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It took just two grands prix for the driver line-up for 2025 to change, with Yuki Tsunoda taking the Red Bull seat of Liam Lawson, who returned to Racing Bulls after a short, miserable stint alongside Max Verstappen.
The driver swap followed a significant pace gap between Lawson and the four-time world champion in the first two races of the year, and it wasn’t long until the next switch, when Jack Doohan lost his Alpine seat to Franco Colapinto. The former Williams driver was initially said to be on a five-race trial period in a team statement but this has since been denied by new team boss Flavio Briatore.
Even before the latest developments, a host of team changes and an influx of rookies that meant only two teams started the new season with the same driver pairings that they fielded last year.
The shake-up looks to be creating a series of combustible new team-mate rivalries in what could be one of the closest seasons grand prix racing has seen, along with the prospect of future stars and established champions writing new chapters of F1 history.
Lawson, in his first full season of Formula 1, struggled with a tricky-looking Red Bull and initially couldn’t find his form with Racing Bull, but a career-best fifth place in Azerbaijan confirmed the Kimi was finally finding his stride.
His team-mate Isack Hadjar has looked impressive all season long, while fellow rookies Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman and Gabriel Bortoleto have also shown flashes of brilliance.
Lewis Hamilton has one win under his belt from the Chinese GP sprint race after his much-anticipated move to Ferrari, from Mercedes, but the team has had more failure than success and the seven-time champion is still seeking his first Sunday podium.
Both Hamilton and his replacement, Antonelli have faced tough competition from their respective team-mates Charles Leclerc and George Russell, while the championship tensions are already visible at McLaren, which is fielding an unchanged line-up of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who extended his contract just before the start of the season.
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The raft of new recruits inevitably brought the chequered flag down on some careers at the end of last year — even if only temporarily. Sergio Perez was dropped from Red Bull after a litany of poor results.
Kevin Magnussen moved to sports cars, while Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have reserve roles, at Mercedes and Ferrari respectively.
Another changes include Carlos Sainz, who moved from Ferrari to Williams, Nico Hülkenberg, who moved to Sauber and Esteban Ocon at Haas. Aston Martin stuck with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, while Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon recommitted to their respective teams.
Here’s how the latest 2025 F1 driver line-up looks.
Click on a team name for more detail
| Team | Drivers |
| Red Bull | Max Verstappen (contract to 2028) Yuki Tsunoda (2025) |
| Ferrari | Charles Leclerc (beyond 2025) Lewis Hamilton (beyond 2025) |
| Mercedes | Kimi Antonelli (2025) George Russell (2025) |
| McLaren | Lando Norris (beyond 2025) Oscar Piastri (beyond 2026) |
| Aston Martin | Lance Stroll (beyond 2025) Fernando Alonso (beyond 2025) |
| Alpine | Pierre Gasly (multi-year deal) Franco Colapinto (5 races) |
| Williams | Alex Albon (beyond 2025) Carlos Sainz (multi-year deal) |
| Racing Bulls formerly RB |
Isack Hadjar (2025) Liam Lawson (2025) |
| Haas | Oliver Bearman (beyond 2025) Esteban Ocon (beyond 2025) |
| Sauber | Nico Hülkenberg (beyond 2025) Gabriel Bortoleto (multi-year deal) |
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• Max Verstappen on a long-term deal with Red Bull, but also linked to other teams
• Yuki Tsunoda replaced struggling Lawson from the Japanese GP
The seat at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen has proved a poisoned chalice for the likes of Daniil Kvyat, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Sergio Perez who have seen their promising careers derailed when compared directly to the now four-time world champion.
Liam Lawson was the latest victim following just two race weekends. After twice qualifying last and failing to score a single championship point in what looks to be a highly sensitive car, he was moved back to Racing Bulls, swapping with Yuki Tsunoda who has faced the daunting position alongside Verstappen.
His task wasn’t just to score points but to help develop the car into a more manageable machine.
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So far the Japanese has failed to live up to expectations, often qualifying and finishing far behind Verstappen, his future for 2026 very much uncertain.
The task proved beyond even a driver with the experience of Sergio Perez who crumbled last year. The gap in qualifying pace to his team-mate was the largest of all the F1 grid. Compounding his slow pace was a litany of errors, Perez reaching his nadir when he failed to spot the green light indicating the start of the race from the pitlane in Qatar.
After securing his first Formula 1 world championship in 2021, Verstappen signed a record-breaking six-year contract with Red Bull, extending his stay with the team through 2028. However, his relationship with Red Bull became tense during the first half of 2024, amid reports of a power struggle at the top of the organisation, a high-profile investigation into team boss Christian Horner, who was cleared but later dismissed, being replaced by Laurent Mekies halfway through the 2025 season.
Amid these internal challenges, speculation grew that Verstappen might exit his contract early—especially after his father, Jos Verstappen, publicly amplified suggestions that a move was possible. Verstappen’s deal included a performance clause allowing him to leave if he fell outside the top three in the drivers’ championship by the summer break; but with his third-place standing after the Belgian Grand Prix, that clause became void and firmly tied him to Red Bull for 2026.
