Martin Brundle has predicted the 2025 Formula 1 season will be “too close to call” between the leading teams with pre-season testing now six weeks away.
2024 saw one of the closest F1 seasons in a long while, with the breadth of competition conveyed by seven different winners coming from four different teams.
Max Verstappen took his fourth straight title with two rounds to go, despite coming under pressure from Lando Norris as McLaren usurped Red Bull from Miami.
But the form book suggests that McLaren will be competitive at the outset, leaving Verstappen susceptible to a strong challenge right from the get-go in Australia.
Lewis Hamilton’s new and former employers – Ferrari and Mercedes – will also be looking to be firmly in the mix, having scored five and four wins respectively in 2024.
Speaking to Sky F1, for whom he is an analyst, Brundle envisages this year to be closer than ever ahead of the comprehensive regulation overhaul penned for 2026.
“It’ll be too close to call between the top teams, I have no doubt about that at all,” he said.
“There’ll be some brilliant driving, and teams know what they’ve got to do. They really understand these cars now and the tyres.
“I think we’ll see a bit the same as this year, lots of different winners, and the championship, I hope, goes right down to the wire.”
ATR rules make for ‘exciting prospect’
An additional dynamic to proceedings is of course the Aerodynamic Testing Regulations, which, given the finishing order of the top four teams in last year’s Constructors’ Championship, means that Red Bull and Mercedes will be allowed more wind tunnel time than champions McLaren and second-placed Ferrari.
Brundle’s Sky F1 colleague Anthony Davidson believes this will provide an extra element of intrigue to the season, agreeing with Brundle on just how close it could be.
“It’s an exciting prospect that both Mercedes and Red Bull have more wind tunnel time than the top two, Ferrari, McLaren,” Davidson added.
“So let’s see what they can do in that precious time they have over the winter to hit the ground running.”
Davidson added that he has “got the feeling that there might not be one standout team. There might not be one standout driver.
“If the tail end of this season [2024] is anything to go by and the regulations stand exactly the same as they are, please, more of this for next year.”
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