F1 – Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari, the marriage of the century
This is THE most anticipated transfer of the year 2025: since January 1st, Lewis Hamilton is officially a pilot of the Team Ferrari! After a long and glorious adventure with Mercedes, crowned with six world titles between 2013 and 2024, the Briton will realize every driver's dream: to represent the Prancing Horse in Formula 1. With, at stake, an eighth world title?
F1 – Six rookies in 2025, youth takes power
It's a first since 2010: next year, no fewer than six drivers will compete in their first full season in Formula 1. Liam Lawson (Red Bull), Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Jack Doohan (Alpine), Oliver Bearman (Haas), Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) will make their debuts as regular drivers in a grid that has been significantly renewed but above all rejuvenated, since the average age of the rookies in the 2025 class will be 20,75 years old at the start of the Australian Grand Prix on March 16!
F1 – Isack Hadjar, third Frenchman on the grid
Among these six rookies, we will find in particular a new Frenchman: Isack Hadjar. The vice-champion of Formula 2 in 2024 was promoted to Racing Bulls by the Red Bull fold and will become the third Tricolore present on the grid alongside Pierre Gasly andEsteban OconA new Frenchman on the grid, this has not happened since Pierre Gasly, who arrived in F1 at the end of 2017.
WRC – Adrien Fourmaux, a new adventure at Hyundai
If Lewis Hamilton is the transfer of the year in F1, the arrival ofAdrien fourmaux in Hyundai is certainly the transfer of the year in WRC. After a successful season with M-Sport In 2024, where he obtained his first five podiums in WRC, the Northerner joins a major manufacturer with the objective of securing a first victory in the premier category. The Frenchman now has all the cards in hand to succeed Sébastien Loeb et Sébastien Ogier...
WRC – New scale, end of hybrid… rallying goes into reverse
The WRC will experience a small revolution in 2025: if the Rally1 will still be used, they will be relieved of the hybrid system, criticized since its introduction in 2022. Less powerful but lighter, they will remain very impressive to follow. The Rally1 will now be equipped with Hankook tires, a first in the premier category. In terms of the sporting regulations, the points scale used in 2024 has already been modified: if the three-scale system is retained, the points will no longer be awarded on Saturday evening but with the classification at the end of rally, in order to reward the winner more fairly. The principle of Super Sunday is retained, with a reduced distribution of points. In total, a driver will be able to score up to 35 points in the event of a perfect score. Finally, some rallies will see their length vary in 2025: some will be longer than the required 305 km, and others will adopt a "Sprint" format with fewer special stages and a reduced event over two and a half days.
WRC – Kalle Rovanperä returns full-time
In 2024, the WRC was orphaned of its reigning champion, Kalle Rovanperä, who had decided to take a step back from rallying to test himself on the circuit. After a part-time season, the Finn returns with Toyota to try to recover his property and win a third world title. Faced with a Thierry Neuville released with his first title, at a Ott Tänak Hungry after an up-and-down 2024 season and a vengeful Elfyn Evans, the fight for the world crown promises to be intense!
Endurance – Aston Martin’s Hypercar debut
This will be the big attraction of 2025: Aston Martin will make its debut in the premier class of theEndurance, a WEC and in IMSA, with the sublime Valkyrie LMH and its naturally aspirated V12! The Gaydon brand, associated with Heart of Racing, thus joins a Hypercar category already well-stocked in the World Endurance Championship, despite the departure of Lamborghini. If the British manufacturer has announced its first two drivers in WEC – Alex Riberas and Harry Tincknell – the rest of the crew remains to be confirmed… with surprises to come?
Rally-Raid – Dacia attacks the Dakar
Another discipline, another arrival: that of Dacia in rally-raid and the Dakar in 2025! After a successful debut at the Rallye du Maroc last October (victory for Al-Attiyah and a double with Loeb), the Roman manufacturer will make its grand debut in the most legendary of rally-raid races in January in Saudi Arabia. With the Sandrider – a major technical and aesthetic evolution of the old Hunter from Prodrive – Dacia intends to play the leading roles on this Dakar with its shock crews. Nasser Al-Attiyah and Sébastien Loeb will be the favorites while Cristina Gutierrez will be an outsider to watch.
MotoGP – Marquez / Bagnaia, a dynamic duo at Ducati
There won't only be big transfers in motorsport! MotoGP, the transfer of the century is the arrival of Marc Marquez in the official Ducati team! After years of struggle with Honda, the Spaniard made a thunderous return to the highest level in 2024 with Gresini. Associated with Francesco Bagnaia, the "Tonerre de Cervera" will be one of the favorites of the 2025 season with the Ducati Desmosedici GP 25!
IndyCar – PREMA, the American dream
Finally, in IndyCar, the big news of the 2025 season will of course be the arrival of PREMA on the grid! The Italian team, a true reference in promotion formulas, will try to live the American dream by car with a Dallara-Chevrolet in the colours of Italy. Robert Shwartzman and Callum Ilott will compete the entire season with the new team, determined to shake up the grid in 2025!
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Yves-Henri RANDIER
01/01/2025 at 11:51 a.m.
More than the nationality of the drivers and the teams, what matters to me much more is the fight and the spectacle provided by all these virtuosos of the wheel.