Norris: You're going to have winners other than top four teams

Red Bull Racing has dominated the current era of F1 regulations since their inception back in 2022, but McLaren has caught up and even passed them in 2024, bagging their first F1 constructors' title since 1998.

The 2024 season also featured considerable fluctuation in the forms of the teams, the top four, that is, with Ferrari ending on a high, missing out on the constructors' title by just 14 points.

Red Bull's form dropped as the 2024 season progressed, but their early performance meant Max Verstappen won seven of the first ten races, which meant he could secure a fourth F1 drivers' title. Mercedes, on the other hand, showed flashes of performance at some races, taking four wins.

And while McLaren is tipped as a favorite for the upcoming 2025 season, there are expectations of a four-way fight between them and Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes.

But Norris reckons that the stability of the regulations since 2022 might allow the midfield teams to catch up and maybe also bag the odd win.

The McLaren driver said: "It's everyone's expectation within Formula 1 [that the 2025 season will be close]. Every time regulations don't change, it gets closer and closer. That's just the way it's always worked.

"It already got pretty close at the end of last year, and you already started to see the middle of the pack catching up and getting closer and closer.

"I expect that to be even more the case over the winter and into this season. You're probably going to have some winners that aren't McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, or Red Bull, which I think is good for Formula 1 and good for the fans.

"I think it's not going to be just the usual guys. It's going to be a bit different this year; maybe not at the very beginning, but certainly through the season, we'll see it probably shake up a little bit more," Norris concluded.

An example of midfield teams punching above their weight in 2024 would be Alpine's double podium at the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, with Esteban Ocon—now at Haas—taking second place behind Verstappen while Pierre Gasly was third in treacherous rainy conditions.