5 BOLD Predictions for the Rest of the 2025 F1 Season

With summer break concluding and the Dutch Grand Prix about a week away, what better way to start off the second act of the 2025 F1 season than with a couple of bold predictions? With so much still up for grabs, including the Drivers' Championship, every team has something at stake with only ten races to go.

Now, before we get into the predictions, here is a reminder of where things stand in both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships:

Drivers' Championship Standings:

1. Oscar Piastri 284 points

2. Lando Norris 275 points

3. Max Verstappen 187 points

4. George Russell 172 points

5. Charles Leclerc 151 points

6. Lewis Hamilton 109 points

7. Andrea Kimi Antonelli 64 points

8. Alexander Albon 54 points

9. Nico Hülkenberg 37 points

10. Esteban Ocon 27 points

11. Fernando Alonso 26 points

12. Lance Stroll 26 points

13. Isack Hadjar 22 points

14. Pierre Gasly 20 points

15. Liam Lawson 20 points

16. Carlos Sainz 16 points

17. Gabriel Bortoleto 14 points

18. Yuki Tsunoda 10 points

19. Oliver Bearman 8 points

20. Franco Colapinto 0 points

21. Jack Doohan 0 points

Constructors' Championship Standings:

1. McLaren 559 points

2. Ferrari 260 points

3. Mercedes 236 points

4. Red Bull 194 points

5. Williams 70 points

6. Aston Martin 52 points

7. Kick Sauber 51 points

8. VCARB 45 points

9. Haas 35 points

10. Alpine 20 points

    
    

Standings were found at F1.com. 

Carlos Sainz will Outscore Alex Albon

What I mean by this prediction is that I believe that Carlos Sainz will score more points than his teammate Alex Albon in the last 10-race span. Now, does that mean I believe Sainz will catch up with Albon in the standings? No, but I think he could make up some ground.

Carlos Sainz has had a rough go of things in 2025. A string of horrible luck, car failures, and a tough adjustment period has plagued his entire season, thus causing him to not get anything going. He sits 16th in the Drivers' Championship and is 38 points behind his teammate Albon, who has logged 54 points.

With that said, I think Carlos puts everything together post-summer break and finishes out 2025 the way we expected him to perform all season long. Carlos is far too talented a driver to be struggling this much, which is causing me to believe that we have to see a glimpse of what he can do in the Williams this season. Sainz has something in the tank that we have not seen yet, in my opinion. His breakout with Williams is coming, and it is coming soon.

George Russell will Overtake Max Verstappen in the Drivers' Standings

I think what this will come down to is the quality of the car, and right now, I trust Mercedes' car way more than I trust Red Bull's car.

George Russell is having a career year, while Max Verstappen has proved time and time again that he can make even a tractor in this Red Bull car a race-winning car. Both drivers have been competing against each other all year long, creating one of the better rivalries that we have seen in recent years. Max's raw speed, along with George's elite consistency, has created a major fight for third place in the Drivers' Standings.

However, the problem is that Mercedes has figured out their car issue, while Red Bull's 2025 car problems are beyond repair. With plenty of races to go and George only 15 points behind Max, I have a feeling that Russell will pass by Verstappen rather quickly.

Isack Hadjar will Finish in the Top 10 in the Drivers' Championship

Isack Hadjar might be one of the bigger surprises we have seen out of a rookie in a long time. No one had high expectations for him, but rather wondered if Red Bull/VCARB made the right decision putting him in the VCARB seat to start 2025. Hadjar has performed better than Red Bull ever could have imagined, which I think continues post-summer break.

Hadjar sits 13th currently with 22 points, but is only 5 points behind Esteban Ocon, who sits in 10th. If Haas and Aston Martin remain inconsistent to end the year, Hadjar has a real chance to move up the rankings and secure that 10th spot. I could even see a world where he could catch Nico Hulkenberg (9th place with 37 points), he is just that good.

VCARB has a good car, so if they can continue their recent run of form while Hadjar tunes up his qualifying pace, the rookie Frenchman could make major waves to end 2025.

Lewis Hamilton Wins a Race

This is definitely bold, but if anyone could pull off the improbable, it is (in my opinion!) the G.O.A.T. himself, Lewis Hamilton. Has Lewis given anyone anything to believe that he could beat either McLaren in a race this year? No, but then again, Ferrari's strategy and race engineering team have been in shambles all season long.

With the Drivers' Championship so close, I do think we will see Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collide at some point. They have done a great job of avoiding that for the most part (with the exception of Canada), but I feel it is inevitable as the season winds down. With that in mind, I am also a firm believer that Hamilton will have at least one weekend where he performs at the level he sets for himself.

A lot would have to go right for Ferrari, but I have a feeling that Lewis will go for broke and somehow get his first Ferrari win. With only 5 races to go before he becomes the longest-tenured Ferrari driver without a podium, the motivation will be high for Lewis; he just needs to find that self-belief that has taken him to legendary heights.

Lando Norris will Win the Drivers' Championship

This Drivers' Championship fight, by the end of it, may rival 2021 in terms of how close both drivers are. Like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were in 2021, major cases can be made as to why either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri will win the Drivers' Championship. But, after MUCH consideration, I think it will come down to who wants it more, which in my mind is Lando.

Though Piastri is the more mentally tough and consistent driver, Lando is faster and is the hotter driver out of the two. For Lando, confidence is everything, and with three of the last four races a win for him, he could not be coming into the latter half of the season with more confidence than he has now. I think he will finally get his elbows out when he needs to, and show the world that he has what it takes, and will do what he needs to do in order to take this Championship from Oscar.

This fight, like I said, is going to be extremely close, and likely will come down to the final race in Abu Dhabi. Lando and Oscar have both been fantastic this season, but it is Lando's time. By season's end, Lando Norris will take the throne as the Drivers' Champion of the world.

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Until next time!

-Matt Hylen