F1 Season 2025: Do You Know All the Driver Changes?

The start of the 2025 season is imminent. The F1 driver lineup is now set, here is a summary for the main information to calmly begin this new year of Formula 1 a few weeks before the season starts.

Red Bull

Max Verstappen will stay in Milton Keynes at least until 2028. Sergio Perez, after stating repeatedly that he would be there in 2025, was replaced by Liam Lawson, who arrived in Formula 1 when he replaced Daniel Ricciardo.

Unsurprisingly, there was a lot of competition for this spot at Red Bull. As the third driver of the team, Daniel Ricciardo was the obvious choice, and his return to the team where he won seven of his eight Grand Prix victories between 2014 and 2018 would certainly have been noticed. But his performance against his teammate at Racing Bulls, Yuki Tsunoda, clearly left much to be desired in 2024. This is likely what precipitated his exit from the discipline, even though his departure happened very abruptly in the middle of the season.

Contracted driver in 2025

Max Verstappen, contract until 2028.

Liam Lawson, contract for the season.

Issues

With the departure of Adrian Newey, who now even owns shares in Aston Martin, and the replacement of Perez by Lawson, who only started Formula 1 last year, the 2025 season promises to be crucial for Red Bull.

Ferrari

Ferrari will have a team composed of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in 2025, following the confirmation of the seven-time champion’s transfer from Mercedes. Hamilton replaces Carlos Sainz, who was at the end of his contract in 2024. This opens the enticing prospect of a fierce rivalry between the most decorated F1 driver and Ferrari’s protégé. Leclerc committed early to his future with Ferrari with a multi-year contract announced in January 2024.

Contracted pilots

Charles Leclerc, multi-year contract beyond 2025.

Lewis Hamilton, multiyear contract beyond 2025.

McLaren

McLaren was not part of the race for seats in 2025: its young driver lineup has been confirmed for a long time already. Norris had his best F1 season in 2024, with several wins that led him to second place in the drivers’ championship. A long-term contract has been signed with Oscar Piastri. Although he lags behind the consistent results produced by his teammate, Piastri had an impressive season, with 2 wins and 23 points finishes in 2024, compared to only 11 in 2023.

Contracted pilots

Lando Norris, contract until 2028.

Oscar Piastri, contract until 2026.

Mercedes

Mercedes seemed to be one of the two only teams to have secured its lineup for 2025, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton having signed extensions in the middle of the 2023 season. But a break clause in Hamilton’s agreement was activated: he ultimately joined Ferrari this year. It is the young Andrea Kimi Antonelli who will have the heavy responsibility of replacing him at Mercedes.

Contracted pilots

George Russell, contract until 2025.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, contract for the season.

Aston Martin

5th in the constructors’ championship in 2024, Aston Martin hopes for a revival thanks to the arrival of Adrian Newey. It was Fernando Alonso who carried the team on the track, with 69 points scored, compared to only 24 for Lance Stroll. However, the position of the Canadian driver within the team is unlikely to be challenged in the foreseeable future, given that his father Lawrence remains in charge of the company as executive chairman and owner.

Contracted drivers

Fernando Alonso, multi-year contract at least until 2026.

Lance Stroll, indefinite contract.

Taureaux de course

The Racing Bulls team experienced its share of changes, with Daniel Ricciardo being replaced by Liam Lawson during last season. While it was expected that the New Zealand driver would keep Ricciardo’s seat at the end of the 2024 season, he was ultimately propelled directly into the main team. This happened even though Yuki Tsunoda already has solid experience in Formula 1, particularly with Racing Bulls, and many thought he would replace Perez. Lawson’s swift promotion allowed Isack Hadjar to secure a place at Racing Bulls. This French driver is one of the few modern Formula 1 drivers who has never been a champion in the lower categories: he managed to prove, without a title, that he deserved a chance in this extreme discipline.

Contracted pilots

Yuki Tsunoda, under contract until 2025.

Isack Hadjar, contracted for a minimum of 12 races.

Issues

If the team will first have to deal with Isack Hadjar’s lack of experience in Formula 1, Yuki Tsunoda will probably keep an eye on Red Bull Racing: if Liam Lawson’s performances are deemed insufficient to complement those of Max Verstappen, maybe the Japanese driver will be offered a place alongside the four-time world champion.

Haas

After a somewhat vague strategy for 2025, Haas has signed former Alpine Racing driver Esteban Ocon and young Oliver Bearman to form its driver lineup. In just 3 Grand Prix races, Bearman has managed to bring in no less than 7 points for his team, which is quite an achievement considering the difficulty of reaching the 10th position in Formula 1, especially for a young driver racing in a Haas.

Contracted pilots

Esteban Ocon, under contract until at least 2026.

Oliver Bearman, under contract until at least 2026.

Williams

Williams, which became Atlassian Williams Racing on February 11, 2025, lost contact with its rival Haas in the constructors’ standings in 2024. Marked by the eviction of Logan Sargeant, Williams’ last season was quite eventful. The replacement for Sargeant at the end of the season, the Argentine Franco Colapinto, impressed by scoring more points in 9 Grand Prix than Logan Sargeant in his entire career spanning 36 Grand Prix. However, the situation became a bit bleak for Colapinto as he ended the season with 3 retirements.

Contracted pilots

Alexander Albon, contract until 2027.

Carlos Sainz, contract at least until 2026.

Alpine

The year 2024 was difficult for the two French drivers, and except for an unexpected double podium in Brazil, this season could even be described as a disaster for the team. This ultimately led to a disappointing sixth place in the constructors’ standings. Pierre Gasly remains with Alpine, but Esteban Ocon is no longer part of the team.

Contracted pilots

Pierre Gasly has seen his contract extended, at least until 2026.

Jack Doohan, contract for the season.

Issues

Jack Doohan will have to quickly prove himself at Alpine, otherwise he might see his spot given to another driver, like Colapinto. This is the last year for Alpine with a Renault engine, so the teams in Viry-Châtillon must be more eager than ever to prove the worth of their power unit, and surely hope that unlike last year, the results of the Alpine Racing team reflect their involvement.

Sauber

Sauber swaps Bottas’s experience for that of Hülkenberg: the team has signed him for several years. Gabriel Bortoleto will take a seat alongside him. In his first season, Bortoleto will have plenty of opportunities to learn from one of the most experienced drivers in Formula 1.

Contracted pilots

Nico Hülkenberg, contract until at least 2027.

Gabriel Bortoleto, under contract until at least 2026.