F1: Who are the 2025 reserve pilots?

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Experience and youth will be mixed in the equipment bank of the teams for the next World Cup. Franco Colapinto will wait for his chance in Alpine.

The 76th Formula 1 season is just around the corner. The threshed phrase serves to mark the proximity with the beginning of a new World Cup, which will play its first date on March 15 with the Australian GP. Before, on February 18, the joint presentation of the ten teams will be held at the London O2 Stadium, an event organized by the category to commemorate the 75 years of history. That day the decoration of each car will be seen, but the models of 2025 will not be. Eight days later the preseason trials will begin: three days of testing in Baréin (26, 27 and 28) and direct to the semi -permanent of Melbourne.

The teams have already confirmed their regular alignments, but it is not only about having two pilots. The reserve have been very important in recent years, especially because of the prohibition of testing cars on the track, which enhanced the work in the simulators. But not only that, there were also several jumps from substitutes to headlines in the middle of the season, as happened with Franco Colapinto in Williams 2024 (replaced Logan Sargeant) or Liam Lawson in Racing Bull 2024 (he held the place of Daniel Ricciardo), just to give two recent cases. Therefore, nothing better than knowing how the relay banks of the teams are.

McLaren

The Builders Champion team appears as a great candidate to win the title of pilots of 2025, especially for its very close duo: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. It is clear that, except for some force majeure, neither will lose their armchair in the next World Cup. Gabriel Bortoleto was the Woking Team Reserve in 2024, but the Brazilian migrated to be head of Sauber. This year, the Mexican Pato O’ward will occupy the place of possible replacement, but with a conditioning: he is a McLaren pilot in Indycar. Therefore, the British team will not be able to count on the regiomontano in every weekend. The idea is to share Valtteri Bottas with Mercedes, in the case of being necessary.

Ferrari

The Scuderia, like McLaren, will have a very high level duo: Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. In case of needing an emergency change, The first substitute is Oliver Bearmanhead of Haas. The Rossa had to resort to the young Englishman in the GP of Saudi Arabia of 2024 by the emergency operation of appendicitis to which Carlos Sainz had to submit. Ollie is a Ferrari pilot and is chosen to jump into a red car in an imperative situation. Anyway, Antonio Govinazzi, with the past in Alfa Romeo and current corridor of the Italian brand at the Wec, will be the official reserve. The possible arrival of Guanyu Zhou is not yet ruled out, without a place (he ran in Sauber in 2024) and with the past at the Ferrari Academy.

Red Bull

Liam Lawson was promoted from Racing Bulls to take the place of the dismissal Czech Pérez. The New Zealander will share the team with Max Verstappentetracampeón of the category. In the Relay Bank, as announced from Milton Keynes, will be Yuki Tsunoda, headline in the second team of energy drinks. The Japanese was one of the candidates to occupy the post of the Tapatío, but Christian Horner and Helmut Marko bowed to the young Lawson. The reservations is completed with Ayumu Iwasa

Mercedes

Kimi Antonelli, with just 18 years, will debut in the silver arrows to occupy, nothing less, the place that Lewis Hamilton left vacant. The Italian young man is the diamond that Toto Wolff and the Mercedes talent development program has been polishing for six years. The team director has already removed pressure when announcing that this year will be transition and preparation for the future, putting, of course, all the responsibility on the shoulders of George Russell, whose contract ends at the end of 2025. Antonelli’s youth and inexperience as a holder is the antithesis of the substitute: Valtteri Bottas. The Finn remained without a grid after passing through Sauber and returned to the silver arrows, a team in which he played 101 races and achieved ten wins. Before any strong slip of Kimi, for more learning curve in which he is, the German Team will have a luxury replacement.

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will make up the owner of the English team for the third season in a row. It is the same time as Felipe Drugovich, champion 2022 of Formula 2, has been waiting from the Relay Bank. The Brazilian participated in five free practices 1 since 2022, but never had the chance of starting. At 24, he is still waiting.

Alpine

The French team has three reserve pilots: Franco Colapinto, Paul Aron and Ryo Hirakawa. The Argentine arrived at the French Team by the hand of Flavio Briatore, executive advisor to the team, largely seduced by the performance he showed in his nine races with Williams of 2024 (fundamentally the first four) and in another portion for the economic contribution that comes from the hand of Buenos Aires. There are few who give a discounted that collapint will finally end up running in Alpine this year, replacing Jack Doohan. The Australian arrived in the title from the team development program and had its debut at Abu Dhabi 2024. The Runrún, not confirmed, that the Australian has a partial contract for this year was the corrillo of European winter. Anyway, the bonds of the runners can break if there is no performance. Logan Sargeante had signed all 2024 and was ejected to climb to Colapinto. Daniel Ricciardo was run from Racing Bulls and Czech Pérez had signed with Red Bull by 2025 … next to Franco will be Estonian Aron, who played the F2 title last year (it was third) and had integrated the Mercedes program. The Japanese Hirakawa is a Toyota pilot in the Wec and is insured to participate in the FP1 of the Japan GP. A fact: Colapinto will not be able to play a free session 1 because it does not meet Rookie’s requirements (it exceeded the two disputed races, as the regulation marks).

Haas

The American team does not officially have a reservation scored for the moment. Last year, before the two absences of Kevin Magnussen (one by suspension and another for health) they were covered by Ollie Bearman, Ferrari pilot. The society between Haas and the Scuderia is maintained and in case of a problem of Bearman (he will be a starter) or were Ocon (arrives from Alpine), the replacement would come from La Rossa. Antonio Giovinazzi is the first, but in case the Italian was in a commitment to the Wec, we will have to see how they solve it. Guanyu Zhou could arrive or Arthur Leclerc could appear.

Racing Bulls

The second Red Bull team is tied to the decisions of the Mayor House. If Verstappen or Lawson should be replaced by a larger cause, Tsunoda would occupy the free armchair and Iwasa would go to Racing Bulls. The same if Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar could not appear, the Japanese would be in the VCARB02.

Williams

Alpine’s collapint moving left the Grove team without an experienced replacement. The team led by James Vowles has a very strong starting pair: Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. There lies one of the main reasons for the departure of the Argentine. Because the chances that the Thai or the Spanish could lose their position by performance are very low. Luke Browning appears on the English Team (will run in F2 in 2025) and Zak O’Sullivan, who will test a formula E and will run in the super formula of Japan.

Sauber

The last year of the team under the name of the Swiss structure (it will be Audi from 2026) will have Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg as the new titular pair. There is still no reservation announced by Hinwil’s, but could get to align with Ferrari (he is a client of his engines). The other candidate is Felipe Drugovich, who would be in the substitute bank of two teams.