Lando Norris will have to defy plenty of history to win the Formula 1 title this year.九游娱乐(China)官方网站九游会J9

Theres his friend-turned-rival Max Verstappens bid for a fifth title in a row. Just like the only driver to achieve that feat, Michael Schumacher, Verstappen is a hard racer who isnt afraid to bend the rules as Norris knows from bitter experience .

Then theres Lewis Hamilton , the seven-time champion going for a record eighth title in 2025. Its his first season with Ferrari, which is itching to end a wait for a drivers title going back to 2007.

Norris is the under-pressure favorite

Norris is widely considered the favorite after he and McLaren had a strong second half of 2024 though not strong enough to beat Verstappen but it could be the closest season in years.

McLaren seemed competitive in preseason testing last month but Norris has to watch out not only for Verstappen and Hamilton, but also for his own teammate Oscar Piastri, Ferraris Charles Leclerc and Mercedes George Russell. Five drivers from four different teams won the last six races of 2024.

As much as we want to believe were the best, I guess we still want to feel like were underdogs. We have a lot to fight for, Norris said last month. After slipping up from pole position in a few races last season, Norris insists he can thrive as the driver to beat.

I know, coming into this season that for a lot of people Im the favorite and as a team were the favorites, Norris said. Ive always done much better under pressure. Im able to think and to focus much more.

Verstappen shows hes still hungry

Ever since beating Hamilton to the 2021 title in a race thats still controversial , Verstappen has been F1s man to beat.

Hes long been clear he doesnt want to stay in F1 into his 40s like Hamilton or Fernando Alonso, so could motivation be a factor in the Dutch drivers bid for a fifth title? Verstappen says last season when he tested Norris to the limit and sometimes beyond shows hes still hungry.

My motivation is there because I think already last year it was not straightforward, Verstappen said. We had of course good wins, but I guess not as many as we would have liked, but we still won the championship.

After a year when off-track events threatened to overwhelm Verstappens Red Bull team and his own father sparred with the management , Verstappen seems more settled at the start of his 11th season in F1. The team feels like a second family, he said last month.

Hamilton aims for title No. 8

Another title for Hamilton would break a tie with Schumacher for the most in F1 history.

The British driver proclaimed himself invigorated at F1s glitzy season launch . Expectations from Ferraris Tifosi fans are so high that he could finally bring success to the Italian team that some cut down a tree to better watch Hamilton test the new SF-25 car.

I know what a winning team looks and feels like, he said last month. The passion here is like nothing youve ever seen. Theyve got absolutely every ingredient they need to win a world championship. And its just about putting all the pieces together.

Other contenders for the crown

Mercedes solved long-running car issues to win four of the last 14 races in 2024, including Hamiltons emotional home win at the British Grand Prix. Three-time winner Russell is joined by 18-year-old rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who starts his career with some valuable advice from Hamilton .

If they cant challenge for the podium right away, other teams like Aston Martin might opt to switch focus early to their 2026 cars . Next year brings a big change in the regulations and getting a head-start could pay off for years to come.

Off-track tensions

Watch out too for a simmering feud between the drivers and the governing body, the FIA, whose president Mohammed Ben Sulayem wants to crack down on drivers swearing.

New rules mean fines starting at 40,000 euros ($42,000) and even potential suspensions and point deductions for repeat offenders. Drivers have previously raised concerns about where the money from fines goes, a string of firings of senior FIA staff and Ben Sulayems own tone and language.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

兰多·诺里斯（Lando Norris）必须克服重重历史阻扰，材干在本年赢得F1的冠军头衔。

有他的一又友兼敌手马克斯·维斯塔潘（Max Verstappen）为连系第五个冠军头衔而进行的尝试。就像独一达成这一豪举的迈克尔·舒马赫（Michael Schumacher）相通，维斯塔潘是一位不惧王法的硬派赛车手——正如诺里斯（Norris）从惨痛的履历中得知的那样。