Verstappen himself has since insisted that rumors about an imminent move to Mercedes or another top team have been put to rest for now, repeatedly stating his commitment to Red Bull while acknowledging that long-term decisions will depend on the team’s competitiveness under the new regulations from 2026 onward.
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• Hamilton joins from Mercedes, replacing Sainz in a bid for an eighth world championship
• Leclerc extended his contract with Ferrari in 2024, signing a new multi-year deal early in the year
In 2025, Ferrari fields a high-profile driver line-up of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, following Hamilton’s sensational move from Mercedes after the 2024 season.
Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari had been speculated for years, and after two difficult seasons with Mercedes, he officially replaced Carlos Sainz, whose contract expired at the end of 2024.
Now 40 years old and entering his 19th F1 season, Hamilton showed in 2024 that he remains competitive.
Leclerc remains committed to Ferrari, having signed a multi-year contract early in 2024, despite ongoing team frustrations linked to missed opportunities and reliability issues over recent seasons.
The 2025 season, however, has continued Ferrari’s disappointing streak of results and neither driver has won a race, with Hamilton still searching for his first podium.
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• George Russell only contracted to the end of this year — but has an option to extend
• 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli comes with high expectations as he replaces Lewis Hamilton
At one point, Mercedes seemed to be one of only two teams to have its driver line-up secured for 2025, with both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton signing extensions in the midst of the 2023 season. But the break clause in Hamilton’s deal was activated, and he’s now a Ferrari driver.
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His replacement is Mercedes junior prodigy Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who moved straight from Formula 4 to Formula 2 in 2024, already with enough superlicence points for F1.
Team boss Toto Wolff has said that the 18-year-old Italian represents the “future” and the only question was whether Mercedes would deem him ready as soon as 2025. Antonelli drove a 2024 car F1 car during a practice session at last year’s Italian Grand Prix and crashed on only his second flying lap. But the pace he showed convinced Wolff to sign him as Hamilton’s replacement.
On the other side of the garage, Russell’s contract expires at the end of this year, but is understood to include options to extend. At this point, he appears most likely to remain with Mercedes, having taken two more wins in 2024 and showing pace to fight wheel-to-wheel with the likes of Norris, Leclerc and even Verstappen.
The team also represents a decent bet for 2026 when new regulations and power units are introduced.
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• Norris signed new contract ahead of 2024, keeping him with McLaren until at least 2026
• Piastri’s performance last year earned him contract extension just ahead of 2025 season
McLaren wasn’t part of the scramble for 2025 seats with its driver line-up already confirmed.
Ahead of the 2024 campaign, Lando Norris signed another long-term deal which will keep the Brit racing in papaya until at least 2026, with the option to extend beyond that date. Oscar Piastri now has a similar deal, having signed an extension the week ahead of this year’s Australian Grand Prix.
It’s an arrangement that suits both parties. Norris and Piastri start the season in a car that’s thought to be the fastest on the grid and favourite to retain the constructors’ championship, while McLaren has two drivers who have proven fast and able to work with each other.
As last year’s McLaren became the class of the field, Norris and Piastri managed to claim their maiden grand prix wins, while some tough lessons — for Norris particularly — sharpened his racecraft in dog-eat-dog battles with Max Verstappen
The burning question is whether Norris or Oscar Piastri will finish on top in 2025. Both drivers know that this year could be their best-ever chance of winning the championship and neither will want to miss the opportunity.
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• Lance Stroll secure in team that is owned by his father
• Alonso has a multi-year deal that will take him into at least 2026
Aston Martin is firmly focused on success in 2026, with superstar designer Adrian Newey now at the team, alongside a number of other high-profile hires at a new headquarters attached to a new wind tunnel.
All the pieces are coming into place which could give Fernando Alonso a shot at a third world title in 2026. He has a contract in place, but may not be entirely confident given that the rest of the grid will also be eyeing Aston’s obvious potential.
Max Verstappen has long been linked with a move to Aston Martin. While rumours that the F1 team told sponsors that it’s signed the world champion have been denied, he might struggle to resist a move that could be worth up to $1bn
Aston Martin had a breakthrough year in 2023, establishing itself among F1’s elite, but its form declined in 2024, and so far in 2025 the team has struggled to consistently challenge at the front.
Alonso has shown glimpses of strong pace and scored points regularly but has been hampered by reliability issues and bad luck, leading to inconsistency in results.
He remains optimistic about the team’s future, especially the upcoming rules change in 2026.
Lance Stroll, whose seat is secure as the team is still owned by a consortium led by his father Lawrence Stroll, has had an inconsistent season marked by frequent low qualifying positions and a lack of strong race results, though he has occasionally outscored Alonso.
Felipe Drugovich continues as Aston Martin’s test and reserve driver in 2025, participating in practice sessions and supporting the team while also competing in endurance racing outside of Formula 1.
