Neither Alonso is 'magic' nor Mad Max is unbeatable.

BarcelonaMax Verstappen won his first Formula 1 World Championship on the final lap of the final race of the season. A move ahead of Lewis Hamilton allowed him to begin his F1 reign. It was 2021. He was champion the following two years with almost insulting authority. Last year, he was also on the same path, but after winning seven of the first ten races, his Red Bull lost its potential, and Mad Max went ten Grands Prix without reaching the top step of the podium. He ended up being proclaimed champion, yes, although very close to Lando Norris (McLaren). In 2025, Verstappen will try to win his fifth consecutive crown, although it won't be easy. Neither because of the opposition from Norris nor that of a rejuvenated Lewis Hamilton, who has switched from Mercedes to the Ferrari team.

The World Championship kicks off this weekend in Australia, in the final season of the regulations. ancient before the major revolution planned for 2026. Next year, the cars will be smaller and the aerodynamics less powerful, so that the competition gains in spectacle and excitement. This means that most teams are focusing their efforts on preparing the cars for next season. Therefore, few developments are expected in the 2025 cars. In other words, many believe that the 24-race series will run with the same level of consistency as in recent months.

That's why Verstappen continues to emerge as the favorite, but more due to his individual talent than the performance of Red Bull, which has had some problems during the preseason. "I know we're not the fastest and there are still things to improve. They're not too serious problems, but they take their time," said the Dutchman in Australia, where he finished far behind the fastest in Friday practice and finished third in qualifying. There is room for improvement, they assure at the Austrian team, which missed out on the constructors' title last year. They will need to take advantage of this so that the driver can equal Juan Manuel Fangio's five titles, and win five in a row as he did. Kaiser Michael Schumacher at the beginning of the 21st century.

Lando Norris is the other top contender. The Briton, the newly crowned world champion, started the season well with the pole positionThe McLaren proved to be the fastest car, as evidenced by Oscar Piastri's second place, despite having to make some adjustments due to complaints from other teams about the design of its DRS, the system that allows for increased speed at certain points on the track.

The third name to keep in mind is Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time champion has signed for the racing team after growing tired of poor results at Mercedes, a team where he went from winning everything to having no chance of getting on the podium. The German team's season ended positively, but Hamilton had had enough. The record holder in the competition, with the most wins (105), poles (104) and podiums (202), joins a team that last year was on the verge of winning the constructors' world championship. He will be paired with Charles Leclerc, in a musical chair dance that provoked the departure of Carlos Sainz, now with the Williams team.

Fernando Alonso, the oldest driver in Formula 1

Fernando Alonso will be competing in his 22nd season in the F1 circus with the Aston Martin team. Two-time champion and with 32 wins under his belt, the Asturian is the oldest driver on the grid at 43 years old. He is considered one of the most talented drivers, but magical Alonso doesn't have a car to fight for victory. The British team is aiming for the fifth car. "We're starting from a good base, even though we're not the fastest. The goal is to fight for points," said Alonso.

While waiting for the major regulation overhaul, the season begins with five rookies on the grid. Meanwhile, the changes to the regulations have been minimal. Significantly, the bonus point for the driver who achieves the fastest race lap has been eliminated. Fines have also been added for drivers for insults or "inappropriate language," whether in press conferences or while using the radio to communicate from their cars. Finally, a minimum of two pit stops will be mandatory for the Monaco race.