Where Are The Teams At

Before the season starts we need to know about the teams and where they are now, after last season and through the practises.  

This year we have an eleven team grid which is the first time ever happening. The reason for this is due to Audi taking over the original Sauber team and Cadillac entering the paddocks as a new team overall. 

Team and current driver list:

Red Bull Racing → Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar

Ferrari → Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton 

Mercedes → George Russell and Kimi Antonelli

McLaren → Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

Aston Martin → Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll

Audi F1 Team → Nico Hulkenburg and Gabriel Bortoleto

Williams → Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon

Racing Bulls → Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad

Alpine → Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto

Cadillac → Sergio Perez and Valterri Bottas 

Haas F1 team → Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman 

Let's have a look at the top four from the practice weekend.

Red Bull Racing:

Starting off with Red Bull Racing they have decided they are the fourth fastest team behind Mercedes, Mclaren and Ferrari. This year they will be designing everything in house for the first time. Which means everything will be manufactured directly from their own factories. They have their doubts though and things to work on. With developments on the balance of the car and power units not in particularly good shape there still room for improvement after the practises. They will be using a hundred per cent sustainable fuels whilst working with ford with their engine. Sadly recently Chief Designer Craig Skinner who worked alongside Adrian Newey who left to move onto Aston Martin, has left. He has been with the team since 2006 and Red Bull Racing have a lot of positive things to say about his work. His reasons are unknown at this time. 

Onto our drivers Max Verstappen is known as one of the most dominant and successful drivers in Formula One history. After last year being the runner up behind Norris he is not too far behind. With this being his twelfth year he will be looking to claim the crown again. As four time champion, the Frenchman needs two more poles to hit fifty poles overall to become the fifth driver in history to do so. Overall he is concerned about the new changes with it starting to feel more like Formula E.

Alongside him is Isack Hadjar, Frenchman who is contracted till the end of the 2026 season.  After an impressive 2025 season with Racing Bulls and earning points in the Japan Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing have pulled him into the deep end. From being on the Red Bull Junior team since 2022 he has shot up into the Formula One world. Like Verstappen, he has been vocal about the change too. 

Ferrari:

Meanwhile Ferrari are looking very positive with adjustments and within the team itself. Even better there are power units meaning their engine will be fully run on sustainable fuels. With their different approach by focusing less on the new power units but seeking their performance through aerodynamics. They even discovered a loophole and stayed within regulations by upgrading their exhaust wing. Which overall has been so far so good. 

Lewis Hamilton, seven time world champion is bringing all the positive vibes. With an up and down start to 2025 Hamilton has “felt the best in a long time with the new car.” Going into his second year there were always going to be challenges at the start, but with the car he helped develop it. From McLaren to Mercedes and now to Ferrari it can only go up from here.

Our second driver, Charles Leclerc has been with the team for nearly seven years, back in 2019. Specializing with his fast qualifiers and securing multiple wins, he will be working with Hamilton to secure those poles and podiums.

Mercedes:

Dominating day one with mileage and lap time, amounting russel to have the fastest lap with overall seventy six laps. But there has been some controversy about the compression ratio which the fia is investigating if it is allowed. Mercedes is one to join helping sustainability with only running on sustainable fuels within their engines. They have had a solid start compared to most of the teams and completed what they had planned for the practices. 

George Russell is onto his seventh season being known for speed and more analytical approach compared to other drivers. He has been with the team since 2022 and since the departure of Hamilton to Ferrari he is now the lead driver for Mercedes. This has meant he has had contributions within  development and their technical direction. Alongside him is Kimi Antonielli. The Italian driver replaced Lewis and skipped from F3 to F2 and directly to F1. With 2025 being the year for rookie divers Antonelli took his opportunity after being the youngest driver in history to lead a lap. 

Mclaren:

Last but definitely not least in double title winners of 2025, McLaren. Even though they won last year little, their concerns are, are they really one of the fourth fastest? Granted they don't feel as strong as they thought, but a new car comes with this. They definitely think others are faster but they feel they have an advantage within their team. Being the amount of knowledge they have and a stable team. Overall their practice has been described as purely sensible for right now. 

Lando Norris has been shining so far with his high speed and consistent performances for the team. From karting to his junior formula career he is currently F1's world champion at McLaren. Since being at McLaren in 2019 he has been a strong lead within the two rivers. Next to him is Oscar Pistari who is hoped to be a future champion scene as he has been a rapid rising star. His driving style is crafty and witty that has led him to win multiple grand prixs. The two tend to fight for pole position and we look forward to seeing more this season.