What to Watch For: The Key Storylines to look out for at Round 1 in Melbourne

The 2025 Formula 2 season is just days away from getting underway with all 11 teams heading to Melbourne for Round 1 of what is sure to be a fascinating campaign.

After a long winter, the drivers got their first run out of the year at the pre-season test in Barcelona, but the competitive action is about to start at the Albert Park street circuit.

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But before we get underway, here are some of the key storylines to look out for this weekend…

STARTING AS YOU MEAN TO GO ON

Friday in Melbourne will kick off a 268-day season in which all the 2025 action will play out and at the end of which, we will crown both a Teams and a Drivers’ Champion.

A fast start might not always be indicative of the final result come Abu Dhabi in December, but it is always welcomed by both the teams and their drivers.

Last year’s Champion Gabriel Bortoleto qualified on pole at the season-opener but went on to finish sixth in the Sprint and fifth in the Feature Race.

In 2023, Théo Pourchaire was in dominant form, winning from pole in Sakhir before going on to win the title.

Getting an early victory is always a positive, and it can give both the driver and team some early momentum to carry into the opening three flyaway rounds.

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But sometimes, just getting some early points on the board can be just as good, giving them a foundation from which to build from.

That being said, all 22 drivers will want to have a successful weekend in Melbourne, so look out to see who can hit the ground running this weekend.

LOOKING TO THE SKY

What might make this weekend slightly trickier for the drivers and the teams is the weather, with current forecast predicting a high chance of rain on Sunday.

While both Friday and Saturday are expected to be held in warm conditions, it is possible we may have a wet Feature Race.

This would not be the first time the teams would take to a wet track in Melbourne, as the first ever Formula 2 Qualifying at Albert Park in 2023 was held in torrential rain.

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However, this could be the first wet race F2 has had in Australia, meaning a new experience for all involved. These conditions will put the drivers’ skill and bravery to the test around the tight, and fast, street circuit.

On top of that, if there are mixed conditions, making sure you are on the right tyre at the correct time will be critical to deciding the result, putting a huge emphasis on the communication, and decision making, between the drivers and the pit wall.

No matter what weather conditions they face this weekend though strategy, as always in Formula 2, will play a huge role in deciding the results of Sunday’s event.

YEAR TWO OF A NEW GENERATION

At the start of last season, Formula 2 brought a brand-new car to the paddock, which meant all the teams had to start from scratch at pre-season testing heading into Round 1.

So, while the likes of Rodin Motorsport, who won both races in Sakhir through Zane Maloney, Invicta Racing, who took pole through Bortoleto, and Campos Racing, who achieved a double podium through Josep María Martí, hit the ground running, others struggled.

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But we began to see that in the second half of the campaign, more teams started to join the fight at the front of the field, and by the end of the year, all 10 teams had won at least one race.

The teams have now had one year working with this new car, and many will feel more confident heading into this season than they did at this time last year.

So, does that mean we can expect a very close battle in Round 1? Well, if testing is anything to go by, things could be very tight throughout the field in Melbourne.