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• Gasly starts his third season at Alpine, having extended his contract
• Jack Doohan replaced by Franco Colapinto
Alpine’s 2025 season continues to be marked by upheaval and transition. Six races into the year, the team dropped Jack Doohan from its race line-up, replacing him with Franco Colapinto – a move that was orchestrated behind the scenes by team advisor Flavio Briatore, who returned to a leading role reminiscent of his previous tenures with Benetton and Renault despite his controversial past in the series.
Team principal Oliver Oakes departed from Alpine for personal reasons shortly before Doohan was replaced, deepening the sense of instability.
While Alpine initially described the driver swap as a planned evaluation with a review period after five races, Briatore later indicated that Doohan’s return was unlikely, signaling a more permanent reshuffle.
Colapinto had impressed when called up last year as a substitute driver at Williams, and his arrival at Alpine was long anticipated. His performances in 2025 have not vindicated the decision, however, the Argentine struggling to impress.
Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly remains the team’s more consistent presence, bringing a modicum of stability in an otherwise volatile environment.
Alpine is now preparing for a new era in Formula 1, including a fresh technical partnership with Mercedes engines from 2026 onwards.
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• Alex Albon extended Williams contract last season with multi-year deal
• Carlos Sainz joins Williams on multi-year deal to replace Franco Colapinto
Williams entered the 2025 Formula 1 season with renewed momentum and one of its strongest driver pairing in years.
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Alex Albon remains central to the team’s long-term vision after extending his contract well beyond 2025, signalling Williams’ intent to build around continuity and proven talent.
Alongside him is Carlos Sainz, who joined from Ferrari for a multi-year project, giving the team its first podium since 2021 at Baku.
The team trusts the Sainz-Albon duo can maximise its potential before the 2026 regulation overhaul, when Williams hopes its reorganisation and Mercedes engine partnership will deliver a leap forward.
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• 2024 F2 runner-up Isack Hadjar promoted to 2025 seat
• Liam Lawson returns to Racing Bulls after unsuccessful two-race stint at Red Bull
The Racing Bulls drama continued into 2025, as Liam Lawson returns to the team following just two race weekends at Red Bull. The experience was so miserable, that team boss Christian Horner said that the change was needed to “protect and develop Liam”. He has swapped with Yuki Tsunoda, who took the seat alongside Max Verstappen.
The 2024 season alone had enough plot twists for a pitlane soap opera at RB, as the team was then known. It began when an underperforming Daniel Ricciardo was ejected from his seat after the Singapore GP. Highly-rated reserve Lawson was brought in to replace him in what looked like a trial for the team’s spare 2025 seat. But then Perez’s form went from bad to worse for Red Bull.
Having impressed while substituting for Ricciardo in 2023, Lawson picked up where he left off with a strong drive in Austin and then a combative performance in Mexico where he battled Sergio Perez impressively – until the cars made contact, affecting both drivers’ races. Since then, Lawson had mixed fortunes but Perez well and truly slumped, so 2025 sees Lawson replace Perez at Red Bull.
That brought Isack Hadjar into the mix. The 20-year-old, who finished second to Sauber-bound Gabriel Bortoleto in the 2024 F2 championship, joined the team for 2025. Aside from a high-profile error hat saw him crash out of the Australian Grand prix on the parade lap, he’s enjoyed a strong season and has been linked with a promotion to Red Bull.
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• Oliver Bearman replaces Nico Hülkenberg with a multi-year deal
• Esteban Ocon joins Haas from Alpine
It’s out with the old at Haas — somewhat literally as Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen take their combined 20 seasons of F1 experience with them.
They have been replaced by Ferrari junior hotshot Ollie Bearman, who impressed thoroughly during his rookie F2 campaign in 2023 and delighted further throughout his F1 debut for Ferrari in Jeddah, where he replaced Carlos Sainz on short notice. He was also called on to replace Magnussen for two races last season.
Esteban Ocon’s recruitment alongside Bearman now shows a balance between youth and experience for the American outfit. The Frenchman has made a name for himself as a fierce competitor, unafraid to go toe-to-toe with rivals.
He also has results to back up the reputation: Ocon emerged victorious from a chaotic 2021 Hungarian GP for his single race victory, and has three additional podiums to his name.
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• Nico Hülkenberg joins all-new line-up as Sauber looks to Audi partnership in 2026
• Bortoleto has signed a multi-year deal, leaving no space for Bottas or Zhou at Sauber, or on the grid at all
Sauber has been bought by Audi, which has been preparing for the transition for some time. Now its long-term driver line-up has emerged with Formula 2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto signing a multi-year contract alongside Nico Hülkenberg.
It leaves Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas without an F1 seat for 2025, although both have secured reserve roles, with Ferrari and Mercedes respectively.
The line-up blends the talent and potential of 20-year-old Bortoleto with the pace and experience of 37-year-old Hülkenberg who delivered strong drives in the 2024 Haas. He’ll race for Sauber this year and in 2026, when it becomes the Audi factory team, and potentially beyond owing to his “multi-year” contract.
Hülkenberg’s team-mate is former McLaren development driver Gabriel Bortoleto, who secured the 2024 Formula 2 title and is one of racing’s hottest prospects.
