Williams team boss James Vowles recently stated his duo of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz will be “the best driver line-up on the grid” in 2025, kickstarting an interesting discussion as several teams could realistically make that claim.
So, which team really has the best line-up next year? Our writers have their say.
Jake Boxall-Legge – McLaren’s duo takes it on current form
Route-one pick? Perhaps, but McLaren is surely the simple answer. Forget past glories, track record, etcetera; the only thing that matters is the here and now. McLaren’s driving duo has been the best-performing duo of 2024 so far and, in 2025, it’s only going to get better.
There are two reasons for that: Lando Norris’ growing experience of a championship fight and Oscar Piastri’s potential becoming realised. Norris is learning how to deal with the pressure of a battle for the F1 title and is finding more from within himself, shaking off the iffy starts and self-doubt and channelling his energy into conquering Max Verstappen. To conquer Max, you must become Max; the 23- and 21-second margins of victory at Zandvoort and Singapore will surely help that cause.
Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, are interviewed by Ariana Bravo, F1 Digital presenter, on stage in the Fan Zone
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
But if Norris, still only 24, is starting to reach the peak of his powers, then Piastri’s got even more room to grow. It’s generally assumed that the Australian has the higher plane of potential, and his maturity shone through in his stellar defence against Charles Leclerc in Baku, but consistency is still missing relative to Norris.
When you look at Piastri’s growth from 2023, however, you sense that this will come to him next season. The biggest gulf between the two McLaren drivers last season was in tyre management; Piastri has since upped his race pace and found a way to keep the Pirellis in the window. Both drivers, in terms of peak performance, are pretty much on par thus far – it’s only Norris’ extra tenth in qualifying and that smidgen of extra consistency that keeps him ahead.
In terms of grid averages, Norris and Piastri shake out immediately behind Verstappen at their average starting positions of 3.89 and 4.78 respectively behind Verstappen’s 2.39. In the drivers’ championship, Piastri now sits just eight points behind Leclerc – having scored more points than anyone in the last seven rounds. In that window, he’s scored 125 points, just two more than Norris…
Ferrari’s line-up runs it close, but Lewis Hamilton’s no longer the driver that he was at his peak. Andrea Kimi Antonelli is still too much of an unknown, even if the Antonelli/George Russell pairing could be a world-beating combination in the future. Red Bull is too lopsided, as is Aston Martin, RB, Haas, and Alpine can largely be described as ‘meh’, and Sauber doesn’t even have a full pairing to show us.
With apologies to James Vowles, I think I’d probably take Norris and Piastri over Albon and Sainz. But it’s still a mighty fine line-up you’ve got, that’s for sure.
Mark Mann-Bryans – Mercedes has the right driver profiles to flourish despite Hamilton’s departure
Losing a seven-time world champion to one of your biggest rivals can never be described as a good thing – but for Mercedes, it does offer the chance of a reset.
Hamilton won six of those drivers titles behind the wheel of a Mercedes but in recent seasons he and George Russell were limited to, largely, fighting for scraps as other teams proved dominant.
Russell remains in place and is joined for 2025 by highly-rated rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli despite Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff openly flirting with Max Verstappen at different stages of the 2024 season. The Russell/Antonelli partnership does give Mercedes the sort of driver line-up that can really work.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team
Photo by: Mercedes AMG
In Russell, Mercedes retains a proven race winner who, as he enters his seventh year in Formula 1, has matured into someone who at this stage of his career should be capable of leading a team as its number one driver.
Often outperforming Hamilton in qualifying, Russell has the pace to mix it with the best and could enjoy a strong outing in 2025 ahead of the rule changes if the recent progress made by the team does not start a period of regress before then.
Add to the mix a dose of youthful exuberance in the shape of Antonelli, who was driving so fast on his FP1 debut in Monza he not only shocked Wolff but put Russell’s car into the wall at Parabolica.
The 18-year-old Italian will want to come in and hit the ground running, eclipsing his experienced team-mate in the process, but will also be ready to learn from Russell as the pair work to get Mercedes back to the top of Formula 1.
It will not be an easy task but in Russell and Antonelli, Mercedes has a pairing that will fight and excite in equal measure.
Alex Kalinauckas – The Hamilton/Leclerc combination has no weaknesses overall
Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari for 2025 is no less box office than when it was announced eight months ago. Motorsport.com understands that, as a result, Monza officials are already clocking unprecedented levels of interest in tickets for the 2025 Italian Grand Prix – given it’ll be the first time to see the seven-time world champion in Ferrari red at that famous race. That Charles Leclerc so brilliantly won at Monza this year shows what a strong combination these two are going to be for Ferrari.
Their past successes also combine to prove this is the best line-up, statistics-wise. Hamilton’s title haul is the most any team will be able to boast in their 2025 line-ups. Plus, his record win tally plus Leclerc’s own win total means Ferrari will head into next year with 112 race victory memories in the heads of their two drivers. Next best is Red Bull with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez’s combined 67.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
But what really sets this line-up apart is how Hamilton and Leclerc complete each other’s games for Ferrari.
In Hamilton, he has shown he can cut it in many a championship battle, plus his racecraft and tyre management are still up there with F1’s best. Are they still the best Hamilton himself could produce at the peak of his Mercedes title run? Those Spa 2022 and Qatar 2023 lap-one crashes suggest not. But even Hamilton coming down from his greatest height is still brilliant.
In Leclerc, Ferrari has F1’s best qualifier – a deserved reputation given his speed and regular flair over a single lap. But his consistency over 33 laps on his way to that Monza win shows he has the nous to treat the tyres just right too when everything is hooked up.
Qualifying speed is something that Hamilton has struggled with of late, which he has been upfront about in his public discussions of the matter. What will be interesting is seeing how he gets on with the tricky Pirellis with being able to see Leclerc’s data from next year – as the Monegasque is often able to extract the ultimate peak of grip from a set of softs. This does, however, leave him at risk of crashing – hence the wild side of his reputation.
What cannot be known is how these two will get on working together – especially if Ferrari can get itself into a title fight in 2025…
Ben Hunt – Here’s why I am picking Haas’ Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon (hear me out!)
Yes, I have read the assignment. And no, I am not joking. I honestly believe Haas has the best driver line-up for 2025 – because it is all relative.
I have seen what my colleagues have had to say about Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes, and I make them right. But Haas doesn’t have a chance of signing any of those six drivers, so they have to be smart with who they select, which is why I make its decision to sign Bearman and Ocon as the best choice … available to the team.
I have been very impressed by Bearman on the two GP outings he has made in Saudi Arabia and Baku – two incredibly fast and challenging circuits where he excelled during the race. His other performances in FP1, which have been crucial for Haas to refine the car, have largely been solid where he has completed his objectives.
Oliver Bearman, Reserve Driver, Ferrari and Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
I am excited to see how Bearman progresses next season from this year, his results in Formula 2 have not been a true reflection of his ability.
As for Ocon, he’s now out the other side of his turbulent spell with Alpine. His frustration has dissipated, and the outbursts have stopped. Those who know him, know he’s quick but the career moves have not worked out kindly for him. Now 28, he has all the experience and Haas will look to him to become the team’s leader and that means a new-found level of responsibility and maturity.
Ocon will have been burned by the way he was turfed out of Alpine and should be motivated to prove a point. He will offer a reliable benchmark for Bearman, one just hopes the widely-mooted reputation for not being a team player is simply an unfounded accusation.
I have been impressed by Haas boss Ayao Komatsu and I think his decision to go for this driver pairing could prove to be an inspirational choice. Besides, who else could he have realistically picked?
