The Formula 2 silly season is on the horizon as several people anticipate who will go where for the 2025 campaign.
At the time of writing, only two drivers have confirmed their spots in 2025, both of which will make the step up from Formula 3.
The 2024 F3 champion Leonardo Fornaroli will join Invicta Racing in 2025 and will be looking to repeat the success of 2023 champion Gabriel Bortoleto in F2 next year.
Arvid Lindblad will join Campos Racing next year, as he finished as the highest-placed rookie in F3 this season with fourth. Lindblad is the favourite to win the BRDC Young Driver of the Year award in 2024 as he battles to earn the prize of an Aston Martin F1 test.
With 20 seats still up for grabs for 2025, commentator Chris McCarthy gave his predictions on the InsideF2 YouTube channel as to what the grid will look like in 2025.
Chris McCarthy predicts Victor Martins and Paul Aron to lead a ‘championship charge’ at ART Grand Prix in 2025
One of the more interesting predictions McCarthy made was that ART Grand Prix would field Victor Martins and Paul Aron next season.
READ MORE: Formula 2 2025 driver line-up with every team’s confirmed entry for the grid
Martins has been with the French outfit since he won the F3 championship in 2022 and 2025 will be his third season in F2. After finishing fifth last season, the 23-year-old is currently eighth in the standings with one win and five podiums.
Aron is currently fourth and racing in his first full season in F2 with Hitech, having competed in the final round of the 2023 season with Trident at Abu Dhabi. Before his debut, the Estonian was dropped by the Mercedes junior team.
According to McCarthy, Martins and Aron would be able to take ART to the top of the F2 grid.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see him [Martins] do just one more season and really go for it basically,” he said.
“And I think Paul Aron will be his teammate next year at ART. I don’t think that’s what his plan was, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him change.
“My initial thoughts for Paul was that he might go to Formula E, and then I think it pivoted towards, he really had an opportunity to be on the Formula 1 grid. I think we all kind of forgot that he was actually a rookie for one stage.
“He is a rookie and he’s with a really sold team and doing them a really good job. So, I think he will come back for one more year with a team that has won this championship before.
“And I think alongside another great driver like Victor Martins, those two can go on a real championship charge together, and knowing that car a bit better between him and the team, I think he’s got a great chance to win the championship and get himself in the conversation for a Formula 1 seat even stronger going forward.”
Is a Victor Martins/Paul Aron driver pairing likely?
For Martins, remaining with ART for 2025 would make sense, seeing as he is already familiar with the team from his time in F3, not just F2.
The 23-year-old has proven his ability with two wins and 14 podiums with the team in his F2 career thus far and would be great continuity for ART heading into 2025, where Martins has the chance to go one step further.
With Aron, it is perhaps more complex, as his future with Hitech is currently uncertain. While he could remain there for 2025, there is every chance he could fancy a new challenge.
While he has not won a race yet in 2024, Aron has the joint-most amount of podiums along with Zane Maloney and Isack Hadjar with seven. Another driver that has proven his ability in F2, Aron and Martins together would give ART a strong driver pairing for next season that could be capable of challenging for the title.