F1 preview 2025: a full guide to the 75th anniversary of Formula One
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Formula One; we list the top things you need to know ahead of the season
It’s “lights out, and away we go!” with the 2025 Formula One season kicking off in Melbourne, Australia, this weekend. The pinnacle of motorsport promises plenty of action and a close title race for what is the end of this generation of grand prix cars. To give you the lowdown of what to expect, we’ve drawn up a list of the 25 things you need to know about this latest F1 championship.
1. Hamilton at Ferrari
This is the one everyone’s been waiting for: Sir Lewis Hamilton is now in red, racing for Ferrari. While some have wondered whether the 40-year-old seven-time world champion still has it in him, Hamilton has said that he’s “really enjoying" his time behind the wheel of the works Ferrari; both he and teammate Charles Leclerc have been setting some of the fastest lap times during pre-season testing, making the most iconic team in the sport one of this year’s championship favourites.
2. 75 years of Formula One
Yes, 2025 marks three quarters of a century since the first F1 race was held at Silverstone in 1950. A lot has changed since then, with the calendar more than tripling in length (24 vs seven races), a third of the number of teams now vying for position (10 vs 30) and the average age of each driver on the grids having dropped by more than 10 years (27 vs 39).
3. Final year of regulations
This is the last year of the current regulations, which have been in place since 2022. Next year, new rules will see a focus on plug-in hybrid powertrains, and a smaller, more nimble chassis. There will also be a more comprehensive DRS feature called ‘X-mode’, as well an energy-boost system, similar in effect to the KERS system of old.
4. Newey to Aston Martin
Adrian Newey is perhaps one of the biggest superstars off the F1 grid, having designed some of the most successful F1 cars of all time. He had a hand in Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill’s championship-winning Williams, as well as Mika Hakkinen’s 1998 and 1999 title-winning McLarens. Newey has been at Red Bull since 2006, designing cars that drove the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber and Max Verstappen to drivers’ and constructors’ titles. This latest move to Aston Martin could bring the British outfit to the front of the pack, although Newey is expected to offer only minimal input in 2025, instead focusing on next year’s car.
5. 24 Grand prix weekends
This year’s race calendar is absolutely jam-packed, with 30 races over 24 grand prix weekends. That equals last year’s record for the greatest number of races in a single F1 season, with 2025 once again featuring six sprint races, this time in China, Qatar, Belgium and Brazil, plus Miami and Austin in the US.
6. Improved driver wellbeing
The FIA has raised the minimum weight for an F1 car, but not for the reason you might think; the sport’s governing body has actually introduced new items to improve the wellbeing of drivers. Cooling vests can now be worn underneath race suits which, as their name suggests, should stop drivers getting too hot – the temperature in an F1 cockpit can reach up to a sweltering 70 degrees. A higher minimum weight limit should also mean less focus on reducing body weight for taller drivers.
7. Norris eyeing first world championship
British driver, McLaren number one and 2024’s championship runner-up, Lando Norris, will be eyeing up his first-ever world driver’s championship title after narrowly missing out to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen last year. The 25-year-old racer, who picked up his first grand prix win last year, has said: “I’ve made my mistakes and, at the same time, I’ve learned a lot… I believe I’m a good enough driver and I’ve got everything it takes.”
8. Clampdown on profanity
It’s lucky ex-Hass boss Gunther Steiner isn’t an F1 driver (if you know, you know) because the FIA has introduced rules banning swearing. Repeated offences can result in a fine, as well as a deduction of championship points. Perhaps a little more Orwellian is that drivers are also not permitted to criticise the FIA (the sport’s governing body) – a decision that has received widespread criticism.
9. Lego and Hot Wheels hop on the merch train
Looking to capitalise on the recent influx of younger Formula One fans (not to mention passionate supporters, such as ourselves), both Lego and Hot Wheels have released models of last year’s championship contenders. Danish company Lego’s array of F1 merchandise is vast, with detailed sets of classic cars from across the ages in its Icons series, individual Speed Champions sets for each of the 10 teams on the grid, and even Duplo sets for the youngest of fans. American firm Hot Wheels has also joined in on the fun with single, five-pack, and even premium collector sets available.
10. An exciting Monaco Grand Prix?
F1 cars are growing larger and the streets of Monaco aren’t getting any wider, which has led to the iconic race being regarded as boring given the lack of overtaking opportunities. To spice things up, the FIA has placed a new restriction on this particular grand prix, stating that drivers must make at least two pit stops during the
race, which should open up room for under and overcuts – pitting for tyres on a different lap to your rival in order to try to gain a position.
11. Only two teams maintain driver line-ups
The conclusion of last year’s race calendar meant it was all-change on the F1 driver market, with only McLaren and Aston Martin maintaining their driver line-ups from 2024. Some teams, notably Haas and Sauber, have two new drivers for this year, meaning there will be a big focus on team dynamics at the beginning of the season.
12. F1 movie
Produced by Lewis Hamilton and directed by Joseph Kosinski of Top Gun: Maverick fame, an F1 movie is due to arrive this summer. It stars Brad Pitt as a veteran driver, returning from retirement to mentor a rookie racer. The film has an emphasis on live action, with the likes of Pitt driving rebodied Formula 2 cars. A large portion of the movie was filmed across the 2023 championship season.
