Preseason testing predictions and the Grand Prix calendar for 2025
The teams are getting ready for the much anticipated first race of the season taking place this weekend in Melbourne, Australia.
Teams showed promise at the pre-season testing weekend, which took place in Bahrain a few weeks ago. All ten participating teams had three days to put in some time on the track at the only official testing pre-season testing session. The testing took place from the 26th to the 28th of February and gave teams the opportunity to collect data, test cars and fine-tune before it’s a go! go! go! Teams now have a small window to work out the little kinks before the season officially starts. So let us have a closer look at the F1 calendar.
Surprising results from the pre season testing
Mercedes completed the most laps with 458 over the weekend. Haas completed one less lap with 457 followed by Racing Bulls with 454 laps.
The fastest lap time came down to razor thin margins with five drivers coming in at 1:29 minutes. So is this a precursor for what’s to come this season?
Carlos Sainz of Williams did the fastest lap on the weekend with a time of 1:29.348. Lewis Hamilton will be happy with how his Ferrari is performing by driving the second fastest lap of 1:29.379. Mercedes driver George Russell also came in third with a time of 1:29.545 on day three. Last year’s champion Max Verstappen did the fourth fastest lap with 1:29.566. Maclaren’s Oscar Piastri drove the fifth fastest lap of the weekend with 1:29.940.
The results of the pre-season testing can hint at which teams might be strong contenders this season. Furthermore, both Ferrari drivers had some good lap times. Sainz also showed that Williams could potentially have the pace by getting the fastest lap of the weekend. Other teams focused on reliability with Red Bull, Mercedes and Racing Bulls all getting good mileage as well as great long-run pace. The F1 Calendar in 2025 is surely bringing the heat.
Rookies making their debut in the driver’s seat
Andrea Kimi Antonelli makes his debut at Mercedes as he moves up to Formula 1 from Formula 2 at the age of 18.
Isack Hadjar is in at Racing Bulls after having an impressive season in Formula 2 last year.
Jack Doohan replaces Esteban Ocon and moves up from being the reserve driver at Alpine.
Haas’ new driver is Oliver Bearman who was the reserve driver at Ferrari last year.
F3 championship winner in 2023 Gabriel Bortoleto join Sauber in 2025. He was part of McLaren’s driver academy last year.
Drivers that make up this year’s teams
- Yuki Tsunoda has been paired with Isack Hadiar at the newly renamed Racing Bulls.
- No change for Aston Martin and they are keeping Fernando Alonso as well as Lance Stroll in the driving seat.
- Haas has teamed up Estaban Ocon and Oliver Bearman for their 2025 season.
- Gabriel Bortoleto has joined Nico Hulkenberg over at Sauber.
- Jack Doohan joins Pierre Gasly at Alpine.
- Williams also welcomes Carlos Sainz into the fold with driver Alex Albon.
- Furthermore, rookie Liam Lawson has big shoes to fill as he pairs up with Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing.
- Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are once again partners at McLaren.
- New driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli is joining George Russell at Mercedes.
- The pairing that has been on everyone’s lips must be Lewis Hamilton joining Charles LeClerc at Ferrari.
Best Bookies for F1 Betting
There are a lot of top bookies to watch out for opportunities and deals in the F1 Calendar 2025. Therefore, to see the different betting markets and odds, check out our F1 Betting Guide. Furthermore, here we list some of the best betting sites in South Africa.
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Another great bookmaker in South Africa is Gbets and they have been around for many years. Also keep an eye on the bookies promotion pages to see any special offerings.
The Grand Prix calendar for 2025
Be sure to add the Formula 1 schedule so you don’t miss out on the next F1 race.
- March 14-16 @ Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
- March 21-23 @ Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.
- April 4-6 @ Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka.
- April 11-13 @ Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir.
- April 18-20 @ Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah.
- May 2-4 @ Miami Grand Prix in Miami.
- May 16-18 @ Italian Grand Prix in Imola.
- May 23-25 @ Monaco Grand Prix in Monaco.
- May 30-June 1 @ Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
- June 13-15 @ Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.
- June 27-29 @Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg.
- July 4-6 @ British Grand Prix in Silverstone.
- July 25-27 @ Belgian Grand Prix in Spa.
- August 1-3 @ Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest.
- August 29-31 @ Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.
- September 5-7 @ Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
- September 19-21 @ Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.
- October 3-5 @ Singapore Grand Prix in Singapore.
- October 17-19 @ United States Grand Prix in Austin.
- October 24-26 @ Mexican Grand Prix in Mexico City.
- November 7-9 @ Brazilian Grand Prix in São Paulo.
- November 20-22 @ Las Vegas Grand Prix in Las Vegas.
- November 28-30 @ Qatar Grand Prix in Lusail.
- December 5-7 @ Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Yas Marina.
Get Ready for Plenty of Excitement
The odds for the first race are very close with bookies with the favourites being Max, Lewis and Carlos Sainz for the win. We personally cannot wait to see who makes it to the podium as long as it is a competitive race. You can compare and find the best odds at our favourite bookies.
We’ll also remind you about all the races in the F1 Calendar 2025 in our monthly sport previews. Along with a ton of other information, the March Sport Preview 2025 includes a list of all of the season’s first races. Therefore, if you’re a sports fan in general, be sure to check out our monthly Sport Previews.
