Ranking the F1 drivers under most team-mate pressure in 2025

The brand new Components 1 season is now simply across the nook, with the 2025 marketing campaign anticipated to be a continuation of final season’s unpredictable battle proper throughout the grid. With McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all seemingly heading in the right direction to deliver battle to the nonetheless nearly frontrunning Purple Bull squad, it may even rival 2021 as a narrative-stuffed yr.

Whereas the title challengers will take the headlines, as ever there are fascinating subplots throughout with the sphere as compressed as it’s. Given Sauber’s late-2024 beneficial properties, if issues are nonetheless as tight as the brand new season begins then there’s a robust argument to say F1 has no backmarker squads for the primary time lately. This implies each group has one thing to battle for, which in flip provides stress to their drivers.

Beating your team-mate is the primary job for any racer, however in F1 this yr the shut combating provides an additional edge, as any underperformance will depart a group uncovered. Therefore why Purple Bull has lastly acted in dropping Sergio Perez, given how far he was ending from the continuing successes of Max Verstappen.

The driving force market shouldn’t be fairly as turbulent this time round, as groups will need stability heading into the 2026 guidelines reset. However notion shortly turns into actuality in international sport and so the intra-team battles might be no much less vital even with this in thoughts, as how the drivers fare in 2025 may nicely turn into vital additional down the road.

Right here then, is how we expect the stress stacks up forward of 2025 for every driver, given the competitors from throughout their respective garages and within the context of their careers and reputations thus far.

20. Fernando Alonso

Alonso’s place at Aston Martin is rock stable and can see him into the brand new guidelines period in 2026

Picture by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Photos

He’s received not less than a two-year contract having re-signed with Aston Martin final spring, which implies Fernando Alonso might be competing with Aston Martin as F1’s newest new guidelines period will get underway subsequent yr. How lengthy he stays with the inexperienced group past that continues to be to be seen, with there being a larger probability of a cut up if Aston can’t climb up the pecking order subsequent yr.

However Alonso clearly has the least stress from his team-mate given his robust file in opposition to Lance Stroll within the metrics that actually matter – with 38-8 and 29-5 scores from their qualifying and race head-to-head counts from the final two years.

And, as we’ll come onto, given the shortage of stress from the chance of line-up disruption general at Aston given Stroll’s place, the mix means he ought to take the bottom spot on this rating for 2025.

Aston is adamant the latest speculation about a future place for Verstappen at the team is nonsense and if the opposite superstars keep locked up elsewhere, it’s onerous to see how even the approaching Honda period means any extra stress on Alonso’s place. Not that that issues proper now.

19. Lance Stroll

Stroll’s place at Aston Martin just isn’t below menace given his father’s possession of the group

Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos

Alonso’s clear superiority within the intra-Aston battle means Stroll should line up under him on this train, however his place because the proprietor’s son implies that issues little or no.

Stroll’s place is safe so long as he and his father Lawrence need to proceed on the high-profile F1 path, which thus far has yielded three podiums and one pole from 166 race begins since 2017. Stroll is, nevertheless, but to take any silverware or pole stats below the Aston banner.

There have been occasions in 2024 when he was capable of outpace Alonso in qualifying, however they proved to be short-lived.

18. Pierre Gasly

Following his wonderful finish to 2024 and with an under-pressure rookie coming in alongside him, Gasly just isn’t anticipated to face an enormous menace at Alpine

Picture by: Alpine

Pierre Gasly had a superb 2024 season, when he had a team-mate that pushed him extraordinarily shut. Esteban Ocon was truly a fraction faster on common in qualifying and held sway throughout the early a part of the yr when the Alpine was chubby, however after that and their Monaco crash, it was actually all Gasly. Even Ocon’s wet-weather brilliance in Brazil wasn’t sufficient to overtake his team-mate’s factors haul by the yr’s finish.

