Have a great 2025! I hope you all had a happy end to the past year, but if not, now is the time to move forward with hope and anticipation of better things to come.
And in keeping with that theme, I always like to start the new year with a series of requests. Think of it like writing a Christmas list for Santa Claus. A lot of it may be very fanciful, but you might as well write it down anyway.
As a reminder to anyone who hasn’t read one of these before, this isn’t a set of predictions and it’s certainly not intended to be insightful (although check out last year’s stuff – a lot of them actually came true). This is a list of topics I wish I had the power to realize if I were in charge of the world of Formula 1.
The top two teams are closely matched from the start.
A year ago I wanted someone to challenge Red Bull, and for most of the season I was lucky enough to have three different teams that could battle it out on certain tracks and beat Red Bull comfortably. But the most dominant start to the year set the tone in terms of expectations and early interest, and in terms of Max Verstappen reaching too far.
The way team bosses have spoken at the end of the season, 2025 is shaping up to be a really great year with the top four teams all fighting for the title. But I will admit that I worry about how disappointing it would be if the reality were different.
If one team, even a small one, marches past the rest, other teams will potentially shift their entire focus to the 2026 regulations earlier than usual, and we won’t get to see that picture finalized for a full year.
So my hope is that at least two teams, two teams, are fighting for the win. Not only will this look good, it will prevent either of them from gaining a huge lead like Verstappen had at the start of 2024 and keep them in touch with the rest of the top four.
Hamilton and Ferrari Click
This was probably my favorite story of 2024. We finally know how Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s partnership will unfold.
This 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 would go one step further!). However, it clearly affected both Hamilton and Mercedes at times, as both sides later admitted. This year.
But despite some struggles in qualifying, there were still plenty of highlights and race performances when Hamilton was at his best. And wouldn’t it be great if there was more of that happening in 2025?
In fact, wouldn’t it be great if Ferrari gave Hamilton a true title contender, like Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz did in the second half of last year? 2021 was his final year, and it would be huge for F1 to have a seven-time world champion in a car that could fight for an eighth crown.
Liam Lawson’s fame lives on
I’ve written in depth about how I think Red Bull are not learning from the past and not making the most of their second car, and as a result risk harming Liam Lawson by immediately promoting him rather than Yuki Tsunoda . .
There is no disputing Lawson’s talent, but Red Bull will have to be patient until he finds his feet. Sam Bloxham/Motorsport Images
I don’t mind being wrong, so I’d like Lawson to have a really good season and prove that he’s the right choice for Red Bull this year, or if so, I’d like to fully understand the situation he’s in. It’s not working.
Considering his early preference for keeping his elbows out, a good season in a competitive car could be very fun to watch as well, so I guess my wish list includes me hoping my previous comment looks foolish.
George Russell is still going strong
The final media day of the 24-race season could have been a bit of a tough one in the paddock in Abu Dhabi, but George Russell injected plenty of energy with his comments on Max Verstappen after the Qatar race.
Some of them agreed, some less so, but not all drivers have to like each other, and in my book, talking about rivalries is welcome.
Now that Mercedes can offer a more competitive car, Russell and Verstappen will have to battle it out on the track more often. But I hope Russell keeps his faith going into 2025 and doesn’t let the off-season cool him down. It’s too far.
GM wheels move quickly
Another issue along the lines of last year arose, but the approval of the 11th team did not completely resolve the situation. General Motors/Cadillac/What-was-Andretti are still awaiting official approval, which leaves them on the back foot heading into 2025 when it should be operating at full capacity.
Hopefully there will be an announcement from the FIA in the coming weeks rather than months, and we can start to look forward to the countdown to a bigger grid in 2026.
Vegas changes start time
It’s a rollover topic! I wrote it last year and I will write it again. Get your race start time a little earlier in the evening. Make it smarter for those in the stands, for those on the East Coast and for those on the ground at the end of a long season starting a triple-header that also takes place in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
If it’s an important race from a championship perspective, it’s still likely to be watched by a different audience at odd times, and if not, the existing start times aren’t perfect for European viewers yet, so it’s a sure loser. Either way.
I still don’t understand how it makes sense for someone to arrive that late. Especially with how early the track closes for support races. Keep it up even after dark. But it’s much better when it’s a little warmer and suits everyone involved.
CARLOS SAINZ had at least one big result.
I completely understand why Ferrari took Hamilton, but Carlos Sainz once again put in a strong performance alongside Leclerc, so it may feel like he was collateral damage.
The Williams project is an exciting one, but it is focused on leveraging the 2026 regulations and long-term goals. There is certainly more potential than he showed last year, but Sainz could be in for a really tough year after winning several races for Ferrari.
The Williams project is a long-term one, but hopefully Sainz gets some sort of reward for his moves this year. Stephen Tee/Motorsports Images
So I hope we’ve got just one big high that gives us a hint as to why that move could pay off in the coming years. If the 2025 car isn’t a competitive one, there’s an incredible top five or podium to remind him just how strong he’s been and keep motivation high ahead of the major rule changes.
ALPINE stars on reality TV show
In Alpine, it feels like you never know what’s going to happen next, and this can be seen in both good and bad ways. Amid hirings, layoffs, powertrain program cuts and the return of Flavio Briatore, there was significant progress made on the car last year and I’m still very impressed with the team pulling out a P6 through it all.
But I don’t think improvements automatically mean there will be stability from now on. I know there’s Netflix and Drive to Survive, but if someone could make sure there were cameras in the darkest corners of Alpine at all times, it could be TV gold.
