The preseason tests have raised many doubts about the real performance of the teams on the grid of the Formula 1, but despite this the British press, led by BBC Radio, is already daring to make an estimated classification for the start of the championship. Based on their analysis, Aston Martin would become the fifth best team and would be ahead of Alpine, while Williams would be in seventh position.
Aston Martin, in the fight with Alpine for fifth position
Monitoring of internal data from some entities indicated that Aston Martin could have solved the difficulties that caused it to lose performance as the second half of the 2024 season approached. Compounded by this argument, it would make sense for the Silverstone-based team to start from the same position as it started the previous season, as expressed by Andrew Benson, F1 specialist for the BBC.
Despite the fact that the tests were not particularly interesting for the AMR25, since they were carried out with a high fuel load and used tires, the assessments suggest that it could be the best of the rest of the teams, but only just. In other words, the British team, as the estimates explain, would have made real progress in race pace, handling and tire degradation, which were the areas that took their toll the most last season.
The role of Williams and their struggle in the midfield
In this assessment of forces, Williams is in seventh place, above RB, Haas and Sauber; in this sense, Grove’s team has given interesting indications with their new car, the FW47, driven by Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon in the pre-season tests. According to team boss James Vowles, the gap between the middle and the front group has narrowed, which could be interpreted as a much more competitive season.
It is true that in some of the simulations it would be necessary to believe that Williams could have driven with less load to find fast times, but their sustained performance could hide the fact that Williams has found the way to take the first step towards 2025. As for Haas and Sauber, they seem to have lost unity in the pack and have shown a low performance in Bahrain.
Aston Martin and its big test in Melbourne
The big question mark we pose is whether Aston Martin will be able to sustain this supposed advantage in the first races on the calendar. The team led by Mike Krack will have its first test by fire in the Australian Grand Prix, where doubts about its real competitiveness will be cleared up or not.
The team’s performance in 2023 was impressive, but then it has gradually cooled down. If the British team has solved the problems related to its evolution and degradation, it can maintain fifth position; if not, teams like Alpine and Williams will soon challenge them for that place.
The fight in the middle is expected to be very tough and the first verdict will be in Melbourne because Saturday’s qualifying will be vital to knowing where each of the teams are on the grid in this return to the 2025 Formula 1 season.