For the first time in F1 history, the composition of the grid stayed the same over the winter. There were no new drivers, nor were there any team changes.
It only took until the winter of 2024, though, for a seismic mix-up to the 2025 field. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the most successful driver in the sport’s history, is joining Ferrari.
While that could prompt a reshuffle at the head of the field involving Hamilton and the axed Carlos Sainz, F1TV presenter Will Buxton has been writing on X about what could happen further down the grid. All of this year’s drivers had at least one full season of F1 under their belt, but we could soon see some new talent.
Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman will hope he did enough to graduate from F2 on his F1 debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Bearman finished seventh for Ferrari as a stand-in for Sainz, potentially securing a seat at Haas in the process.
More significantly, perhaps, his Prema teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli could be in line for a Mercedes seat. However, Toto Wolff will bide his time to see if he can be Hamilton’s immediate replacement.
Will Buxton says full F1 debut now looks inevitable
Unlike Antonelli, Red Bull talent Liam Lawson wouldn’t join the grid without any experience. He stepped into what was then an AlphaTauri for five races last year when Daniel Ricciardo broke his wrist.
In the end, the team opted to stick with Ricciardo, who only returned mid-season to replace Nyck de Vries, alongside Yuki Tsunoda for 2025. But he could now earn a full-time F1 debut.
Buxton says it’s now ‘almost definite’ that Lawson will be on the grid next year. Eight-time Grand Prix winner Ricciardo looks the more likely casualty given the strong form of Tsunoda.
The Japanese driver has swept the qualifying head-to-head between the two drivers thus far and also scored all seven of their points. This has left Ricciardo under serious pressure, having come into the year as a contender for a Red Bull seat.
Will Liam Lawson replace Daniel Ricciardo for 2025?
There have been reports that Lawson could jump into the RB as early as Miami, but both his camp and Red Bull director Helmut Marko have dismissed those. He refused to be drawn on his future following the Japanese Grand Prix, telling F1 Nation that he had ‘no idea’ where he stood.
The New Zealander is watching on from the sidelines as a reserve driver this year rather than racing in another category. He competed in Super Formula last term and finished second in the championship with three wins from nine races.
When the team decided to stick with Ricciardo and Tsunoda for 2024, Christian Horner assured Lawson that he would ‘get his chance’. Based on Buxton’s latest claims, he may keep his word.
The 22-year-old who won five times across two seasons in Formula 2, may feel that he did enough in his two-point 2023 cameo to get onto the grid. Indeed, ex-F1 driver Christijan Albers ‘doesn’t understand’ why RB didn’t promote him for this year. Perhaps they’re now regretting that decision.
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