The F1 Season Has Started!

The F1 season is officially underway, and it did not hesitate to give us exciting drama and storylines. From crashes, to weather problems, and lots of new faces, the first race weekend did not disappoint.

For the first time in what feels like ages, it looks Red Bulls’ Max Verstappen will have some real competition in the Constructors Championship. McLaren’s Lando Norris headed into the season as the favorite to win the constructors trophy awarded to the best driver on the grid.

With only four career wins heading into the season people were skeptical if he really was the deserved favorite. He backed it all up however, finishing first in the qualifying times and first in the race on Sunday.

Norris winning in these tough conditions showed both his confidence as a driver as well as McLaren’s competitiveness as a team. They are proving why they finished first in the team standings last year and are proving to build off it this year.

The most impressive part of Norris’s race was the calmness. It was not long ago that Norris had the nickname Lando No-win. He was often scrutinized for never being able to put it all together and win. This weekend however, he drove like he has been in that spot a million times before.

The other takeaway is this may officially close the book on Red Bull’s dominance as a team. Verstappen is the best racer on the grid and arguably of all time. But he can only control what he can drive. It seems as though Red Bull are not able to be the leaders when it comes to engineering and developing the fastest cars like they once were.

Verstappen finished second and Mercedes George Russell rounded out the podium finishing third. Some other notable finishes were Mercedes rookie driver Kimi Antonelli finishing right behind Russell in fourth and both Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton struggling, finishing eighth and tenth.

The rain became a big headline throughout the weekend as six drivers were not able to finish the race due to crashes from the weather. Notable DNFs were Williams new racer Carlos Sainz, Red Bull’s Liam Lawson, and Australian native Jack Doohan, who spun out in his debut race for Alpine.

What to expect going forward

With the first race weekend officially concluded what should we expect going forward? What I will be watching closest is the battle between McLaren and Red Bull as well as how Mercedes will compete.

The 2025 Australian Grand Prix has already shaken up expectations, proving that McLaren and Mercedes may be able to challenge Red Bull’s supremacy.

Kimi Antonelli is one of the most exciting rookie drivers we have had in a long time. He is only 18 years old and is securing points in his debut in conditions that saw many experienced drivers spin out in.

Antonelli became become the youngest F1 racer to score points on debut and second youngest all time after Verstappen. Watching his progression throughout the season is going to be very fun and I expect him to be a regular contender for strong point finishes.

Finally how Ferrari will address the strategic errors and improve going forward is something everyone will be watching. Hamilton and the car clearly have speed to compete at the top, however it is the strategic shortcomings that held them back this weekend.

I expect Ferrari to turn this poor weekend around and address the issues quickly. There is a lot of expectation and eyes on Ferrari with the addition of Lewis Hamilton. Knowing Hamilton he will expect these issues to be addressed quickly too.

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