F1- INSIGHT Graham Duxbury @ therealdux
Graham Duxbury is a former professional racing driver, celebrated SA champion and acclaimed motorsport administrator and commentator. A South African Hall of Fame Inductee, he made history in 1984 by winning the famous Daytona 24-hour sports car race in the USA in an all-South African team. Today, he heads Duxbury Networking, a leading IT company
INTENSE RIVALRIES
KEY TO THRILLING 2025 F1 SEASON
The 2025 Formula One season got underway in March with the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix. From the early results, it promises to be an interesting and exciting season, particularly given the significant changes in the driver market, which have seen established names depart and a fresh wave of young talent arrive
As ever, aerodynamic efficiency, power unit reliability, and strategic adaptability will likely be decisive factors as teams search for success. Fans should brace themselves for a long, 24-race, season of tough competition.
Reigning drivers’ champion, Red Bull’ s Max Verstappen- now a seasoned veteran with four titles to his name – is undoubtedly the driver to beat. However, he faces formidable challengesfrom Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at McLaren and the Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
The 20-car grid has changed significantly this year, with Hamilton’ s move to Ferrari unquestionably the most high-profile switch. His multi-million-dollar deal with the Scuderia should ensure he stays at Ferrari until 2026, if not longer, as he searches for his eighth championship title.
Sergio Pérez has been let go by Red Bull and replaced by Liam Lawson, who made occasional appearances for Red Bull’ s sister team, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls( Vcarb), in 2023 and 2024. The question now is whether the young New Zealander will have the mental fortitude to handle a teammate as talented and dominant as Max Verstappen.
Among the three drivers making their debut in F1 this year, Kimi Antonelli’ s arrival at Mercedes has generated the most anticipation. In Australia, for example, he started 16th on the grid and finished fourth in challenging, rainy conditions finishing one place behind teammate George Russell.
McLaren stands out as one of only two teams maintaining an unchanged driver lineup in 2025. The partnership of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri is among the strongest and potentially the most dramatic in the paddock. As the reigning constructors’ champions, they will undoubtedly aim for a drivers’ title to add to their trophy cabinet. At the time of writing, Lando, with an emphatic win in Australia to his credit seems to be the early favourite?
The other team with a stable driver pairing is Aston Martin, featuring Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. However, there are changes elsewhere with Andy Cowell taking the helm as team principal and former Ferrari executive Enrico Cardile joining as chief technical officer. The arrival of Adrian Newey is expected to significantly influence the design of the 2026 Aston Martin while his expertise could also prove valuable in 2025.
The Alpine team will be spearheaded by Pierre Gasly, accompanied by rookie Jack Doohan, who is eager to establish himself within the improving team. The positive influence of new team principal Oliver Oakes, along with the legendary advisor Flavio Briatore, has created a sense of optimism for the French outfit, which will rely on Renault engines for one final season before transitioning to Mercedes power units in 2026.
Williams has secured the services of race winner and Ferrari refugee Carlos Sainz to partner with Alex Albon. Many believe that Sainz’ immense talent may be underutilised at a mid-field team, but team principal James Vowles is committed to providing him with a competitive car tailored to his driving style and needs.
Over at Racing Bulls( Vcarb), rookie Isack Hadjar attempted to make his F1 debut alongside Yuki Tsunoda in Australia only to crash on the warm-up lap. Tsunoda is in his fifth season with the team, and likely his last.
Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto, has joined Sauber as a rookie, partnering with the experienced Nico Hülkenberg. Nico’ s impressive performances at Haas in 2024 caught the attention of Sauber’ s CEO, Andreas Seidl, who is preparing for the team’ s transition to Audi in 2026.
Haas, under the leadership of team principal Ayao Komatsu, has been revitalised with an all-new driver lineup. Esteban Ocon joins Ferrari Academy driver Oliver Bearman, who served as a reserve driver for both Haas and Ferrari in 2024.
Interestingly, Laura Muller is Ocon’ s new race engineer at Haas, making her the first woman to hold such a position at any F1 team.
aBr WORDS IN ACTION 28 MARCH 2025