With Ocon now at Haas, Gasly might be on acquainted floor from his AlphaTauri days in working with a rookie in Jack Doohan (not less than for now). Given the Australian’s lack of expertise bar that Abu Dhabi cameo – the place he certified and completed 14 and eight spots respectively again on Gasly – there’s little actual stress of a battle between them at this stage.

If that had been to develop and Gasly performs a mentorship function and sustains group concord as he did so nicely final yr, that’d truly be a plus.

17. Max Verstappen

Verstappen had Perez completely coated, however Lawson’s arrival brings a brand new dynamic

Picture by: Purple Bull Racing

If he nonetheless had Perez as a team-mate, Verstappen would take the least-pressured spot on this record – and comfortably so given all the things that F1 witnessed over the past 4 seasons. However now Liam Lawson is aboard the opposite Purple Bull, there’s at least a crack of new doubt for the world champion.

Verstappen stays the very best driver of this period, nevertheless, and so it’s solely how the unknown provides into logical pondering meaning he should climb just a few spots increased than would possibly later be the case if that beforehand stable 0.3s tempo hole over Perez is sustained with Lawson.

The questions over his long-term future with Purple Bull proceed in 2025, however any probability of an exit relaxation totally on his personal decision-making.

16. Yuki Tsunoda

Tsunoda’s future arguably doesn’t depend upon how nicely he performs relative to Hadjar

Picture by: Purple Bull Content material Pool

Yuki Tsunoda is definitely in a fairly awkward profession place. Purple Bull denied him the possibility of a promotion for 2025 when it ditched Perez and its emotions in direction of Tsunoda are unlikely to alter given how lengthy it’s had him on its books and competing on the prime stage.

Due to this fact, it’s all about what would possibly occur with Aston, Alonso and Honda that might resolve Tsunoda’s future, not how he fares in opposition to new team-mate Isack Hadjar in 2025. Tsunoda’s appreciable backing from Honda would possibly attraction to Aston commercially from 2026 onwards, however one can hardly anticipate Andy Cowell and Adrian Newey to think about such a change an improve on Alonso.

At this stage, it stays unknown how Hadjar will fare at this stage. However primarily based on the shortage of cool he so often confirmed over the Components 2 airwaves – a cost that may be levelled at Tsunoda at F1 stage that can have fashioned a part of Purple Bull’s late-2024 alternative – proper now a lopsided Racing Bulls outcomes returned must be anticipated.

That’s firmly in fifth-year F1 driver Tsunoda’s favour.

15. Esteban Ocon

Ocon was picked out by Haas to guide its new period and team-mate Bearman continues to be discovering his manner in F1

Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos

Ocon is certainly one of 4 drivers experiencing a distinct type of stress in 2025: a longtime star settling in at a brand new squad.

He’s been handpicked by Haas boss Ayao Komatsu to successfully lead its contemporary period and by all accounts he’s been happy by what he’s seen thus far at his new group. At Haas’s latest Jerez TPC take a look at, Ocon was stated to have been impressed by simply how environment friendly the squad – much reworked for 2025 in terms of its trackside make-up – labored.

He’ll have (half) rookie Oliver Bearman as his team-mate and is subsequently anticipated to be the intra-squad frontrunner. Ocon’s repute as a formidable team-mate additionally pushes a few of the stress in direction of Bearman. There’s unlikely to be a lot quarter given from his VF-25.

However Komatsu has made it clear he gained’t tolerate them crashing and so Ocon must be cautious he can’t be too feisty in the event that they do find yourself scrapping over the identical bits of asphalt as soon as the yr will get going.

14. Gabriel Bortoleto

Bortoleto is within the enviable place the place his junior pedigree buys him grace in opposition to Hulkenberg

Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos

Given there’s no proof to go on for a few of the 2025 rookies – a sure contradiction at play for half of the six given Doohan, Bearman and Lawson have began a handful or much less of races – particular issues each separate and group them on this record.

Bortoleto is likely one of the three but to make an F1 bow, however his junior pedigree affords him a level of consolation.

