The upcoming weekend marks the beginning of the new F1 season, with the Australian GP returning to the opening weekend after a five-year break. We will see a few new faces in the circuit and many familiar ones, some of them in new team colours.
So, what is new in the F1 world this season? How do your favourites fare with the bookmakers? Read on to find out more.
F1 2025 Teams and Drivers
The sensational news that Lewis Hamilton will wear Ferrari red this season was announced a while ago, and it is still the most talked-about topic for the new F1 season. After 12 seasons in Mercedes, the Brit joined Ferrari for the 2025 campaign, looking for new thrills in his long career.
But that is not the only change we saw to the teams’ rosters for the new season. Carlos Sainz left Ferrari when Hamilton joined and will race for Williams Racing, and Liam Lawson joined the reigning champion, Max Verstappen, in Red Bull Racing.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli took Hamilton’s place in Mercedes this season, with the team being certain that the young Italian will be the future of the team and Formula 1 in general.
These are the teams and rosters we will see race in the Formula 1 2025 season:
Alpine:
- Jack Doohan
- Pierre Gasly
Aston Martin:
- Lance Stroll
- Fernando Alonso
Ferrari:
- Charles Leclerc
- Lewis Hamilton
Haas:
- Esteban Ocon
- Oliver Bearman
Kick Sauber:
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Gabriel Bortoleto
McLaren:
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
Mercedes:
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli
- George Russell
Racing Bulls:
- Isack Hadjar
- Yuki Tsunoda
Red Bull Racing:
- Max Verstappen
- Liam Lawson
Williams:
- Alexander Albon
- Carlos Sainz Jr.
F1 2025 Race Schedule
The 2025 season will feature 24 races, just like the previous season, with some changes to the schedule. The season will begin with the Australian GP for the first time since the 2019 season because of Ramadan. The calendar consists of the same GPs as the previous year.
Here’s the complete race schedule for the 2025 season:
- Australia Grand Prix, 14-16 March
- China Grand Prix, 21-23 March
- Japan Grand Prix, 04-06 April
- Bahrain Grand Prix, 11-13 April
- Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, 18-20 April
- Miami Grand Prix, 02-04 May
- Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, 16-18 May
- Monaco Grand Prix, 23-25 May
- Spain Grand Prix, 30 May-01 June
- Canada Grand Prix, 13-15 June
- Austria Grand Prix, 27-29 June
- Great Britain Grand Prix, 04-06 July
- Belgium Grand Prix, 25-27 July
- Hungary Grand Prix, 01-03 August
- Netherlands Grand Prix, 29-31 August
- Italy Grand Prix, 05-07 September
- Azerbaijan Grand Prix, 19-21 September
- Singapore Grand Prix, 03-05 October
- United States Grand Prix, 17-19 October
- Mexico City Grand Prix, 24-26 October
- São Paulo Grand Prix, 07-09 November
- Las Vegas Grand Prix, 20-22 November
- Qatar Grand Prix, 28-30 November
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, 05-07 December
The 2025 season will also include six sprint races during the China, Miami, Belgium, United States, São Paulo and Qatar GP weekends. The difference from the 2024 season is the inclusion of the sprint race in the Belgium GP instead of the Austria GP.
An Overview of the New Rules
The new season will also introduce new rules that will influence the races, teams and drivers. We’ll give you an overview of some of them, and you can read about them in more detail on the official F1 website or app.
- No extra point for the fastest lap: The rule that awarded an extra championship point to the driver who finished in the top 10 and scored the best lap time has been removed for the 2025 season.
- Introduction of the driver cooling system: If the forecasted temperature for the race is 31°C or above, the FIA can declare a Heat Hazard, and the teams will need to install the driver cooling systems onto the cars.
- Limits to race drivers testing previous cars (TPC): Teams are limited to 20 days in a calendar year when they can test previous cars, but the race drivers can only participate in four days and not more than 1,000km in total.
- Changes to the DRS design: The rear wing and the DRS system design will be changed in the upcoming season to introduce the reduced gap between the wings and allow only two positions for the DRS wings: open and closed.
- More time on tracks for the rookies: Instead of having a rookie driver (one that was involved in no more than two GP races) at least once in each of the two cars, the FIA has changed the rule to double the time for inexperienced drivers. From 2025, each team will need to have a rookie driver in each car at least twice during Free Practice 1.
Other rules include the introduction of a Mule Car at the end of 2025 to test the tyres for the 2026 season. There will also be changes to the starting grid formation, the formation lap that will now include the drivers starting from the pit lane, the damaged car rules, and the starting grid position rule when the qualifications can’t take place.
The drivers will also have to be more careful when speaking to the press and public, as language violations and driver misconduct will both incur fines and potential suspensions for repeated offences.
F1 2025 Winner Odds
Things have changed a bit since last season, and the bookmakers now have new favourites to win the World Championship title for both drivers and constructors.
Last year’s title contender, Lando Norris, is now the first favourite to win the championship, according to the bookmakers, ahead of last year’s winner, Max Verstappen.
Lando’s odds sit between 2.45 and 2.75 at the moment, and Max’s between 4.0 and 5.0.
The third favourite is Charles Leclerc, with odds from 5.0 to 6.5, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri, who have similar odds of winning the title.
We have a new favourite in the constructor outright winner market as well as McLaren is considered the most likely winner by the bookmakers. Ferrari is right behind with similar odds, while Red Bull Racing sits in third spot with odds ranging from 6.0 to 9.5 at the moment.
Do you have your favourites for the 2025 F1 season? Now may be the time to snatch some good odds, so make sure to check them out and place your bets at one of the Formula 1 betting sites.
