Ted Kravitz predicts McLaren will lead the Formula 1 pecking order going to the 2025 Australian Grand Prix but feels it is ‘optimistic’ to expect much from a midfield team.
Pre-season testing in Bahrain has convinced Kravitz that McLaren will be the team to beat at the start of the 2025 Formula 1 calendar. The term is due to start in Melbourne on March 16 with the Australian Grand Prix holding the first race of a season for the first time since 2019.
Ferrari won in Melbourne in round three last year as Carlos Sainz returned from appendicitis to win the 2024 Australian GP. Yet Kravitz has not seen enough from the Scuderia to suggest Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will have the best or even the second-best car this year.
Instead, the Sky Sports pit lane prowler picks Mercedes to be just ahead of Ferrari, with Red Bull also only the fourth-best team to start 2025. Thus, Kravitz tips George Russell to get on the 2025 Australian GP podium and join the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Ted Kravitz thinks it’s ‘optimistic’ to say Haas have the seventh-best 2025 F1 car
Kravitz has predicted the full pecking order for the start of the 2025 season after seeing how the field tackled F1 testing in Bahrain last week. But while he has backed McLaren to launch their F1 constructors’ championship defence strongly, Kravitz is not overly hopeful for Haas.
READ MORE: All to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari and Toyota ties
| RANK | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME |
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:29.545 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.021s |
| 3 | Alex Albon | Williams | +0.105s |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.395s |
| 5 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.495s |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.800s |
| 7 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | +0.952s |
| 8 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.183s |
| 9 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +1.266s |
| 10 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +1.343s |
| 11 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +1.398s |
| 12 | Jack Doohan | Alpine | +1.694s |
| 13 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +2.154s |
| 14 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | +2.181s |
| 15 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +2.216s |
| 16 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +2.539s |
| 17 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | +2.602s |
| 18 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +2.816s |
Despite hearing encouraging signs from the £807m-valued Haas F1 Team, the least-valuable on the grid, Kravitz is not totally convinced placing them clear of Racing Bulls, Aston Martin and Sauber. Valtteri Bottas is concerned for Haas, too, after what he saw in the Bahrain test.
Kravitz predicted the 2025 F1 pecking order for Sky Sports, and said: “I’m going for McLaren being ahead, then Ferrari/Mercedes or Mercedes/Ferrari – and if you want to push me for a specific order, I’ll say Mercedes and then Ferrari – followed by Red Bull.
“Alpine in fifth, Williams in sixth, Haas in seventh – which is optimistic but they say that they are in decent shape – and Racing Bulls eighth. Then Aston Martin in ninth and Sauber 10th.”
Oliver Bearman was happy with Haas’ 2025 car during F1 testing in Bahrain
Haas start the last term of the current technical regulations on the back of their second-best year yet, and with two new drivers in Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon. Only in 2018 when they took fifth have Haas ranked higher in the constructors’ standings than last year with P7.
READ MORE: Who is 2025 Haas driver Oliver Bearman? Everything to know
Bearman was ‘disappointed’ after F1 testing, having failed to complete any race simulations before his first season as a full-time driver following the 19-year-old’s three cameos in 2024. Yet some signs were positive and Bearman gave a thumbs up after driving Haas’ 2025 car.
Haas will hope the positive signs they found at testing now show Kravitz it is not ‘optimistic’ to expect the American squad can at least retain their standing as the seventh-best team at the Australian GP, where Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen came P9 and P10 last year.