The final three drivers to have secured back-to-back F3/GP3-F2 titles are Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Oscar Piastri – nice peddlers, all. To some, this would possibly increase the stakes, however I’m selecting to view it presently as an indication of extra good issues to come back for a driver stated to even be a totally good man.

He’s racing in opposition to veteran Nico Hulkenberg at Sauber. He gained’t supply any handouts, however Haas insiders say he warmed to Bearman over their two weekends as team-mates in Baku and Brazil final yr.

Hulkenberg had a fantastic 2024, so Bortoleto getting overwhelmed by him this yr can be no disgrace. And, if it’s the reverse in spite of everything, all’s the for the Brazilian.

13. Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Antonelli’s robust help from Wolff means he begins his F1 profession with little stress

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Grouped with Bortoleto as a result of he too is but to start out an F1 race, however what retains Antonelli so removed from the stress sizzling seats can also be what introduced him to F1.

That is Antonelli’s shut private relationship with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, to whom he has to thank for his speedy profession development from all these Components 4 and Components Regional titles in 2022 and 2023.

Wolff is alleged to have come to grasp that giving Antonelli a house F1 weekend debut in FP1 at Monza was a mistake, however how forcefully the Austrian went out to bat for his cost within the press convention after that shunt reveals the power of help Antonelli will get pleasure from at Mercedes.

In fact, there’s stress in being Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes alternative, and Wolff’s help gained’t go on Stroll-style ceaselessly if Antonelli can’t hack in F1. However that he’s received this far so quick suggests he ought to.

12. Nico Hulkenberg

Hulkenberg loved an outstanding 2024 at Haas, however as he adapts to rejoining Sauber will need to keep away from being overwhelmed by rookie Bortoleto

Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos

The expectation might be for Hulkenberg and his 227 F1 race begins to blow away Bortoleto in 2025. However the German can also be discovering his ft once more at Sauber, 11 years after he final raced for the Swiss group.

There are different components to think about on the subject of intra-squad stress on this case.

One is that Hulkenberg, though armed with a multi-year contract to absorb the beginning of the approaching Audi period from 2026, was employed by earlier group administration topped by former group CEO Andreas Seidl. Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley had been signed afterwards as CTO/COO and group principal respectively, with skilled sport plagued by examples of stars being ultimately ousted on account of such conditions.

Hulkenberg was a qualifying star when he was reborn in F1 at Haas, however each occasions he was paired with Bearman in 2024 the Briton produced an ideal file of outqualifying him (3 times in complete factoring within the Brazil dash weekend).

That raises one other crack of uncertainty Bortoleto could possibly exploit with related beautiful tempo. And with Sauber needing constructive outcomes after a dire 2024, Hulkenberg will discover the stress rising if that does turn into the case.

11. Oliver Bearman

Bearman has two race begins for Haas already below his belt, however is aware of new arrival Ocon will not give an inch

Picture by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Photos

It’s Bearman’s team-mate and his feisty repute that amps up the stress for the still-started-three-races rookie in his first marketing campaign with Haas.

Having spoken to Bearman lately, I don’t concern he’s below any illusions on the subject of how onerous Ocon would possibly make it – “everybody tells me that he is very fast” and “I do know he’ll be powerful” statements telling. And, certainly, Ocon will not be fairly as prepared to scrap as onerous in opposition to Bearman in his first yr with a brand new group after all the things that beforehand occurred with Perez, Alonso and Gasly at his former squads.

However Ocon is critically speedy and in contrast to Hulkenberg, has a monitor file of silverware success on the highest stage. That alone means Bearman’s process is hard in 2025 and a poor return in opposition to Ocon would stunt the momentum he’s constructed up quickly as a junior and enriched additional with that calm cameo in his Ferrari Jeddah debut final yr.

Bearman may nonetheless very present nicely, nevertheless, and given group boss Komatsu is iron-clad in his belief in the 19-year-old, a robust 2025 stays possible too. One factor he could look to take advantage of is how Ocon’s race tempo too usually got here in a lot adrift of Gasly for Alpine in 2024.

