Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has ignited anticipation for the 2025 Formula 1 season, predicting a fiercely competitive championship battle with “different winners” emerging throughout the year.
His insights, shared ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, highlight a potential shift in the sport’s power dynamics.
Steiner’s analysis comes after a 2024 season that saw a tightening of the gap between the top four teams.
McLaren, notably, clinched their first Teams’ Championship in 26 years, with Ferrari close behind, while Red Bull and Mercedes experienced relative setbacks.
Looking ahead to 2025, a season marked by significant driver changes, Steiner believes McLaren and Ferrari are poised to capitalize on their late-2024 momentum.
“I see the four teams again close together,” Steiner stated, “But my favourites are Ferrari and McLaren, because they were so strong [at the] end of last year and I think they figured out what the car needs to be fast.”
Key to Steiner’s prediction is the stability and experience of McLaren and Ferrari’s driver pairings.
He contrasted this with Red Bull and Mercedes’ decisions to introduce new talent: Liam Lawson at Red Bull and rookie Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes.
“They both [have] experienced drivers in, while Mercedes and Red Bull have got a rookie each,” Steiner explained. “It just makes it difficult, because a rookie is a rookie – even if they [are] super good, he still needs to learn a lot.”
Specifically, Steiner appeared to give a slight edge to McLaren. “So I feel the two strongest teams will be Ferrari and McLaren, and I would say maybe if I would need to pick between the two of them, McLaren, because they did a good job last year. I think they were very good at the end of the season.”
Adding to the intrigue, Steiner anticipates a season with multiple race winners, echoing the unpredictability seen in 2024.
“I think we will see different winners this year – I’m pretty sure about that,” he asserted. While acknowledging the challenge facing rookies, he didn’t rule out the possibility of a surprise victory.
The 2025 season presents teams with the added complexity of balancing car development for the current campaign with the significant regulation changes coming in 2026.
Steiner believes teams will likely shift their focus to the 2026 car by May or June. “I think everybody will shift to the ‘26 car in May, because that is the future,” he predicted.
“So I do not think that there will be a lot of development going into the ‘25 car after May/beginning of June, except [if] somebody may be fighting for the World Championship.”
The Miami Grand Prix, scheduled for May 2-4, will be a key early indicator of how these predictions might play out.
