Here’s to a great 2025! I hope you’ve all had a fun end to last year, but if not then this is the point when we get to look forward with hope and anticipation that there will be better times ahead.
And in keeping with that theme, I always like to kick off the New Year with a set of requests. Think of it like writing a Christmas list to Santa Claus – you know a lot of it might be highly fanciful, but you might as well stick it down anyway…
A reminder to anyone who has not read one of these before, this is not a set of predictions, and certainly not intended to be insightful (although go and check out last year’s
THE TOP TWO TEAMS ARE CLOSELY-MATCHED FROM THE START
A year ago I wanted someone to challenge Red Bull, and for the majority of the season we were lucky enough to have three different teams capable of putting up a fight – and even comfortably beating Red Bull – at specific tracks. But that dominant opening part of the year set the tone, both in terms of expectations and early interest, and also in Max Verstappen getting just a bit too far out of reach.
The way team bosses were talking by the end of the season, all of the expectation is for an absolutely epic year in 2025, with the top four teams all fighting for the title. But I’ll admit that actually leads me to worry about how disappointing it would be if the reality is different.
If one team just gets a march on the rest, even a small one, then others are potentially going to switch full focus to the 2026 regulations earlier than usual, and we won’t see the picture closing up through the year.
So my wish is that at least two teams – any two teams – are fighting it out for wins from the word go. That will not only be great to watch, but it will also prevent either one of them getting a daunting lead such as Verstappen had early on in 2024, in turn keeping the rest of the top four in touch.
HAMILTON AND FERRARI CLICK
It was probably my favorite story of 2024, and we finally get to see how the Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari partnership will play out.
It had a huge impact on the driver market chaos that followed (another wishlist item from last year – one that predicted Kimi Antonelli and Ollie Bearman stepping up!) but it also clearly affected both Hamilton and Mercedes at times, as the two sides acknowledged later in the year.
Yet despite some qualifying struggles, there were still a number of highlights and race performances when Hamilton looked to be at his best. And wouldn’t it be great if there was a lot more of that in 2025?
In fact, wouldn’t it be great if Ferrari provides Hamilton with a true title-contending car, as it did in the second half of last year for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz? 2021 was the last time he had one, and it would be huge for F1 if the seven-time world champion was in a car capable of fighting for an eighth crown.
LIAM LAWSON’S REPUTATION HOLDS UP
I’ve written in-depth about how I think Red Bull isn’t learning from the past or getting the most out of its second car, and to that end, that it risks hurting Liam Lawson by promoting him straight away rather than Yuki Tsunoda.
I don’t mind being wrong, so I either want Lawson to have a really good season and prove to be the right choice this year for Red Bull, or I want there to be enough understanding of the situation he has been put in if it doesn’t go well.
A good season in a competitive car could be a lot of fun to watch too, given his early predilection for getting his elbows out, so I guess my wishlist includes me wanting my earlier comment piece to look silly.