Who needs to do better in 2025?
pound: Aston Martin admitted they simply didn’t do a good job with their 2024 car, finishing a solitary fifth in the constructors’ championship with a score just over a third of what they achieved the previous year. Billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll has invested heavily in the team over the past few years and will demand even more next season.
CENTIMETER: There are several candidates here, and a few months ago I was sure he would have written to Alpine, but the change in form in Pierre Gasly’s garage side suggests they are a team that is already starting to do better. And you could think of Sauber, but they feel like a team in a sort of holding pattern until 2026, while Aston Martin still has to wait for the arrival of Adrian Newey next year. So, I’m going to go with Williams. There was a lot of potential in this year’s FW46, but it was late and overweight, and then the spare chassis situation caught them by surprise in Australia. But they definitely have drivers Sainz (a big coup) and Alex Albon to get results. Now they need to show more signs of progress. The final result in 2025 is less important, but 2026 could be a real opportunity for Williams to catapult up the grid, and some of the rebuilding work James Vowles has been doing will need to start paying off next year to provide a platform. to take advantage of the new regulations.
World Bank: There isn’t a single team that doesn’t have areas to improve in the off-season, which makes 2025 extremely tempting. The same goes for almost all the drivers, except the champion, who for me showed the best form he has ever shown. But as he improves his craft week after week, the bar is continually raised for those hoping to beat him. But the greatest is Lance Stroll. Aston is doing everything it can to fight for a title and, after a below-average 2024, needs to show solid improvement next year.
DT: The simple answer is everyone, because that’s how racing works. But I will say McLaren, specifically. By their own admission, they need to work even harder during the short off-season to ensure they are in a position to compete strongly for both the drivers’ and constructors’ world championships in 2025. in the former this year, and achieved the second for the first time in 26 years, and are better positioned than anyone to assess what they need to do to improve further, ready to go toe-to-toe with Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes. Strange suggestion? You are welcome. By the time you are tempted to rest on your laurels in this game, having achieved a cherished goal, your rivals are already getting ahead of you. Zak Brown, Andrea Stella and their experts are too smart to fall into that trap.
AJ: The boat driver in Montreal. Also Aston Martin, but fortunately they have signed Adrian Newey, so they will improve quickly after a disappointing campaign.