接下来是七届天下冠军刘易斯·汉密尔顿，他正朝着2025年创记载的第八个冠军发起冲击。这是他加盟法拉利的首个赛季，法拉利渴慕在2007年之后再次获取车手总冠军。

诺里斯（Norris）是备受压力的热点选手

在2024年的后半段，诺里斯与迈凯伦车队说明出色，尽管他们并未弥散广泛以打败维斯塔潘，但这一赛季可能是连年来最接近奏凯的一季。

McLaren在前年前赛季测试中说明出色，但诺里斯不仅要警惕维斯塔潘和汉密尔顿，还要肃肃我方的队友奥斯卡·皮亚斯特里、法拉利车队的查尔斯·勒克莱尔和梅赛德斯车队的乔治·拉塞尔。在2024年的临了六场比赛中，来自四个不同车队的五名车手差别奏凯。

尽管咱们很想笃信我方是最棒的，但我想咱们仍然但愿我方能像弱者相通感受。咱们还有好多要为之激越的，诺里斯上个月说谈。在前年几场比赛中从杆位滑过时，诺里斯坚握合计他可以算作一个值得打败的司机而富贵成长。

"诺里斯说谈：“我深知，新赛季运行时，在好多东谈主眼里，我成了热点选手，而咱们队也成了热点戎行。我老是在压力下说明更好，我能更好地念念考和集聚肃肃力。”

维斯塔潘展现出他依然保握着强烈的求胜渴望

自从在仍具争议性的2021年比赛中打败了汉密尔顿夺冠以来，维斯塔潘一直是F1中难以打败的选手。

他早就明确暗意，我方不想像汉密尔顿或费尔南多·阿隆索那样在40多岁时还在F1中竞争，那么荷兰车手在争取第五个冠军时，动机是否会成为一个成分呢？维斯塔潘暗意，上个赛季——他屡次将诺里斯逼非常限，未必致使越过——标明他仍然充满劲头。

我之是以保握能源，是因为我合计前年也曾不那么得手了。咱们诚然取得了可以的奏凯，但我想咱们并莫得得到咱们想要的那么多奏凯，但最终咱们照旧赢得了冠军。

在履历了一年的场外事件胁迫要压倒维斯塔潘的Red Bull车队，以及他我方的父亲与不休层发生争执之后，维斯塔潘在F1的第11个赛季运行时显得愈加走漏。他上个月暗意，车队“就像一个第二家庭”。

汉密尔顿（Hamilton）但愿获取第8个冠军

若是汉密尔顿再夺一冠，他将与舒马赫并排成为F1历史上夺冠次数最多的车手。

这位英国车手在F1赛季的恢弘启动中暗意我方“精神慷慨”。法拉利“Tifosi”粉丝的欲望如斯之高，他可能最终能为意大利队带来奏凯，以至于有东谈主砍倒了一棵树，以便更好地不雅看汉密尔顿测试新的SF-25赛车。

上个月他说，‘我知谈一个奏凯的戎行看起来和嗅觉是什么样的。这里的模样是你们从未见过的。他们领有赢得天下冠军所需的系数要素，当今他们只需要将这些要素组合在一皆。’

其他王位争夺者

梅赛德斯在2024年处置了恒久存在的赛车问题，赢得了临了14场比赛中的四场奏凯，包括汉密尔顿在英国大奖赛上的感东谈主主场比赛。三次获奖的拉塞尔与18岁的少壮安德烈亚·基米·安东内利（Andrea Kimi Antonelli）并肩搏斗，后者在任业生计的起初上得到了汉密尔顿的一些难得苛刻。

若是他们不行立即挑战领奖台，像阿斯顿·马丁这么的其他车队可能会选拔尽早将要点转向2026年的新车。来岁将迎来王法的要紧变化，早起的鸟儿可能会在将来几年内得到酬劳。

脱轨的弥留局势

还要肃肃司机和海外汽车纠合会（FIA）之间的酝酿中的争执，FIA主席穆罕默德·本·苏莱姆（Mohammed Ben Sulayem）但愿严厉打击司机骂东谈主举止。

新规则意味着，关于类似违章者，罚金将从4万欧元（约4.2万好意思元）起，致使可能濒临暂停和扣分。驾驶员之前就罚金资金的去处暗意过担忧，并有一系列FIA高档职工被衔命以及本·苏莱曼本东谈主言辞媾和话的问题。

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