Best F1 driver line-up vote for 2025: Hamilton and Leclerc highest ranked among F1 fans
Yesterday at 01:12 PM
Formula 1 fans and enthusiasts have been casting their votes to determine the best driver line-up for the 2025 F1 campaign, which will start in about two months, when the Australian Grand Prix is scheduled to take place at the Albert Park circuit. Notably, three of the top four teams in the constructors’ standings will be fielding entirely new driver pairings this year.
This includes Mercedes, where team principal Toto Wolff has promoted 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli directly from Formula 2 to replace the legendary Lewis Hamilton. In this reshuffled line-up, George Russell, a three-time Grand Prix winner, is expected to take on the role of team leader, with the assumption that his consistent performances will position him as the senior driver. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton has joined forces with Charles Leclerc at the Maranello team.
In a similar vein, Red Bull has made the bold decision to part ways with Sergio Perez after discussing his future at the end of the season. Like Mercedes, Red Bull has taken a risk by hiring Liam Lawson, a driver who has only competed in 11 Grand Prix races to date.
McLaren, in contrast, are maintaining their 2024 line-up with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who both signed long-term contracts before the previous season began, ensuring a stable partnership for the team.
In the midfield, there have been changes across many teams: Alpine, Haas, RB, Williams, and Sauber have all secured at least one new driver for the upcoming season. However, Aston Martin stands out for its rare continuity, keeping Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll together for another year.
Williams, in a surprising turn of events, has climbed ahead of Mercedes in the fan vote for the best driver line-up for 2025. Despite Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri contributing to McLaren’s constructors’ title win last season, they finished second in the voting. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc nearly doubled their vote share, securing 56% compared to the 29% garnered by the McLaren pair.
Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time Formula 1 world champion and the most statistically successful driver in F1 history, alongside Charles Leclerc, who boasts the highest number of wins (eight) among those without a title, made an impressive showing. In contrast, Red Bull’s third-place finish with 6% of the vote was heavily influenced by Max Verstappen‘s reputation as an all-time great, though Lawson’s unproven status seemed to have impacted the team’s standing. Williams, which finished near the bottom of the standings last season, shocked many by securing 5% of the vote. Their new pairing of multiple Grand Prix winner Carlos Sainz with Alex Albon propelled them ahead of Mercedes, which garnered a mere 1%.
Mercedes’ 2024 performance was hampered by what many considered an ‘extreme’ issue with their car’s handling. George Russell, despite his notable victory over Lewis Hamilton, found himself languishing in sixth place in the championship standings. This underperformance may have affected his stock in the voting, despite his evident talent. George Russell's position has led former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer to label him as underrated. On the other side of the garage, Antonelli, who was fast-tracked into the team, must now prove that he can live up to the hype surrounding him. Although he finished sixth in the F2 standings—a solid effort for a rookie—it wasn't the standout result one might expect from someone swiftly promoted to the pinnacle of motorsport. Antonelli's 9,000km of test mileage, however, may have been a deciding factor in Toto Wolff’s decision to bring him up to the senior team.
As Mercedes seeks to overcome its handling challenges, the upcoming W16 model will be a crucial test for both drivers, with the hope that it will allow them to display their full capabilities. For Hamilton, a switch to Ferrari represents a fresh set of challenges, and his relative performance within this new context will be a key factor in determining whether his move was the right one.
The post Best F1 driver line-up vote for 2025: Hamilton and Leclerc highest ranked among F1 fans appeared first on Scuderia Fans.
