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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The 2025 Formula 1 grid opened with several high-profile changes: Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari, Carlos Sainz moved to Williams, and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli took Hamilton’s Mercedes seat. The planned pre-season lineup did not last unchanged: Red Bull and Alpine each replaced a driver after the season began.
What changed in the 2025 F1 driver lineup?
The offseason reshuffle combined a marquee transfer, moves between teams, rookie promotions and a few unchanged pairings. Formula 1’s 2025 grid explainer covered the announced lineups; the FIA’s Australian Grand Prix media kit records who was entered for the season-opening race.
| Team | 2025 season-opening drivers | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| McLaren | Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri | Both retained their seats. |
| Ferrari | Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton | Hamilton joined from Mercedes. |
| Red Bull | Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson | Lawson began the year at Red Bull; Yuki Tsunoda replaced him after two races. |
| Mercedes | George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Antonelli took the seat Hamilton vacated. |
| Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll | Both retained their seats. |
| Alpine | Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan | Doohan started the season; Franco Colapinto replaced him after six races. |
| Haas | Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman | Ocon joined from Alpine, alongside rookie Bearman. |
| Racing Bulls | Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar | Hadjar joined the team; Tsunoda later moved to Red Bull and Lawson to Racing Bulls. |
| Williams | Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon | Sainz joined from Ferrari. |
| Sauber | Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto | Bortoleto joined as a rookie. |
The table shows the opening entry list, not an unchanged roster for the full season. The mid-season moves are detailed below.
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari drove the headline reshuffle
Lewis Hamilton joined Charles Leclerc at Ferrari
Hamilton left Mercedes for Ferrari, creating the most prominent transfer of the offseason. Formula 1 described it as one of the biggest driver-market moves in recent times. The FIA’s Australian Grand Prix media kit lists Hamilton’s career statistics at that time as 105 wins and seven world titles; those are historical achievements, not results from the 2025 season.
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Carlos Sainz moved from Ferrari to Williams
Hamilton’s arrival meant Sainz left Ferrari. He joined Williams to race alongside Alex Albon, making the change significant for both teams: Ferrari paired Leclerc with Hamilton, while Williams added an experienced race winner to its lineup.
Antonelli took Hamilton’s Mercedes seat
Mercedes promoted Andrea Kimi Antonelli to partner George Russell. His promotion filled the seat Hamilton left and brought a rookie into one of the grid’s most prominent teams.
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Other team switches and rookie promotions
Haas paired Esteban Ocon with Oliver Bearman
Ocon moved from Alpine to Haas, where he joined Bearman, a rookie entering a full-time seat. The team therefore combined an established driver with a new face.
Alpine started with Jack Doohan
Doohan stepped up to race alongside Pierre Gasly for the opening part of the season. He was later replaced by reserve driver Franco Colapinto; the change is covered in the in-season section below.
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Racing Bulls added Isack Hadjar
Hadjar joined the second Red Bull team—called Racing Bulls in the Australian Grand Prix entry list and also referred to as RB in pre-season coverage—to partner Tsunoda at the start of the season.
Sauber brought in Gabriel Bortoleto
Bortoleto joined Sauber alongside Nico Hülkenberg, giving the team a rookie alongside an experienced driver.
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McLaren and Aston Martin kept their pairings
Not every team changed a driver. McLaren began the season with Norris and Piastri, while Aston Martin kept Alonso and Stroll. These two teams provided continuity amid the broader movement of drivers between seats.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the lineup changed after the season began
Red Bull replaced Lawson with Tsunoda
Lawson started the season at Red Bull alongside Verstappen but was replaced by Tsunoda after two races, according to BBC Sport’s account of the early-season changes. Lawson moved to Racing Bulls, where Hadjar was his teammate.
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Alpine replaced Doohan with Colapinto
Doohan raced for Alpine for six races before reserve driver Colapinto took his place. As a result, the announced pre-season lineup and the roster that evolved during the season are not the same: the opening grid had Lawson at Red Bull and Doohan at Alpine, while both teams made an early-season driver change.
Quick Recap
Why the changes mattered
- A transfer set off a visible chain of seat changes: Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was accompanied by Sainz’s move to Williams and Antonelli’s promotion at Mercedes.
- The reshuffle reached several teams: Haas added Ocon and Bearman, Alpine started with Doohan, Racing Bulls brought in Hadjar, and Sauber added Bortoleto.
- Continuity was selective: McLaren and Aston Martin retained both of their opening drivers.
- The announced grid was only a starting point: Red Bull and Alpine changed a driver after racing began.
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