The China Mail - Three talking points ahead of the 2025 F1 season

The British driver's perfectly-judged win at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix endorsed his credentials for a potentially fierce drivers' championship battle while Lewis Hamilton bade farewell to Mercedes with a stirring reminder of the enduring race-craft and speed he will transfer to Ferrari.

AFP Sport looks at three key emerging talking points for next season:

Norris ready to fight Verstappen

After a bruising introduction to the reality of fighting for wins and titles, Norris and McLaren have arrived at the peak of Formula One as Verstappen and Red Bull show signs of decline.

The loss of star designer Adrian Newey to Aston Martin and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley to Sauber/Haas are just two of the departures that coincide with an end to their outright dominance.

And Verstappen's announcement that he and Kelly Piquet are expecting their first child together may be another factor as their rivals close the performance gap.

Legendary former team owner Ken Tyrrell always said his drivers lost substantial lap time as soon as they became parents, an invisible factor that may have affected a previous Red Bull four-time champion Sebastian Vettel in his final seasons.

Based on form since his maiden triumph in Miami in May, Norris is not only fast and smart, but also driving the best car – and has learned from his wheel-bashing exchanges with Verstappen this year.

"One thing I've learned this year is probably to believe in myself a bit more," the 25-year-old said on Sunday night.

"I've certainly not come out on top as often as I would have liked in certain moments especially in my fights against Max.

"As much as it hurts sometimes, I'm probably happy about it now that I'm going into next season knowing that I can fight. And I know myself, and I know better than anyone, what I need to improve, where I'm not strong enough.

"Next year is hopefully a year where I can go in and decide, before the first race, that we're going to fight for a championship.

"We've not ever thought of that before, but hopefully next year is that year."

Mercurial Hamilton set to flourish at Ferrari

Despite a topsy-turvy end to his glorious 12 years with Mercedes, Hamilton remains capable of race-winning speed and moments of unequalled perfection.

His drive from 16th to fourth on Sunday, with the pace to win, proved it.

But after weeks of tantrums and inconsistency, he will arrive at Ferrari next year as a much-scrutinised 40-year-old former multiple champion rather than, like Norris or his new team-mate Charles Leclerc, a man for the future.

Leclerc, 27, who finished a bold third behind outgoing team-mate Carlos Sainz, after starting 19th, expects Hamilton to bring new purpose to the Italian team.

"Lewis is Lewis and will always remain Lewis," Leclerc said. "He has achieved so much in our sport and it will be a big motivation for us. You cannot say he has lost anything. I never have had a doubt on that.

"He's extremely talented. Talent is probably not the word. He’s a legend of our sport. He’s never lost it and he will never lose it."

If Ferrari deliver a winning car, Hamilton may realise many dreams and take his eighth drivers' world title – if he can find the pace to beat the rapid and ambitious Leclerc.

Russell top at Mercedes, Sainz at Williams

George Russell will take Hamilton's role as top dog as Mercedes start a new era with 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli joining the team while Carlos Sainz moves from Maranello to Didcot, swapping Ferrari for a rejuvenated Williams.

Both will generate great expectations, as will Oscar Piastri, in hoping to challenge Norris and Oliver Bearman, with Haas, during the course of another 24-race season that runs from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi.

In other known changes, F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto, 20, joins Sauber, a team expected to blossom when taken over as Audi in 2026. It may signal 2025 as a year for youth over experience.

A.Kwok--ThChM