Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari: Martin Brundle’s predictions for 2025 F1 championship. Martin Brundle his thoughts on the battles that could unfold on track in 2025 F1 season.

Four Top Teams Fighting for the Titles

Excitement continues to build ahead of the new world championship, not only for the unveiling of the cars but also for testing, the final step before the real start with the Australian Grand Prix. Unlike in recent years, the 2025 season is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing due to the lineup changes at three of the four top teams.

Excluding McLaren, the reigning Constructors’ Champion, Ferrari will have seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton as Charles Leclerc’s new teammate, while the seat left vacant by #44 at Mercedes will be taken by rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Red Bull also has a change, with Liam Lawson joining four-time champion Max Verstappen. This balance raises a natural question: Who will become world champion?

The Predictions

Even for former F1 drivers who remain involved in the sport, such as Martin Brundle, now a pundit for Sky Sports, this is a difficult question to answer. Will McLaren finally challenge Red Bull for the Drivers’ Championship after the Anglo-Austrian team’s decline in the second half of 2024? Or will Ferrari and Mercedes make a comeback? And what if none of that happens, with Max Verstappen defending his dominance and claiming a fifth title?

Red Bull and Mercedes

The 65-year-old Brit, who raced in F1 between the mid-80s and 90s, shared his predictions for what promises to be an exciting season: “For the Constructors’ Championship, I think McLaren is probably the favorite,” he said. “Ferrari obviously has a great lineup with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, but Red Bull and, to some extent, Mercedes will be teams with only one real contender. At Mercedes, they have Kimi Antonelli, who we know is expected to be spectacularly good, but as an 18-year-old rookie, he will make mistakes. And Max is utterly dominant.”

Ferrari and McLaren

“I think Liam Lawson will be mentally strong and good enough to be a credible number two, but I believe Red Bull and Mercedes will have just one real contender for the Drivers’ Championship,” he continued. “Ferrari and McLaren will have internal battles, and they might start taking points off each other. But with 24 races in the season, a team can’t start worrying about that before August or September.” – the Sky Sports pundit concluded.