charles Leclerc

In a blockbuster decision, back in February, Lewis Hamilton decided to step away from his homestead of Mercedes to embark on a new chapter with the famous Ferrari team, alongside Charles Leclerc.

Many fans and people will be waiting to see what this driver line-up will achieve as both drivers are secured to multi-year deals going into the new regulations. Fred Vasseur will have to handle two top drivers in one of the sport’s most prestigious teams with a driver who will be hunting for his first title and the other looking for his eighth.

Red Bull – Max Verstappen / Liam Lawson

Red Bull is slowly crawling out of the mess of their 2024 season. 

Following allegations against Christian Horner which saw high-profile members of staff vacate their positions to join other teams, in its wake, Red Bull managed to keep hold of their ever-loyal four-time world champion, Max Verstappen despite speculation he may move over to another team.

The Dutchman went on to secure his fourth consecutive world drivers’ championship in a car which slowly dropped in performance throughout the season. He was meant to be partnered up with Sergio Perez for 2025, but the ill-performing Mexican driver has been axed and will be replaced by Liam Lawson.

Mercedes – George Russell / Andrea Kimi Antonelli

As Hamilton abandons the struggling ship of Mercedes, activating a clause in his contract which has allowed him to leave the team earlier than planned, it leaves George Russell to man the ship from the driver’s side of things. The Briton will be looking to lead the team to their former glory with three wins under his belt since joining the team. 

In Hamilton’s wake, Wolff appointed Kimi Antonelli to replace the departed seven-time world champion with the Team Principal stating he decided within five minutes of hearing the news of Hamilton’s departure. 

Aston Martin – Fernando Alonso / Lance Stroll 

Aston Martin will run an unchanged driver line-up, alongside McLaren, into the new year and season. Despite a lacklustre season, compared to his debut with the team – replacing Sebastian Vettel – Fernando Alonso has reaffirmed his loyalty to the team by renewing his contract until at least 2026. 

The two-time world champion will be joined by the Boss’s son, Lance Stroll, who will continue alongside the former world champion as they prepare for Adrien Newey’s arrival.

Alpine – Pierre Gasly / Jack Doohan

Heading into 2025, Alpine was aware it would be losing one of its drivers. They opted not to renew Esteban Ocon’s contract, eventually letting him go after the season’s penultimate round to allow him to test for Haas, in the post-season test.

Pierre Gasly has remained with the squad for the foreseeable future and he will be partnered with Jack Doohan. Doohan already has a race under his belt after replacing Ocon at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Haas F1 – Esteban Ocon / Oliver Bearman

Like Alpine previously, the team were fully aware they would be losing one of their drivers for the upcoming campaign as Nico Hulkenberg shifted allegiances to Kick Sauber ahead of Audi’s arrival. In turn, the team replaced the German driver with Alpine’s Ocon. 

Following some super-sub performances in Saudi Arabia, for Ferrari, and in Azerbaijan and Brazil for Haas, Oliver Bearman completes the line-up for the American team. 


Racing Bulls – Yuki Tsunoda / Isack Hadjar

Although he was in contention for the Red Bull seat, Racing Bulls have retained the skills of Yuki Tsunoda as Liam Lawson was selected to replace the ill-performing Sergio Perez. It means the Japanese driver will now contest his fifth season with the team. 

Tsunoda will greet his fourth teammate at the team, after Gasly, Daniel Ricciardo and Lawson, as Isack Hadjar joins the team after a tough championship fight in Formula 2, fulfilling Lawson’s vacant seat. 

Williams Racing – Alexander Albon / Carlos Sainz

After fulfilling his commitment to the team, Alexander Albon will remain with the Williams Racing team on a multi-year deal which will see him race for the team as they head into the new regulations next year. However, he will see a new-yet-familiar face alongside him as Logan Sargeant was dropped for Franco Colapinto halfway through the season. 

Following the news of Hamilton’s contract with Ferrari, Carlos Sainz was in the search for a seat for next season. He was not stuck for choice with the likes of Sauber/Audi being a tempting possibility but it was Williams who managed to seal the Spaniard’s signature. 

Kick Sauber – Nico Hulkenberg / Gabriel Bortoleto

The final team on the grid will boast both experience and youth as they look to bounce back from a painful season in 2024. Both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu were dropped from the team as the team swooped in to snatch Hulkenberg.

The second seat took some time to fill as the team considered their options for 2025 and, in November, Kick Sauber decided to take on the 2024 Formula 2 world champion Gabriel Bortoleto.

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Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

CategoryFormula 1 Formula Series News

About the author

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

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