F1 2025: Five predictions for the final races of the season

• Oscar Piastri to be crowned World Champion

• Lewis Hamilton to feature on a podium for the first time this year

• Max Verstappen to suffer an early race retirement

As the finish line for the F1 calendar draws ever closer, Ladbrokes makes five predictions for the final races of the season, with some surprises still potentially to come.

With the McLaren men running away at the top of the Drivers' Standings, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris battle it out for the World Championship trophy as the rest of the pack fight for third, but the story of the season is far from complete.

We've made a couple of bold shouts ahead of the final few races, with the likes of Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton featuring, so read on for our F1 2025 predictions.

Having been top of the F1 Drivers' Standings since the opening month of the season, Oscar Piastri enters the final few races with a slender lead over teammate Lando Norris - and a recent opening-lap retirement really threw a spanner in the works for the Aussie.

That being said, we're predicting that Piastri will indeed get his hands on the F1 World Championship trophy for the very first time, and we're backing him to clinch his title before the final race of the season.

Azerbaijan's disaster aside, Piastri has been a consistent figure on the podium throughout the year, and isn't far away from taking the crown currently held by Red Bull's Max Verstappen. He will continue to face stiff competition from Norris - who is also among the favourites for the Sports Personality of the Year Award - but we're tipping Piastri to go into the final race in Abu Dhabi as the 2025 World Champion.

Since his high-profile switch from Mercedes to Ferrari in the summer, Lewis Hamilton hasn't enjoyed much success, failing to make a single podium so far. He did manage to come out on top in the Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix, but we're backing him to claim his first podium in Ferrari's colours between now and the end of the season.

The seven-time World Champion doesn't have anything to prove to anyone after a career that has seen him cement himself as one of the greatest to take to the sport, but the 40-year-old will be desperate to celebrate a strong race for Ferrari.

There are still a couple of favourable tracks to come for Hamilton, such as Austin (12 races, 9 podiums) and Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi (16 races, 10 podiums) - so don't count the Brit out. Experience can count for a lot in key moments, so Ladbrokes is still expecting to see Hamilton on the podium in 2025.

Since the introduction of the F1 Sprint back in 2021, Max Verstappen has had a bit of a stronghold on the format - but there's still plenty of opportunity for somebody new to etch their name into the history books.

Only seven drivers have ever won a Sprint race, with Lewis Hamilton winning his first back in March, but we're predicting that somebody will win the format for the first time in the remainder of the season, with three Sprints still to take place.

The likes of Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli will be keen to make their mark on the season, with neither winning a race thus far, and less fancied drivers such as Nico Hulkenberg and Isack Hadjar will have their eyes on the prize following maiden F1 podium finishes in 2025. The Sprint is all about excitement, with raw speed winning the day - and we're tipping somebody new to rise to the occasion.

After winning the last four World Championship titles for Red Bull, Max Verstappen looks set to finally surrender his crown this season as Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris fight it out. This season has been worlds away from the Max Verstappen seasons we've grown so used to, with numerous finishes outside the podium and even an early race retirement - and we're predicting another one.

The formidable Dutchman is rarely starting from pole these days, so finds himself in the mix as the lights go out and the race gets underway, which always brings the potential for crashes. As he looks to work his way to the front of the pack, Verstappen takes risks which often pay off - but sometimes all it takes is a bit of bad luck.

That's why we're predicting that Max Verstappen will suffer a race retirement within five laps between now and the end of the 2025 F1 season, to compound what has been a disappointing season for Red Bull as a team. They may well reach their fearsome heights again in 2026, but as far as 2025 is concerned, it has been a forgettable season for Verstappen, Yuki Tsunoda, and the whole of Red Bull.

Our fifth and final prediction ahead of the F1 run-in is that Racing Bulls will surpass 100 points in the Constructors' Championship, with both Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson having quietly impressive campaigns.

Hadjar, who has even claimed his first podium this season, finds himself inside the top 10 as October rolls around, above experienced drivers such as Carlos Sainz (Williams) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin). Another podium would not only be a huge accomplishment, but would also fire his team to close to 100 points, which not many people would've foreseen.

Lawson is currently sandwiched between Sainz and Alonso in the Drivers' Standings, which is a decent return considering he was demoted by Red Bull just two races into the season. He has contributed a healthy number of points towards Racing Bulls' tally, and the fact that he sits above Yuki Tsunoda (who replaced him at Red Bull) will certainly please him. Racing Bulls have had a good 2025, and we only think it's going to get better from here.

That rounds up our five predictions ahead of the final few races as the F1 2025 season begins to draw to a close. Be sure to check out our other F1 content, including a look at the Formula One odds & favourites - which is updated before every race!

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All odds and markets correct as of date of publication.