Lando Norris will have to defy plenty of history to win the Formula 1 title this year.
There鈥檚 his friend-turned-rival Max Verstappen鈥檚 bid for a fifth title in a row. Just like the only driver to achieve that feat, Michael Schumacher, Verstappen is a hard racer who isn鈥檛 afraid to bend the rules 鈥� as Norris knows from bitter experience.
Then there鈥檚 Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time champion going for a record eighth title in 2025. It鈥檚 his first season with Ferrari, which is itching to end a wait for a drivers鈥� title going back to 2007.
Norris is the under-pressure favorite
Norris is widely considered the favorite after he and McLaren had a strong second half of 2024 鈥� though not strong enough to beat Verstappen 鈥� but it could be the closest season in years.
McLaren seemed competitive in preseason testing last month but Norris has to watch out not only for Verstappen and Hamilton, but also for his own teammate Oscar Piastri, Ferrari鈥檚 Charles Leclerc and Mercedes鈥� George Russell. Five drivers from four different teams won the last six races of 2024.
鈥淎s much as we want to believe we鈥檙e the best, I guess we still want to feel like we鈥檙e underdogs. We have a lot to fight for,鈥� Norris said last month. After slipping up from pole position in a few races last season, Norris insists he can thrive as the driver to beat.
鈥淚 know, coming into this season that for a lot of people I鈥檓 the favorite and as a team we鈥檙e the favorites,鈥� Norris said. 鈥淚鈥檝e always done much better under pressure. I鈥檓 able to think and to focus much more.鈥�
Verstappen shows he鈥檚 still hungry
Ever since beating Hamilton to the 2021 title in a race that鈥檚 still controversial, Verstappen has been F1鈥檚 man to beat.
He鈥檚 long been clear he doesn鈥檛 want to stay in F1 into his 40s like Hamilton or Fernando Alonso, so could motivation be a factor in the Dutch driver鈥檚 bid for a fifth title? Verstappen says last season 鈥� when he tested Norris to the limit and sometimes beyond 鈥� shows he鈥檚 still hungry.
鈥淢y motivation is there because I think already last year it was not straightforward,鈥� Verstappen said. 鈥淲e had of course good wins, but I guess not as many as we would have liked, but we still won the championship.鈥�
After a year when off-track events threatened to overwhelm Verstappen鈥檚 Red Bull team and his own father sparred with the management, Verstappen seems more settled at the start of his 11th season in F1. The team feels 鈥渓ike a second family,鈥� he said last month.
Hamilton aims for title No. 8
Another title for Hamilton would break a tie with Schumacher for the most in F1 history.
The British driver proclaimed himself 鈥渋nvigorated鈥� at F1鈥檚 glitzy season launch. Expectations from Ferrari鈥檚 鈥淭ifosi鈥� fans are so high that he could finally bring success to the Italian team that some cut down a tree to better watch Hamilton test the new SF-25 car.
鈥淚 know what a winning team looks and feels like,鈥� he said last month. 鈥淭he passion here is like nothing you鈥檝e ever seen. They鈥檝e got absolutely every ingredient they need to win a world championship. And it鈥檚 just about putting all the pieces together.鈥�
Other contenders for the crown
Mercedes solved long-running car issues to win four of the last 14 races in 2024, including Hamilton鈥檚 emotional home win at the British Grand Prix. Three-time winner Russell is joined by 18-year-old rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who starts his career with some valuable advice from Hamilton.
If they can鈥檛 challenge for the podium right away, other teams like Aston Martin might opt to switch focus early to their 2026 cars. Next year brings a big change in the regulations and getting a head-start could pay off for years to come.
Off-track tensions
Watch out too for a simmering feud between the drivers and the governing body, the FIA, whose president Mohammed Ben Sulayem wants to crack down on drivers swearing.
New rules mean fines starting at 40,000 euros ($42,000) and even potential suspensions and point deductions for repeat offenders. Drivers have previously raised concerns about where the money from fines goes, a string of firings of senior FIA staff and Ben Sulayem鈥檚 鈥渙wn tone and language.鈥