10. Isack Hadjar

Tsunoda is a confirmed pressure in F1, and Hadjar is not going to have lengthy to impress with Lindblad respiratory down his neck

Picture by: Purple Bull Content material Pool

Once more, the shortage of F1-level information means we’re leaving the door ajar for the Frenchman, who may excel amidst the joy of an surprising promotion to the highest stage a la Franco Colapinto.

However the Argentine is exactly the explanation Hadjar might be below stress, as if it weren’t for Colapinto’s many crashes as his Logan Sargeant-replacement stint wore on late in 2024, then Purple Bull could nicely have gone by means of with its plan to signal him from Williams.

Concurrently this was being critically thought by means of by RB’s benefactor, Purple Bull insiders had been suggesting Hadjar had little probability to make it to F1 even along with his F2 title problem final yr.

However circumstances swung his manner and he deserves a good crack now he’s arrived on the prime stage. The pressure-increasing drawback is that Purple Bull provides its junior drivers so little time as of late (see Nyck de Vries) and the varieties of radio outbursts Hadjar displayed in F2 gained’t go down nicely.

Tsunoda, within the different RB, demonstrates this. And he gave Daniel Ricciardo an almighty problem – extra of which has the potential to make Hadjar’s F1 stint brief if he can’t step up as he’ll be hoping.

Then there’s Purple Bull junior Arvid Lindblad beginning out in F2 this yr, already possessing some momentum inside Helmut Marko’s fiefdom. If he goes nicely, that will increase stress on each present RB drivers.

9. Carlos Sainz

Sainz and Albon are anticipated to be simply matched at Williams in 2025

Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos

Now on his fifth F1 group, Sainz begins 2025 attending to know Williams.

Some could surprise if he’ll wrestle to deal with racing a lot additional down the pack – Russell blamed these 2020 early race offs on the shortage of downforce he wasn’t used to from racing additional down the grid for a similar group because it began its rebuild. And there’s a suggestion a driver could wrestle when immediately not racing for normal podiums. However Sainz is way too intelligent for any of this to use.

And he’s so good general – simply fractionally off Leclerc on pure tempo final yr and displaying so fearlessly in opposition to him in battle. Being badly overwhelmed by Albon would, nevertheless, considerably alter his hard-work-won F1 profession notion and so therefore this rating spot. I simply don’t see it occurring.

8. Oscar Piastri

Now a confirmed F1 race-winner, Piastri wants to scale back his qualifying and race tempo deficits to Norris for McLaren to defend its constructors’ title

Picture by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Photos

Once more, expertise stage is on Oscar Piastri’s aspect on the subject of how stress can construct inside F1 team-mate partnerships. Given how a lot he’s already achieved, it’s simple to overlook that 2025 might be simply the Australian’s third season in grand prix racing.

However his McLaren squad now has a constructors’ crown to defend, with further stress coming from the very actual risk that certainly one of its drivers actually can win their championship this time too.

Right here is Piastri’s twin drawback. In 2024, he was a lot improved on race tempo in comparison with his rookie yr, however on common was nonetheless 0.4s slower than team-mate Lando Norris – primarily based on my calculation of common race tempo from final yr (see the February version of Autosport journal for a whole rundown).

And Piastri is aware of he was usually undercooked in qualifying too, the place Norris typically excelled. These decrease grid spots have a knock-on impact within the ongoing period of fragile tyres and soiled air, when it then involves race tempo averages.

Piastri has the potential to be an F1 nice however should take two large steps on that path this yr, with a driver who has extra expertise of championship difficult and racing the dominant pressure of Verstappen wheel-to-wheel nonetheless as his direct comparability.

7. Alex Albon

Albon has a stern take a look at with Sainz arriving at Williams, elevating the prospect of him now not being its primary

Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos

Two issues safe Albon this spot in comparison with the drivers forward.

