F1 2025 season: Who’s in and who’s out
Drivers moving between teams is a common occurrence in racing, but ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season, we have seen a drastic change in the grid's lineup. Here's what we know so far about the 2025 season's lineup:
Kick Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg
TBC
With Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou at the wheel, the Kick Sauber team is a fresh name, albeit not a new team on the grid. However, at this moment in time, it is unsure whether either driver will continue to drive for Sauber after a difficult 2024 campaign. Sauber had expressed interest in the current Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz and extended an offer to Esteban Ocon, who will leave Alpine at the end of the current season, but both drivers have already been snatched up by competitors. While Nico Hulkenberg's status as a team driver for the 2025 season is confirmed, he is still committed to joining the Audi team for the 2026 season.
Alpine
Pierre Gasly
Jack Doohan
Within the Alpine team, Pierre Gasly will continue to represent the brand, paired with a new driver as Esteban Ocon leaves after his five-year stint comes to an end. However, the most recent driver news has brought attention to a new name on the F1 grid, Jack Doohan. Jack completed his 2023 FIA Formula 2 season in third with six wins and five pole positions. Recently, the young Australian driver accepted the Alpine seat and is set to race in next year's championship.
Williams
Alex Albon
Carlos Sainz
Williams will continue to compete with Alex Albon behind the wheel. The big news is that Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz is making the move to the Williams team. There were numerous offers for the Spanish driver, but he chose to join the Williams team because he believed in James Vowles' vision for the team's future.
Haas
Esteban Ocon
Oliver Bearman
Haas will also have a new driver lineup for next season, with Esteban Ocon replacing Hulkenberg after much speculation about his departure from Alpine. Another fairly new face joins the grid after his impressive performance at Ferrari, filling in for Carlos Sainz while he was away for medical reasons. Needless to say, Oliver Bearman impressed the Formula One world and has secured a seat with Haas for next year.
RB
Yuki Tsunoda
TBC
Yuki Tsunoda will continue to race for the Red Bull sister team in the coming season, marking his fifth outing with the constructor. However, Daniel Riccardo is on the chopping block after an inconsistent 2024 season; it is still up for debate whether or not the loveable Aussie will continue at RB, but their reserve driver's name, Liam Lawson, has been a topic of discussion as Daniel's possible replacement.
Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso
Lance Stroll
The Aston line-up remains unchanged from the 2024 season heading into 2025. Alonso has shown his loyalty to the team and will continue with his contract until the end of the 2026 season. Lance has also been confirmed to wheel his Aston through next year.
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc
Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari has been the hot topic of discussion since seven-time champ Lewis Hamilton announced his departure from the 11-year-long Mercedes relationship earlier this year. He will be replacing Sainz and retaining his famous 44-race number. He will be racing alongside Charles Leclerc through the 2025 season, and this new duo will likely be in the spotlight from the moment the new season kicks off.
Mercedes
George Russell
TBC
Team Mercedes has extended George's contract for a fourth year, but we're all waiting to find out who will replace Mercedes' star driver, Lewis Hamilton, as he embarks on a new adventure with Ferrari.
McLaren
Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri
The McLaren team will remain unchanged heading into the 2025 season. This, we believe, is a smart move by McLaren, as the youngsters have proved to be competitive recently and could have a viable shot at championship titles both in the constructors and driver's championships.
Red Bull
Max Verstappen
Sergio Perez
Red Bull's drivers will also remain unchanged for the upcoming season, as the defending champion continues to dominate the driver's championship. Despite his less-than-impressive results in the 2024 season, Perez has managed to retain a seat at Red Bull.
2025 is sure to be an exciting season with many different names and numbers on different teams. It's sure to be exciting as we watch rookies take on the Titans, and the different team dynamics will play a significant role in the early results of 2025.