One successful F1 driver probably won’t be part of the 2025 grid, according to Speedcafe editor Mat Coch. The field could be in for its biggest reshuffle in years, with more than half the current pack out of contract.
The biggest move may already have happened, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton ditching Mercedes, the team who have delivered six of his titles, for Ferrari. Hamilton is the most successful driver in the sport’s history with 103 wins and 104 pole positions.
The expectation was that most of the activity would take place in F1’s midfield, but there’s now a vacancy at eight-time world champions Mercedes. Speaking on the Pit Talk podcast, Coch predicted that a big name would bid farewell in the melee.
The sport was starved of major headlines in last year’s driver market as the composition of the field remained the same. It was the first time in the sport’s history that this had happened, but this year promises to be a very different story.
Journalist predicts one legendary figure won’t be on 2025 F1 grid
Coch believes that two-time world champion, 33-time race-winner and 22-time pole-sitter Fernando Alonso is on his way out. The Spaniard is in the final year of his deal with Aston Martin, having joined Alpine ahead of the 2023 campaign.
He said: “There’s another driver I don’t expect to be on the grid next year. I think Fernando’s well past-it.”
Alonso ranks eighth in this year’s standings with 24 points, level with Mercedes driver George Russell and ahead of Hamilton (10). Teammate Lance Stroll has only put nine on the board, the largest disparity (percentage-wise) at any of the top five teams.
The 42-year-old is the oldest driver on the grid but hasn’t yet given up hope of winning another world championship, even though his last victory came more than 10 years ago at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Alonso has been holding out for a seat with Mercedes or Red Bull, both of whom could give him the opportunity to end that drought. However, the Silver Arrows are likely to sign Kimi Antonelli instead, while Sergio Perez has been in solid form for the Bulls with three runner-up finishes in four races.
When did Fernando Alonso win his world championships?
Alonso won his only two titles to date back-to-back in 2005 and 2006 during his days with Renault. In the first instance, he beat McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen, and in the second, he edged out the retiring Michael Schumacher.
Since then, the Oviedo born racer has come agonisingly close on numerous occasions. He was a point short of making it a hat-trick in 2007, when Raikkonen prevailed, and he lost out to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel at the final race in both 2010 and 2013.
Niki Lauda holds the record for the longest gap between championships at seven years (1977 to 1984). If Alonso was to win next year’s title, he would nearly triple that.
Aston Martin intend to offer him a new deal, having seen him bag two top-six finishes already this season. That means, if he is to be absent next year, he’ll have to actively choose to retire.
The post ‘I don’t expect’: Journalist says ‘past-it’ 22-pole driver won’t be on the F1 grid in 2025 appeared first on F1 Oversteer.