He’s safe in his place at Williams – the group simply loves him, his perspective, his velocity and his nous. Plus, he virtually actually gained’t should take care of the extra exterior stress of racing for wins and titles, given the place Williams nonetheless is in its rebuilding section.

However he now has a correctly prime rated team-mate for the primary time since his painful Purple Bull days. That might spell hazard for his personal hard-won wonderful standing.

Albon nonetheless has a repute for being a tad too good and Sainz confirmed final yr how onerous he’s ready to race a team-mate when he has little to lose. This extends to scrapping within the midfield pack as of late.

I fear a contact for the way Albon could fare general given he did immediately look a bit uncovered in opposition to Colapinto late final yr. However he’s pulled off so many profession surprises that the opportunity of his defeating Sainz simply can’t be written off.

6. Charles Leclerc

With Hamilton getting into the equation, now could be the possibility for Leclerc to show himself a real Ferrari nice

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Now we’ll see precisely how wonderful Leclerc is in F1. Okay, he’s nonetheless but to supply a full-season title tilt – about which new team-mate Hamilton is aware of all the things – however his 2024 season was the decide of his seven years thus far at this stage. He noticed off a waning Sebastian Vettel, defeated Sainz’s impressively close-run cost, now he comes up in opposition to statistically F1’s best ever driver.

Leclerc has loads on his aspect given he’s been a Ferrari star for almost a decade – he is aware of the group and the political Maranello ambiance very nicely. And Hamilton is sort of not the driving force he as soon as was on the peak of his powers for Mercedes in 2018 by means of 2020.

It’s win-win in a way for Leclerc, as that time might be introduced up if he does defeat Hamilton. However Leclerc nonetheless has to truly try this first, within the full glare of F1 fan curiosity. It’s not for nothing that Hamilton’s first Ferrari laps this week have generated headline after headline…

Leclerc is greater than only a one trick qualifying star – his 2024 outcomes confirmed that and he’s stopped crashing when the stress is on in qualifying. However with Hamilton alongside him in crimson, its instantly his most intense intra-team season since he joined Ferrari in 2019.

5. Liam Lawson

The stress of being team-mates with Verstappen wants no rationalization, and Lawson may have nowhere to cover

Picture by: Purple Bull Content material Pool

Like Hadjar, the stress comes from throughout the Purple Bull empire for Lawson, as Marko, Horner and co will dispense with any underperforming driver in the event that they don’t construct up appreciable credit score like Perez did along with his defence on Verstappen’s behalf at Abu Dhabi in 2021.

Earlier than that, the Dutchman’s team-mates in Gasly and Albon had been quickly dropped. And that was with Purple Bull but to get again to title-challenging standing pre-2021. Now, any repetition of Perez’s factors haul in comparison with Verstappen may value the group a 3rd constructors’ title in 5.

That every one stated, Lawson does appear to be fearless. On his ‘rookie return’ in Austin he instantly incurred Alonso’s wrath along with his gutsy driving. Then, he had the boldness to provide Perez the finger in entrance of the Mexican’s dwelling followers amidst their battle per week later.

The mixture of the 2 elements coated thus far means Lawson’s season is already assured to be fascinating. However Verstappen’s repute as team-mate breaker stands alone in elevating the stress thought-about right here on the New Zealander.

4. Jack Doohan

With the notoriously impatient Briatore signing Colapinto and Hirakawa as reserves, Doohan has no scope to drop the ball

Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos

One other one the place the stress is de facto coming from elsewhere within the group, however how Doohan stacks up in opposition to Gasly might be what’s most readily cited if he’s dropped early in his F1 stint.

Alpine’s choice to rent Colapinto as reserve has already been interpreted as a sign that it has serious doubts about Doohan, which implies he’s received a type of team-mate stress that’s fully distinctive on this record. And he lacks junior automobile racing titles to lift confidence stakes in comparison with a few of his fellow rookies.

