Lando Norris has a bold prediction for the 2025 campaign (Image: Getty)
The 2025 F1 season promises to be one of the most competitive in the sport’s history as the teams converge at the end of the technical regulation cycle. As more organisations enter the mix at the head of the field, some surprise winners could emerge.
The ground-effect era has been noticeably short on surprise victors. dominated the show in 2022 and 2023, and while seven drivers won multiple Grands Prix in 2024, they were all from the top four teams. You would have to return to ’s iconic victory in Hungary in 2021 for the last genuine shock F1 triumph.
According to , however, that could change in 2025. “I expect that to be even more the case over the winter and into this season, you’re probably going to have some winners that aren’t , , or , which I think is good for Formula One and good for the fans,” he told media including Express Sport.
With the start of the season just weeks away, Express Sport looks at the most likely winners from further down the grid.
Fernando Alonso
heads into the 2025 campaign looking to break an 11-year win drought. The two-time world champion has scored 106 podiums during his career and despite his advancing age, eight of them came during his debut campaign with Aston Martin.
Even with an uncompetitive car in 2024, he finished at the head of the midfield and remained remarkably consistent throughout the campaign. With during the spring, there is fresh hope that Aston Martin can step back towards the front of the field.
If they do so, nobody will be better placed to win a Grand Prix from the midfield than the man with two Drivers’ Championship titles and 32 race victories.
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Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly are both perennial overachievers (Image: Getty)
When dropped after the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix, it was hard to imagine the Frenchman establishing himself as one of the most consistent drivers on the grid. However, through spells with AlphaTauri and Alpine, the 28-year-old has done just that.
Gasly already has pedigree winning from the midfield. At Monza in 2020, he held off the charge of ’s Sainz to take his maiden race win, capping a fairytale comeback story. He has since claimed three podiums in middling machinery, all with gutsy drives.
Alpine’s star driver ended the 2024 campaign showing signs of his 2021 performance level. With the Enstone-based squad on a steady upward trajectory, Gasly should have strong machinery underneath him this year.
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Williams’ marquee signing may have to make do with inferior machinery in 2025 as James Vowles’ squad concentrate their efforts on the new regulations. Still, if the right chaotic circumstances develop, Sainz will be well-placed to take advantage.
The experienced Spaniard is quick in the wet, strong over one lap, and can consistently extract race pace on Sundays. Critically, he continues to demonstrate improvements year over year.
Sainz enjoyed his best F1 season to date in his final year with , claiming Grand Prix victories in Melbourne and Mexico City. The 30-year-old will bring his race-winning expertise with him to Grove this season.