The grid for the 2025 Formula 1 season is officially complete, and the driver market has produced some ridiculous moves around the paddock.
The driver market was thrown into chaos at the start of the year with the sensational news of Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari. The move sparked dramatic changes across the grid, with the 2025 season seeing 10 driver transfers take place.
| Teams | Drivers |
| McLaren | Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri |
| Ferrari | Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton |
| Red Bull | Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson |
| Mercedes | George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli |
| Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll |
| Alpine | Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan |
| Haas | Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman |
| Racing Bulls | Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar |
| Williams | Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz |
| Sauber | Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto |
This is a direct contrast to the start of the 2024 season, which saw no driver changes occur and no rookies joining the grid – the first time in F1 history that every team’s driver pairing remained the same from the end of the previous year.
In 2025, only two teams have kept their line-ups from 2024 which sets up an exciting season before the new technical regulations come into effect in 2026.
Naturally, many teams have strengthened across the board and made some marque acquisitions for next season, while others have lost key talent and experience or missed the mark with some of their signings.
Here are the biggest winners and losers of the 2025 F1 driver market.
The winners of the 2025 driver market – Williams are in dreamland and Ferrari sign Lewis Hamilton
With the winners of the driver market, there is one obvious answer above them all in Hamilton’s move to Ferrari. The most successful team in history signing the sport’s most successful driver goes down as arguably the biggest transfer F1 has ever seen.
While the Brit’s woes at Mercedes in 2024 will be a concern – particularly with his qualifying form – he proved in moments this season that he still is the same competitive Hamilton fans and pundits have come to know. He will prove to be a fierce challenger at the front alongside Charles Leclerc.
The 39-year-old will replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari with the Spaniard leaving for Williams – and Guenther Steiner thinks Williams have won the lottery as they now boast a strong driver pairing.
READ MORE: All to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes ties
With Sainz alongside Alex Albon, it is hard to argue against that as they have two leaders who can push the boundaries and elevate the team up the field. James Vowles lauded the ‘tremendous’ signing of Sainz as Williams look to score consistent points – the only question being if they can produce a car capable of doing so.
Sauber have strengthened across the board, with experienced Nico Hulkenberg and exciting talent Gabriel Bortoleto setting them up with the right balance ahead of Audi’s takeover in 2026. While they are set to have the slowest package on the grid again, their two recruits will be capable of a special result, much like Zhou Guanyu’s trojan effort in Qatar this season.
McLaren are also winners for not needing to change their drivers, as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are arguably the strongest pair on the gird and will be a force to be reckoned with as the Woking-based outfit look to be the team to beat.
The losers of the 2025 driver market – Yuki Tsunoda stays at Racing Bulls and Alpine talk about replacing Jack Doohan
With so many moves happening within the driver market, there are bound to be a few that leave fans and even drivers scratching their heads – the main one being Yuki Tsunoda.
The Japanese driver had been targeting the second Red Bull seat next to Max Verstappen but was snubbed by his Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson. Tsunoda arguably deserved the seat over the Kiwi driver given he has been in F1 for four seasons – Lawson has raced 11 Grand Prix – and outperformed Daniel Ricciardo and the 22-year-old in 2024.
| Category | Yuki Tsunoda | Liam Lawson |
| 2024 points | 8 | 4 |
| Grand Prix results | 4 | 2 |
| Grand Prix qualifying | 6 | 0 |
| Grand Prix wins | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Prix poles | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Prix podiums | 0 | 0 |
| Best finish | 7th | 9th |
| Retirements | 1 | 0 |
| Retirements (classified finish) | 0 | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Prix points finishes | 2 | 2 |
| Sprint results | 0 | 3 |
| Sprint Qualifying | 0 | 3 |
| Sprint wins | 0 | 0 |
| Sprint poles | 0 | 0 |
| Sprint podiums | 0 | 0 |
But Christian Horner felt Lawson demonstrated ‘the right mindset’ for Red Bull and opted to leave Tsunoda at Racing Bulls. The 24-year-old is only contracted to the team for next season, and Tsunoda admitted he may have to leave the Red Bull family to further his career, putting him in an unhealthy position for 2025.
Another driver left in limbo next year is Jack Doohan. Despite being signed for 2025 alongside Pierre Gasly at Alpine – and it is undoubtedly a deserved chance in F1 – the Aussie is already facing being replaced.
Alpine are working on a deal to sign Franco Colapinto from Williams in 2025, putting Doohan in an uncomfortable position where he could lose his seat not long after being afforded the chance in F1.
Aston Martin have kept their 2024 driver line-up like McLaren, but with Fernando Alonso’s frustrations with the car this season and Lance Stroll’s lack of performance, it is hard to see how the team look stronger for 2025.
Nobody at Aston Martin wants to tell Lawrence Stroll the truth about Lance, but the Canadian has been a clear weakness for the team in recent years and keeping him on board any longer will be damaging ahead of 2026.
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