Over the last few years in Formula 1, there’s been a clear dynasty shift. After almost a decade of stiff competition from Toto Wolff’s Mercedes and all-star driver Lewis Hamilton, the tides have turned in favor of Christian Horner’s Red Bull and driver Max Verstappen.
At the start of the season, Red Bull’s dominance looked to falter. One of Horner’s assistants reported him for sexual misconduct, which set off a litany of allegations, rumors, and speculation. Though few fans or pundits in the sport felt satisfied with Red Bull’s investigation and F1’s follow-up, Horner’s questionable behavior has been fully swept under the rug.
And in the meantime, Verstappen has undertaken yet another hugely dominant season with Red Bull. In terms of outrights, all betting sites have their sights on Verstappen to repeat another dominant season with the RB20. His closest competition throughout most of the year has been Checo, hinting that Red Bull’s powerful hold on F1 might continue into 2025.
Though McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari are nipping at their heels, both Ferrari and Mercedes are slated for major changes next year thanks to a move from Hamilton. In fact, it’s already kicked off a series of rumors in the F1 paddock—namely, a growing bitterness and rivalry between Wolff and Hamilton.
Driver Lineup in 2025: What We Know
Most driver seats for 2025 have been confirmed. Red Bull will stick with Verstappen and Sergio Perez, along with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at McLaren. Meanwhile, Hamilton will join Charles LeClerc at Ferrari, leaving one seat open on Mercedes beside George Russell.
Aston Martin will keep its contract with Fernando Alonso but hasn’t yet confirmed Lance Stroll’s place in the second seat. The same goes for RB, which will keep Yuki Tsnunoda on its roster. Daniel Ricciardo, on the other hand, faces another uncertain year of driving.
That leaves a few seats open (barring seats with Kick Sauber, Haas, Williams, and Alpine)—one at Mercedes and one at Aston Martin. The big question is where Carlos Sainz will end up, along with F2 stars like Kimi Antonelli.
Drama Starts for Wolff and Hamilton
Given the limited number of seats, there’s always drama in Formula One—something that many fans enjoy about the sport. But next year will see a massive clash as Wolff and Hamilton part ways. Already, there are rumors swirling that Wolff hasn’t been prioritizing Hamilton on the track, allowing teammate Russell to move ahead in the standings.
Apparently, Wolff was left embittered when he discovered Hamilton’s move to Ferrari via the news—not a phone call from the driver. Though it’s been confirmed that the news was leaked from Ferrari before Hamilton had the chance to act, it caused a palpable rift in the Mercedes paddock.
Wolff made his feelings known about the news leaking, and his feelings toward Hamilton. Hamilton, for his part, has also been vocal about questioning his outlook on Mercedes for the rest of the year. The results don’t lie; Russell is leading Hamilton in the driver standings by around 30 points.
Whether or not that’s due to unfavorable decisions from Wolff is another story.
Growing Pains at Mercedes?
The tension between Wolff and Hamilton was inevitable, especially after such a long and storied stint of success together. Wolff’s mood certainly hasn’t been helped by the ongoing drama with Red Bull this year. Like many other leaders in F1, Wolff was vocal about his dissatisfaction with how Horner’s alleged misconduct issues were handled.
Wolff might be more motivated than ever before to take down Horner. Not only has Verstappen overtaken Mercedes’ drivers on the track, but many also believe Horner’s misconduct damaged the reputation of the racing series. And now, Wolff has lost his most powerful driver.
What does the future hold for Mercedes? If Mercedes does sign Kimi Antonelli, it could provide Wolff the chance to condition another F1 star. Russell has been a consistent force for the team—but he’d be stepping into a leadership position with Antonelli on the track. And they’d both have to take on Hamilton in a Ferrari car.
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