The 7 biggest storylines of this Formula 1 season — and their impact on the sport’s future

Driver shake-ups were happening before the season even began. In early February, the Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton announced he would depart Mercedes at the end of the season to join Ferrari in 2025.

With Mercedes, the British driver captured six drivers championships, but a string of down years led him to take a risk by joining the famed Italian squad.

With Ferrari looking fairly competitive this season — and Hamilton having a resurgent year, capturing two race victories — the pairing could provide fireworks in 2025.

2. Red Bull is no longer dominant

No team has been hotter in Formula 1 than McLaren, which is having a remarkable turnaround.

Last season, the famously papaya-colored squad looked like a backmarker, finishing near the bottom of the pack in the first few races. But under the guidance of a new team principal, Andrea Stella, McLaren has emerged as the team to beat. Its drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have collected a combined five race victories this year.

McLaren has leapfrogged Red Bull for first in the constructors championship and seems poised for continued success.

4. Aston Martin becomes a threat after signing the famed engineer Adrian Newey

In a surprising midseason driver swap, Daniel Ricciardo was cut from RB F1, Red Bull Racing’s sister team.

The decision came after a mostly down year for Ricciardo, who could not seem to keep up with his teammate, the Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda.

Ricciardo had come to represent the sport in many ways thanks to his outsize role in the Netflix docuseries “Drive to Survive.”

Where Ricciardo goes next will be a hot topic of conversation. Other racing disciplines — such as the US-based IndyCar and NASCAR series — likely hope to snatch him up and capitalize on his international star power.

6. F1 embraces a youth movement

Last week, Toyota announced it would return to Formula 1, joining forces with the Haas F1 team.

The Japanese manufacturer previously competed for eight seasons in Formula 1 and has recently had a great deal of success in rally and endurance racing. Toyota could help revitalize a Haas team that has often struggled to score points consistently.

Other manufacturers have announced they’re joining the pinnacle of motorsports.

Audi is poised to join Formula 1 in 2026, taking over the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber. The American manufacturer Ford also plans to partner with Red Bull in 2026 to provide the team with power units.

The influx of manufacturers points to the sport’s growing mainstream popularity, with big-name car companies eager to throw their hats into the ring.