Guenther Steiner now makes prediction about 2025 Formula 1 driver market prediction

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Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has predicted how he thinks the Formula 1 drivers’ market is going to shake out ahead of the 2025 season.

Steiner committed to Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen for the upcoming campaign but everything could change in 12 months.

Speaking to RacingNews365, the Haas team boss has shared what he thinks is going to happen after a rare season of stability in the sport.

If you ignore what happened at AlphaTauri during 2023, the Formula 1 grid stayed exactly the same throughout the year.

Nyck de Vries was let go and Daniel Ricciardo was briefly replaced by Liam Lawson due to injury, but every driver retained their seats for the 2024 campaign.

The main speculation towards the end of the season was whether Logan Sargeant would stay at Williams, but even he kept his seat despite scoring just a single point.

Guenther Steiner has now shared what he thinks is going to happen to the drivers’ market ahead of the 2025 season.

More than half the grid sees their contracts expire next year, including the likes of Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.

It’s going to create plenty of speculation and the impending introduction of Audi to the grid adds a new dimension to discussions as well.

Steiner makes prediction about F1 drivers’ market in 2025

Asked about how he sees the market going next year, Steiner said: “I think it was a hardline position at some stage.

“In 2025 it opens up. At some stage, we will have new drivers coming into F1 because some are getting on in their careers.

“It’s too early to make decisions, but I think next year a lot of people will start moving early in the season to make sure that in 2025 they are in a good place.

“Obviously you can say, no, but then again, we don’t want testing because then we go out and test the cars and spend money, money, money.

“Now, what a lot of these drivers are doing, they’re running with the older cars. These older cars, they’re still pretty fast cars. I think they can make experience that way if a manufacturer pushes a young driver.

“So they’ve got the opportunity there and then you have got FP1s, but obviously, would the drivers like to have more possibility to learn about F1? Sure.

“It is what it is and I think with the compromise that they can run two-year-old cars, I think we are fine.”

Steiner might be looking for two new drivers ahead of the 2025 season with both Hulkenberg and Magnussen’s contract expiring next year.

Haas have been strongly linked with Ferrari Driver Academy star Oliver Bearman who could make the step up to F1 if he has a strong Formula 2 campaign.

Steiner has previously suggested that he’s wary about giving rookies their chance at Haas but as he explains above, he might need to change that approach.

Whatever happens, it puts pressure on his current drivers to perform knowing how many drivers are currently fighting to get on the grid.