F1 2025 Biggest Driver Rivalries to Watch This Season

The 2025 F1 season is going to be wild, with the biggest driver rivalries yet, top driver switches, and fierce racing. Max Verstappen will be going for his fifth title, while Lando Norris is gunning for his first. With Lewis Hamilton switching to Ferrari, the setting is all primed for some on-track wars. Let us look at the best duels and what awaits the next season.

Biggest F1 Driver Rivalries for 2025

Verstappen x Norris

Max Verstappen won his fourth championship in 2024, but it was not a walk in the park, as Red Bull’s competitors closed the gap after a strong beginning. Verstappen’s consistency and ability to get every small amount out of his car enabled him to hold on to his championship. As a four-time champion, he’s still a strong contender for 2025. His closest rival in 2024, Lando Norris, is confident after his Abu Dhabi win and McLaren’s first Constructors’ Championship since 1998. He’s already declaring 2025 as his year.

In 2024 they had incredible battles like in Austria, Austin and Mexico

Hamilton x Leclerc

Scuderia Ferraria — Photo via @scuderiaferrari / Instagram

2025 is a massive F1 shake-up as Lewis Hamilton makes the move to Ferrari after 12 years at Mercedes. He’s already getting to know the team, having tried out their car and visited their Maranello base. All eyes will be on how he gets himself into bed at Ferrari and how his relationship with Charles Leclerc develops. Leclerc, at Ferrari since 2019, is excited by Hamilton’s arrival and sees it as a chance to learn from a legend and prove his own worth. As Hamilton seeks a fresh start following a drama-filled 2024, his fight with Ferrari will be one to watch.

We can´t forget the dispute in Italy 2019 when Hamilton pushed Leclerc during the entire race, but he couldn´t overtake the Ferrari driver.

Hamilton x Verstappen

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s battle is far from over as they head into 2025. Their thrilling 2021 championship battle still echoes, and with Verstappen enjoying Red Bull’s dominance, other competitors like Ferrari and McLaren could shake things up. Red Bull has its problems, and though Verstappen remains the favorite, the Hamilton-Ferrari threat will be the most significant one next year.

If you are Formula 1 fan, we will never forget the intense fight in 2021. Extremely battles brought strong emotions in Bahrein, Emiglia Romana, Spain, Monza, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

Norris x Piastri

The intra-team competition at McLaren between teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will heat up in 2025, with both drivers aiming to claim the F1 World Championship. Norris, who just missed out on challenging Verstappen in 2024, is expecting tough competition but is ready for it. Piastri has faith in himself, and while tension is inevitable, both drivers have respect for each other and are committed to making McLaren succeed. The goal is to race hard but make sure that both of them finish strongly.

Besides the fact that they are teammates, some problems were faced during disputes like in Hungary and Italy.

Verstappen x Leclerc

Charles Leclerc is eager to battle Max Verstappen for the 2025 F1 title. The two go a long way back, as they raced against each other in karting. Leclerc is ready for the challenge and is willing to battle Verstappen, with more at stake than ever. He’s hungry to make a statement, and while the fight will be fierce, he’s prepared.

It was just an incident. Both was racing with karts when they fought for the first time. Since then they had an incredible disputes like Austria 2019 and Bahrein 2022.

Hamilton x Russell

George Russell will fight for the 2025 World Championship with Mercedes after his standout 2024. Hamilton’s move to Ferrari promotes Russell to Mercedes’ lead driver. He believes Mercedes can provide him with a good car, and he’s looking forward to grasping his chance. Russell thinks 2025 is a defining moment for the team, and he’s sure they can make a strong bid for success with regulation changes looming in F1.

Former teammates, they are now headed in different directions, but racing teams. Will they retain the respect they had for each other in their Mercedes days?

Verstappen x Russell

After their 2024 incident, George Russell is not backing down from his stance on Max Verstappen, calling him a “bully” for his aggressive driving style. Despite the ill will, Russell is adamant about remaining on track and will not change how he races, including his rivalry with Verstappen. He has had no contact with Verstappen during the winter break and is solely concentrating on his own performance for the 2025 season.

The rivalry between Max Verstappen and George Russell intensified during the 2024 Formula 1 season, particularly following the Qatar Grand Prix. Russell retaliated by blaming Verstappen for threatening to crash into him intentionally, calling the Dutch driver a “bully.” We can expect the more disputes in 2025.

Sainz x Albon

Williams Albon and Sainz — Photo via Motorsport

One of the most intriguing storylines in 2025 will be the battle between Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon at Williams. Sainz comes to Williams after leaving Ferrari and will introduce leadership to the team. Albon, after being the number one driver at Williams for several years, now has a new challenge in having Sainz as a teammate. Team principal James Vowles believes this pair has the potential to be the strongest on the grid, and fans are eagerly awaiting which driver comes out on top in their head-to-head battle.

Now, as a teammates Albon and Sainz now demand a Williams car that will compete further up the grid. To do so, they must miss as few wrecks as last year. Will the two teammates respect each other on the track?

The 2025 season is shaping up to be one for the books. From Verstappen vs. Hamilton to Norris and Piastri going head-to-head, there’s plenty of drama to be had. It’s going to be an action-packed year with tight racing, huge rivalries, and everyone watching to see who comes out on top. Buckle up for some exciting F1 racing!

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