The 2025 F1 season is right on the doorstep now with everyone anticipating an exciting season ahead. This is the season where there is genuinely a lack of clarity or confidence if we have to pick who is going to win the title.
There's a perception that the top four teams are arguably very close to each other, with a minuscule gap between each of them. It could come down to the operations of the respective teams or their drivers. This is also a 24-race season, and when you're competing for that long, emotions run high.
This is a season where we could see tempers flaring, and hence there would be some things that make the F1 fans sit back for a minute and absorb what just happened.
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Without further ado, let's jump straight into 5 major (and shocking) developments that could take place this year:
#5 Jack Doohan gets replaced by Franco Colapinto
We'll start with a slightly more obvious one here, as this looks more or less like a certainty. Jack Doohan is arguably under an unfair amount of pressure as Alpine continues to add reserve/test drivers to the squad while the current driver is yet to get his feet under the car. It's not even a case of Franco Colapinto getting the call, as the squad also had Paul Aron waiting in the wings.
Then there's Kush Maini, who has been signed as well. With the commercial appeal of Franco and what appears to be a very high standard in Pierre Gasly that Doohan has to match up against, it's safe to say that the Australian's F1 career, unfortunately, might not be a long one.
Of course, in some ways it is in Doohan's hands. If he beats Gasly in the first few races, the gaze would turn to the French driver, especially after Flavio Briatore admitted last season that he didn't rate him highly.
#4 Either of the Racing Bulls drivers gets replaced by Arvid Lindblad
Yuki Tsunoda is entering his last season with Red Bull, and it looks like the Japanese driver's contract with the team is unlikely to be extended. Isack Hadjar has received glowing praise from Helmut Marko and Christian Horner for now. The French driver is impressive and fast, but not someone who has turned the heads of the top brass.
The driver that has caught attention, however, is Arvid Lindblad. The young teenager who is younger than Kimi Antonelli has already got his superlicense as a result of being pushed to compete in the Formula Regional series in New Zealand.
Red Bull is looking for the next Max Verstappen, and it wants to do it fast. If Isack struggles to beat Yuki often early in the year while Arvid Lindblad wins races in F2, it won't take long for Helmut Marko to pull the pin and bring him to F1.
At the same time, if Isack is doing a decent enough job, Yuki Tsunoda could be moved aside to see how the two youngsters fare against each other.
#3 Kimi Antonelli clashes with one of Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris on the track
There's certainly a level of excitement when it comes to Kimi Antonelli. The young Italian is fast, he's also a kind of freshness we do not get to see often in F1. A teenager is going to go up against the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and others.
And invariably, that teenager is going to be fearless and will make mistakes. At the same time, this teenager is going to pull off stuff that is going to be gold dust in terms of F1 driving excellence.
Most importantly, though, Kimi Antonelli is going wheel to wheel with some of the fiercest competitors that the sport has ever seen, and in 2025, there will be a few moments where he rubs them the wrong way.
#2 At least one driver ignores team orders this season
The 2025 F1 season could potentially have as many as four different teams fighting for a title. At the same time, out of these four teams, three teams comprise very competitive drivers pitted against each other and will be close in terms of performance.
What that also means is that there are at least three driver lineups where teams have their work cut out and would have to stamp their authority if drivers don't do what's best for the team. Having said that, expect a driver or two to ignore team orders this F1 season and ruffle a few feathers along the way.
#1 We will see at least one F1 driver from the top 4 teams make a move to a rival squad
Finally, and something that does seem a bit less likely with Oscar Piastri signing an extension with McLaren, we cannot count out major contract-related decisions when tensions are high. The Red Bull-Max Verstappen relationship is on thin ice, and has been that way for a while.
Mercedes has not signed an extension yet with George Russell, and that is something to keep an eye on as his contract comes to an end this season. There's a potential that the top 4 F1 teams could be fighting for the title, and when that happens, it's all or nothing for a lot of drivers.
Drivers wouldn't want to be let down by their teams, and if they are, they won't think twice before making a move to a rival squad.
