Motor Racing

F1 Season Preview And Betting Tips For 2025

8 months ago

| BY Sam Cox

It’s been a winter of change across Formula One. McLaren and Aston Martin are the only teams to retain the same driver lineups with Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari the most high-profile among a catalogue of switches.

The Scuderia are priced as co-favourites for the constructors’ title in William Hill’s motor racing betting market at a price of 5/4 with McLaren. Having swapped the underperforming Sergio Perez for Liam Lawson, Red Bull are 4/1 for the title.

Max Verstappen, aiming to become the first driver since Michael Schumacher to win five consecutive drivers’ championships, is the 9/4 second favourite.

The first live betting event of the 2025 season begins on March 14th. Melbourne once again hosts the opening race of the campaign, with early odds making Lando Norris a narrow favourite for the win ahead of Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Hamilton.

Fierce Battle at The Front

Red Bull were heavy favourites going into 2024 after a dominant 2023. Verstappen claimed another title, but Christian Horner’s team were no longer the fastest on the grid. McLaren and Ferrari went down to Abu Dhabi for the constructors’ title, Norris put up a fight for the drivers’, and seven different drivers stood atop the podium.

There isn’t going to be much to choose between the top three if the second half of last season is anything to go by. Red Bull are hoping Lawson can be more competitive than Perez. McLaren’s confidence couldn’t be higher, and their drivers will benefit from the experience Oscar Piastri and Norris gained during an intense 2024 campaign.

Changes at Aston Martin

They might be one of two teams to retain their driver lineup, but that doesn’t mean Aston Martin are standing still. Lawrence Stroll has splashed the big bucks, bringing in 12-time champion Adrian Newey as technical director, along with Andy Cowell and Enrico Cardile from Mercedes and Ferrari, respectively.

It was a challenging 2024. The car was unreliable and not capable of competing race-to-race. Expectations are high for 2025, however, with Aston Martin likely to be the most improved team on the grid.

Fernando Alonso – without a race win since 2013 – could be a good early-season bet for podium finishes. He’s 66/1 for the Australian Grand Prix with each-way wagers paying three places.

Hamilton Finally in a Ferrari

Hamilton and Ferrari have been rumoured as a partnership for years. The sport’s most successful team and its greatest-ever driver have finally teamed up for the 2025 season, as Hamilton pursues a record-setting eighth drivers’ title after being robbed in Abu Dhabi four years ago.

Since then, Hamilton has only had occasional moments of joy. Mercedes struggled under the new regulations. Hamilton was often a long way off the pace.

While he’s past his peak and into his forties, the Brit is still one of the best drivers on the grid, as he showed with some phenomenal drives in 2024 (including wins at Silverstone and Spa). The Hamilton and Leclerc duo makes Ferrari an excellent bet for the constructors’ title at 5/4.