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). This 2025, Verstappen will try to win the fifth consecutive crown, although it will not be easy, as Norris began to demonstrate in his debut in Australia, whose victory would have been easier if not for the rain and the multiple safety car calls.

The World Championship started this weekend, in the last season of the regulations ancient before the major revolution planned for 2026. Next year, the cars will be smaller and the aerodynamics less powerful, to enhance the competition's spectacle and excitement. This means that most teams are focusing their efforts on preparing their cars for next season. Therefore, few developments are expected in the 2025 cars. In other words, many believe the 24-race series will be as evenly matched as in recent months. Of course, in Australia, wet asphalt and accidents have reversed the final standings.

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 despite everything he was on the verge of victory taking advantage of the unpredictability of a race with intermittent rain. There is room for improvement, they assure in the Austrian team, which last year missed out on the constructors' title. 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 last year. 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 position and the victory, although he almost lost his oxen and cowbells with ten laps to go when he slipped before the finish line. Scares aside, the McLaren proved to be the fastest car, although it had to make some adjustments due to complaints from other teams, who had complained about the design of its DRS, the system that allows for more speed at certain points on the track. In fact, under normal conditions he would have done a double in Australia, but Oscar Piastri's accident ruined it: With ten laps to go, he also hit the same wet area as Norris, but he was unable to control the car. However, the driver Aussie He was fortunate as he did not hit the wall and returned to the track, finishing in the points.

Another name that stands out in this championship is Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time champion has signed for Ferrari after growing tired of the 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), lands in the racing team, a team that last year was one step away from winning the constructors' championship.

Now, it's hard to imagine him with a chance of winning the title, because he will first have to adapt to a team where he will be paired with Charles Leclerc, in a musical chairs dance that caused the departure of Carlos Sainz, now with the Williams team. The Madrid native had a poor debut, spinning his car on the first lap. According to what he said on the radio, it was because the turbo played a trick on him when he was passing through a particularly wet area.

Veteran Fernando Alonso starts the year with an accident

Fernando Alonso is competing in his 22nd season in the F1 circus with the Aston Martin team. A two-time champion with 32 wins under his belt, the Asturian is the oldest driver on the grid at 43 years old. He has always been 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 fifth place. "We're starting from a good base, even though we're not the fastest. The goal is to fight for points," said Alonso before a Grand Prix where, despite his experience, he would end up retiring after a mistake and crashing into the wall.

While awaiting the major rule change, the season begins with five rookies on the grid. One of them, Isack Hadjar, couldn't even start after wrecking his car on the formation lap. Jack Doohan and Gabriel Bortoleto would later follow suit.

The rule changes have been minimal. Significantly, the bonus point for the driver who achieves the fastest lap of the race 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.