The new Formula 1 season is just around the corner and there are still questions over the competitive order after pre-season testing.
McLaren looks like the team to beat after Lando Norris set blisteringly fast laps on the second day, while Mercedes is not far off according to GPS data.
Ferrari has yet to provide any true meaningful pace but Charles Leclerc was broadly happy with their progress, while Lewis Hamilton heads into Melbourne slightly underprepared having not done a proper race run.
Aston Martin look to be the team in trouble having completed some of the least amount of lap on track, in part owing to the illnesses of both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Onlookers at the test rated Pierre Gasly’s performance at Alpine, especially after his strong year in 2024.
But there was one team that caught everyone’s eye with how smooth their test went, with Peter Windsor predicting that they will finish on the podium at some stage in 2025 when speaking on his YouTube livestream.
Peter Windsor predicts Williams will finish on the podium in 2025
Given the regulation cycle is coming to an end this season, most of the cars are evolutions of their 2024 counterparts.
Although Williams finished further down the order in the Constructors’ table last year, there was genuine signs of progress being made by the team to break into the points more regularly.
This year they signed Carlos Sainz who is a proven race winner and already impressed at pre-season testing with the fastest time on the second day.
Jolyon Palmer thinks Williams might be in for a podium in 2025, while Windsor also rates Williams’ chances after what he saw during testing.
“Two quick drivers for sure, both late on the brakes, Albon is softer in his inputs but Sainz is so precise. The car will be half reasonable and they’ve got a Mercedes engine in the back, so for sure they are going to be in the midfield,” said Windsor.
“If not, they should be high midfield 50% of the time. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are on the podium, if not then they need to be digging in deep wondering what they are doing wrong.”
Carlos Sainz frustrated with one thing after F1 pre-season testing
James Vowles has been vocal about the £981 million F1 team needing to sacrifice the 2025 season to achieve results in 2026 when the F1 regulations reset, although it looks like that might be harder than anticipated.
Williams showed genuine pace and with both Aston Martin and Racing Bulls appearing to struggle, there could be an opportunity to finish inside the top six in 2025.
Sainz left F1 pre-season testing slightly more frustrated because he did not get to test the car more, as he feels there is true potential in the FW47.
The Spaniard was more relaxed than he has previously been according to Ted Kravitz, who also spotted that he was working with former F1 driver Roberto Merhi who was acting as a second pair of eyes for Sainz.
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