That stated, Alpine group boss Oliver Oakes insists “he’s getting his fair crack at it next year”. However he additionally claims, “it simply retains everybody sincere when it comes to how they’re performing and provides us choices”, which contradicts the primary assertion considerably.

And when Autosport sources counsel Toyota World Endurance driver Ryo Hirakawa has also been hired as an Alpine reserve with the promise of a potential 2026 seat, that too highlights simply how a lot stress will pervade on Doohan because the 2025 season begins.

3. Lewis Hamilton

All eyes might be on Hamilton at Ferrari, the place he might be anticipated to shrug off a tough 2024

Picture by: Ferrari

He’s successful the low season along with his slick arrival at Ferrari, however that counts for nothing as soon as the true motion will get going. And Hamilton is heading into 2025 off the again of a poor 2024, general.

Sure, he returned to successful methods with that emotional record-extending win at Silverstone, however too usually he was off Russell’s tempo in qualifying and he struggled to manage greatest with Mercedes’ fluctuating type. Based mostly on latest historical past, extra of this must be anticipated for Ferrari.

Maybe extra tellingly is that on race tempo averages final yr, Hamilton was marginally slower as nicely (0.01s down, in actual fact) in comparison with Russell. This must be of alarm given how tyre administration and race execution stay Hamilton’s largest strengths.

And in Leclerc, he now has F1’s quickest qualifier as a team-mate. This may massively amp up stress throughout the Ferrari storage on Hamilton – if he’s often lining up behind Leclerc (see the race tempo caveat above for Piastri too).

However Hamilton has all these 356 begins, seven titles, 105 wins and 104 poles. He has achieved precisely what Leclerc continues to be dreaming of, as they each hope 2025 is the yr Ferrari is absolutely again in championship rivalry. His enduring class may but win out.

Each group and driver have uber-illustrious reputations on this case. However for Hamilton, a defeat to Leclerc after that inflicted by Russell final yr would imply extra injury created.

2. Lando Norris

Norris ended 2024 on prime, however Piastri has already offered glimpses that he can take factors off his team-mate which might be expensive in one other battle with Verstappen for the drivers’ title

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Norris must be a title challenger from the off this time, given how McLaren was going as 2024 concluded. And he took that masterful, pressure-filled walk-off win in Abu Dhabi to ship its first constructors’ title in 26 years.

However his excessive rating right here is all to do along with his team-mate. In that Monza transfer, which ultimately value them each the race win to Leclerc, Piastri confirmed precisely how robust he will be in attaining his personal glory at Norris’s expense.

Piastri will certainly be even higher in 2025 and Norris was nonetheless making tiny errors at the same time as his sixth F1 season got here to an in depth (his Brazil dash quali slips and lacking the Qatar yellow flags, for instance).

He simply have to be good within the face of what’s most likely probably the most intense intra-team scrap on the grid this time round.

1. George Russell

Russell ended 2024 strongly with Las Vegas win, however new menace of Antonelli will must be handled

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One factor elevates Russell above Norris on this record: how defeat to Antonelli may depart him weak to a sudden Mercedes exit.

Sure, it requires different unsure shifting elements – in that certainly solely Verstappen has an opportunity of shifting into the squad for 2026 if he does resolve to pressure his manner out of Purple Bull early in spite of everything. However Wolff simply wouldn’t cease wooing him for therefore lengthy final yr…

Therein lies the hazard for Russell. If Antonelli defeats him this yr, that might be an embarrassing reputational hit for the delightfully outspoken GPDA director. And if Verstappen is certainly out there, then Wolff can immediately match the racer he clearly views because the Dutchman’s potential successor as the pre-eminent F1 driver with the present one, who he missed out on signing from F3 in 2014.

In what seems like a flash since his Mercedes promotion again in 2022, immediately Russell is the Silver Arrows driver with most to lose. However he in contrast so nicely to Hamilton of their three years collectively, that alone must be a large confidence booster.

Russell has probably the most to lose, however robust performances relative to Hamilton will give him confidence

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