--- title: "F1 Is Back. Who’s Your Money On?" date: "2025-03-14" modified: "2025-03-14" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/f1-is-back-whos-your-money-on" categories: - "F1" - "News" - "Racing" --- # F1 Is Back. Who’s Your Money On? ![MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 14: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 14, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)]() *\Clive Mason/Getty Images\* Finally! [Formula 1]() is back, and as much as I hate to agree with many of the racing [pundits who typically exaggerate]() every little claim; this year may be one of the, if not *the*, most competitive seasons in the sport's history. This should result in one of the most exciting seasons in a while—though hopefully for the right reasons, [unlike in 2021](). Red Bull and [Max Verstappen]() will undoubtedly be strong from the get-go, even if they've yet to put on a fast time around Melbourne Park throughout the first and second practice sessions. It's less clear how well [Liam Lawson]() will do on his maiden race for the team, as he's been languishing in 16th and 17th so far. Whether it's Charles Leclerc or [Lewis Hamilton](), Ferrari will be a threat all weekend—there's not much more to say about that. The established Monegasque knows the car, knows the team, and has been in the top three for both practice sessions so far, and is likely to repeat that in Practice 3. It's going to come down to everything clicking together for qualifying. Meanwhile, Hamilton will have a steeper learning curve and he'll definitely want to avoid pushing too hard too soon, which could lead to an off-track excursion. If only someone would've told Oliver Bearman this, he probably wouldn't have [thrashed his Haas]() on the first outing of the year. Then there's the reigning constructors' champ, [McLaren](). All eyes are on the papaya team to deliver the goods this weekend. Lando Norris topped the charts in Practice 1 and came in third in Practice 2. His teammate Oscar Piastri, who is enjoying his home race, delivered the fourth- and second-fastest times so far this weekend. If I were a betting man, my money would be on one of these two to win the race come Sunday. ![MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 14: Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes and Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes in the Pitlane during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 14, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)]() *Mark Sutton - Formula 1* ![MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA - 2025/03/14: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain drives the (44) Scuderia Ferrari HP SF-25 during the practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at the Albert Park Grand Prix circuit. (Photo by George Hitchens/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)]() *SOPA Images* ![Max Verstappen of the Netherlands drives the Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 Honda RBPT during the Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix 2025 in Melbourne, Australia, on March 14, 2025. (Photo by Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty Images)]() *NurPhoto* ![MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 14: George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 14, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)]() *Clive Rose* The rest of the field is too scattered up to this point to speculate on the best of the rest. Much noise has been made about Carlos Sainz and his Williams, after the Spaniard managed to put in a few good laps early on this weekend. The same can be said about Racing Bulls' Yuki Tsunoda and his rookie teammate Isack Hadjar. Everyone's favorite brat, Lance Stroll, has managed to place his Aston Martin in the top 10 for both sessions, while Fernando Alonso managed eighth and 13th, respectively. Mercedes is in a similar situation, as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have failed to stand out so far. We'll have a much clearer idea of the pecking order after qualifying, which will take place tonight (technically Saturday morning) at 1 a.m. Eastern. Even then, it's safe to expect lots of carnage during Sunday's race start, given Albert Park's Turn 1 typically delivers wild multi-car crashes. If that doesn't claim a few folks, typical early-season reliability woes can cause major headaches for teams—especially those who will already be chasing valuable championship points. Let's not forget what happened to [Verstappen last year](). If you had to choose the 2025 constructors' and drivers' champions today, who do you got? *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()