If pre-season testing has taught Formula One fans anything, it’s to take testing results with a pinch of salt. Although, as the sport gears up for a new season opener in Melbourne, it’s difficult to hold out hope for certain teams.

Set to be a tumultuous season with Hamilton’s maiden year at Ferrari, a competitive McLaren and a grid full of rookies- this year looks as though we may see the end of Max Verstappen and his RedBull dominance.

From testing results, it seems that Verstappen and his new teammate Liam Lawson are visibly struggling with the RB21.Whilst there is the promise of several upgrades throughout the season, RedBull proved last year that these upgrades don’t necessarily improve the performance of the car. Having completed the least amount of laps out of any Constructor in testing, the 304 laps driven by Verstappen and Lawson likely places them as the third-fourth fastest car on the grid for this season. However, one can expect that Verstappen’s skill will see a few podiums across the year, but it will be exciting to see how Lawson matches up as he makes the jump from RB to RedBull.

As for Ferrari, it’s an exciting year for the Tifosi who are filled with the hopes of a chance for a championship. With a Hamilton and Leclerc pairing, the chances couldn’t be any higher. The SF-25 looked rather promising in testing and even more so after it has been speculated across the paddock that Ferrari have been heavily sandbagging during testing. With their current figures, we can expect many Ferrari podiums across the season. The talents of Leclerc and Hamilton will set the standards high this year and will definitely make for great competition across the grid. 

McLaren appear to be the Constructor on everybody’s lips. Having risen from the ashes last season to take home the Constructor’s title, the pressure is on for Zak Brown and his papaya counterparts. With Piastri signing a multi-year extension it seems that he and Norris will continue their partnership into the next few seasons. It is likely that McLaren have something up their sleeves for this season but will the title contender of Lando Norris be able to handle the pressure? Whilst I think that Norris will crumble as we get further into the season, it will be interesting to see how Piastri places as he is likely to be Ferrari’s biggest competition going into the season. 

In terms of Mercedes, the question is will they or won’t they. It’s been a disaster few years for the German outfit and with Hamilton’s departure, George Russell takes the reins with rookie wonder-kid, Kimi Antonelli. It’s a promising partnership but it’s no secret that Mercedes are relying heavily on car performance which hasn’t favoured the team recently. Mercedes are likely to get a feel of a mid-field car for this season. Whilst I believe that Antonelli will shine this year, I think we can expect to see a forgettable year for this team.