Lando Norris will have to defy plenty of history to win the Formula 1 title this year.
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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兰多·诺里斯（Lando Norris）必须克服重重历史障碍，才能在今年赢得F1的冠军头衔。
有他的朋友兼对手马克斯·维斯塔潘（Max Verstappen）为连续第五个冠军头衔而进行的尝试。就像唯一实现这一壮举的迈克尔·舒马赫（Michael Schumacher）一样，维斯塔潘是一位不惧规则的硬派赛车手——正如诺里斯（Norris）从惨痛的经历中得知的那样。
接下来是七届世界冠军刘易斯·汉密尔顿，他正朝着2025年创纪录的第八个冠军发起冲击。这是他加盟法拉利的首个赛季，法拉利渴望在2007年之后再次获得车手总冠军。
诺里斯（Norris）是备受压力的热门选手
在2024年的后半段，诺里斯与迈凯伦车队表现出色，尽管他们并未足够强大以击败维斯塔潘，但这一赛季可能是近年来最接近胜利的一季。
McLaren在去年前赛季测试中表现出色，但诺里斯不仅要警惕维斯塔潘和汉密尔顿，还要注意自己的队友奥斯卡·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年的最后六场比赛中，来自四个不同车队的五名车手分别获胜。
尽管我们很想相信自己是最棒的，但我想我们仍然希望自己能像弱者一样感受。我们还有很多要为之奋斗的，诺里斯上个月说道。在去年几场比赛中从杆位滑落后，诺里斯坚持认为他可以作为一个值得击败的司机而茁壮成长。
"诺里斯说道：“我深知，新赛季开始时，在很多人眼里，我成了热门选手，而我们队也成了热门队伍。我总是在压力下表现更好，我能更好地思考和集中注意力。”
维斯塔潘展现出他依然保持着强烈的求胜欲望
自从在仍具争议性的2021年比赛中击败了汉密尔顿夺冠以来，维斯塔潘一直是F1中难以击败的选手。
他早就明确表示，自己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因素呢？维斯塔潘表示，上个赛季——他多次将诺里斯逼至极限，有时甚至超越——表明他仍然充满干劲。
我之所以保持动力，是因为我认为去年已经不那么顺利了。我们当然取得了不错的胜利，但我想我们并没有得到我们想要的那么多胜利，但最终我们还是赢得了冠军。
在经历了一年的场外事件威胁要压倒维斯塔潘的Red Bull车队，以及他自己的父亲与管理层发生争执之后，维斯塔潘在F1的第11个赛季开始时显得更加稳定。他上个月表示，车队“就像一个第二家庭”。
汉密尔顿（Hamilton）希望获得第8个冠军
如果汉密尔顿再夺一冠，他将与舒马赫并列成为F1历史上夺冠次数最多的车手。
这位英国车手在F1赛季的盛大启动中表示自己“精神焕发”。法拉利“Tifosi”粉丝的期望如此之高，他可能最终能为意大利队带来成功，以至于有人砍倒了一棵树，以便更好地观看汉密尔顿测试新的SF-25赛车。
上个月他说，‘我知道一个胜利的队伍看起来和感觉是什么样的。这里的激情是你们从未见过的。他们拥有赢得世界冠军所需的所有要素，现在他们只需要将这些要素组合在一起。’
其他王位争夺者
梅赛德斯在2024年解决了长期存在的赛车问题，赢得了最后14场比赛中的四场胜利，包括汉密尔顿在英国大奖赛上的感人主场比赛。三次获奖的拉塞尔与18岁的新秀安德烈亚·基米·安东内利（Andrea Kimi Antonelli）并肩作战，后者在职业生涯的起点上得到了汉密尔顿的一些宝贵建议。
如果他们不能立即挑战领奖台，像阿斯顿·马丁这样的其他车队可能会选择尽早将重心转向2026年的新车。明年将迎来规则的重大变化，早起的鸟儿可能会在未来几年内得到回报。
脱轨的紧张局势
还要注意司机和国际汽车联合会（FIA）之间的酝酿中的争执，FIA主席穆罕默德·本·苏莱姆（Mohammed Ben Sulayem）希望严厉打击司机骂人行为。
新规定意味着，对于重复违规者，罚款将从4万欧元（约4.2万美元）起，甚至可能面临暂停和扣分。驾驶员之前就罚款资金的去向表示过担忧，并有一系列FIA高级员工被解雇以及本·苏莱曼本人言辞和语言的问题。
美联社（AP）汽车赛事：访问[美联社汽车赛事集散地](https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing)了解更多信息。