Until proceedings at the 2025 season opener in Australia are truly underway, picking a winner remains difficult. Pre-season results aren’t always the most reliable indicator, but at this stage, they’re all the community has to go on—making Lando Norris the favorite for both the race and the championship.
Norris was impressive in Bahrain’s test, overshadowing teammate Oscar Piastri. However, Sky Sports’ Ted Kravitz believes ruling the Aussie out of contention for his home race would be a mistake.
“If I was Oscar Piastri, I would be keeping something in my back pocket for my home race…” Kravitz said, pointing to Piastri’s deep connection with the circuit, where he watched races as a child.
The Brit then named Lewis Hamilton as another dark horse for victory at Albert Park next Sunday.
“Don’t count out Lewis Hamilton,” he warned. Hamilton’s first-ever F1 race was in Melbourne nearly 18 years ago, and he knows better than most that pole position in Australia doesn’t guarantee a win.
2007 AUSTRALIA
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes MP4-22, Albert Park #F1 pic.twitter.com/dJo9M4sfho
— F1 Icons That Go Hard (@CrystalRacing) May 3, 2023
Despite securing P1 in qualifying eight times, he has only converted two of those into victories. Conversely, starting just behind the pole sitter has often worked in his favor. “Hamilton showed in his very first race there in 2007 that you can go around the outside at Turn 1—he overtook his teammate Fernando Alonso at McLaren,” Kravitz added.
So, even if Hamilton doesn’t qualify at the front, he’ll still have a shot at victory. And if Ferrari delivers a strong enough car, his talent alone could make him one of the favorites.
Piastri and Hamilton with a point to prove
Calling Piastri’s 2024 season difficult would be an overstatement. He secured the first two wins of his career and finished P4 in the championship. However, the gap to Norris would certainly sting.
He ended the season 84 points behind the Bristol-born driver, who was briefly in title contention. While Norris ultimately fell short, his strong campaign cemented him as a favorite for 2025. Piastri, with his talent, will be eager to shake things up this season
NORRIS VS PIASTRI H2H
Points: 374 – 292
Race Result: 16 – 8
Qualifying: 20 – 4
Poles: 8 – 0
Fastest Lap: 19 – 4
Laps in Top 10: 1419 – 1340
Best Result: 1st (x4) – 1st (x2) pic.twitter.com/DnI4Cmf0JI— nyx 🙂 (@N0RRIS44) March 4, 2025
Hamilton, meanwhile, struggled against George Russell, losing to his teammate for the second time in three seasons. As he embarks on his maiden Ferrari campaign, some have questioned his decision to go up against a younger talent in Charles Leclerc.
Since a driver’s teammate is often their biggest rival in F1, both Piastri and Hamilton face a tough challenge this year. But make no mistake—they’ll be eager to prove a point. Don’t sleep on them.