13. No more bonus points for fastest lap
What has been deemed by many as a somewhat ‘pointless point offering’, the bonus point for the fastest lap in a GP race, has been removed for this year. This is largely because it didn’t reward overall race pace, instead simply allowing any driver in the top 10 with a decent pit stop gap to come in, throw on a set of fresh tyres and do a quick blast towards the end of the race to snatch the extra point.
14. New head honchos at Aston Martin and Kick Sauber
It’s not only the drivers playing musical chairs; both Aston Martin and Kick Sauber are now headed up by new team principals. Aston CEO Andy Cowell heads up the British outfit, replacing Mike Krack, who is now ‘chief trackside officer’. Perhaps more interestingly, the new head honcho at Kick Sauber is ex-Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, who will lead the F1 mainstay through its transformation into the Audi works team next year.
15. Tougher tests on wing flexibility
Flexible carbon-fibre wings have long been used by teams to essentially reduce drag on the straights, while maintaining the necessary downforce during slow-speed corners. But the FIA has strangely imposed tougher restrictions on how much bend and flex is allowed. Yet this won’t, for some reason, be in place at the beginning of the season; stricter tests on wing flexibility won’t be enforced until the Spanish Grand Prix in June, likely due to long lead times on producing new parts.
16. Most rookies on the grid since 2013
It’s the debut season in F1 for six different drivers. Brazilian Formula 2 champion, Gabriel Bortoleto, steps into the empty seat for Kick Sauber, while runner-up Isak Hadjar joins the Racing Bulls. Kimi Antonelli takes the place of Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, and Aussie Jack Doohan joins Pierre Gasly at Alpine after making his debut outing in the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Liam Lawson gets the prized second seat at Red Bull, having the enviable task of being champion Max Verstappen’s teammate. Elsewhere, 19-year-old Essex boy Ollie Bearman has secured a drive at Haas.
17. Yet another name change for the Red Bull junior team
Red Bull’s junior team has once again undergone a name change, now being called the Racing Bulls. Its full title is more confusing than that, with the outfit officially known as: Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team – something that was heavily joked about during Formula One’s 75th season opening event.
18. First ever season launch event – F1 75 Live
This year marked the first time F1 held a big season launch event, with the spectacle taking place in London’s O2 arena. Hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall, the evening was a tad flashy for some, although it did give us our first glimpse of this year’s contenders. All of F1’s biggest stars were there, with Whitehall jabbing at Verstappen and George Russell’s rivalry, and the audience greeting Red Bull principal, Christian Horner, with a barrage of boos.
19. A future return to the howling V10 era?
The next set of regulations will bring a heavier emphasis on hybrid power, with 50 per cent of a car’s output coming from the electric motor. But FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has also displayed his support for F1 returning to using V10 engines, with the current six-cylinder units being criticised for their lack of visceral sound. “We should consider a range of directions, including the roaring sound of the V10 running on sustainable fuel,” Sulayem said, a sentiment that’s generally supported by fans.
20. Another multi-team championship fight
Last year’s championship race was perhaps the biggest blockbuster F1 has had in years, with McLaren clinching its first constructor’s title since 1998. It’s not just the teams that were close; it was also rather neck-and-neck for the driver’s trophy. This year is expected to be much the same, with Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull and even potentially Mercedes battling it out for supremacy.
21. Drive to Survive Season 7
Netflix's seventh season of Drive to Survive landed at the beginning of March. Following all the drama, including Hamilton’s bold move to Ferrari, politics at Red Bull and the story behind McLaren’s momentous drive towards its first championship win in more than a quarter of a century, this latest season brings the same glamour and excitement we’ve come to expect of the series, which has introduced a new generation of fans to the sport.
22. Some familiar faces in the paddock
They may not occupy F1’s hottest seats, but there will still be lots of familiar faces back in the paddock for 2025. Valtteri Bottas has made a surprise return to Mercedes as the team’s reserve driver, while Zhou Guanyu and ex-Sauber Driver, Antonio Giovanazzi, are on the bench for Ferrari. Long-time F1 fans will also recognise Stoffel Vandoorne, who returns as a back-up driver for Aston Martin.
23. Goodbye 10 teams, hello Cadillac
Since 2015 F1 has maintained a solid line-up of 10 teams, but this will be last season when that’s the case. The grid will expand in 2026 to 11 teams with the arrival of Cadillac. Set to utilise Ferrari powertrains for the first few years while GM develops its own units, Cadillac will be headed-up by ex-Virgin Racing and Marussia boss, Graeme Lowdon. It will be based at Silverstone, as well as at parent firm Andretti Racing’s new HQ in Indiana, US.
24. Interesting tech developments
As has been the case for a very long time, the race on the track is not the only one going on in Formula One; it’s important not to forget the developmental race being fought by each team’s engineers. Even at the beginning of this latest season, we’re already seeing several interesting quirks of each car, such as a variety of intricate winglets on the Kick Sauber, Red Bull-style sidepods and pull-rod front suspension on the Ferrari, plus a mysterious duct on the nose of the Mercedes. McLaren, on the other hand, is very keen for us (and more importantly, the competition) not to see some of the revelations on its car, blocking photographers each time they try to take a closer look.
25. Verstappen facing a race ban
Max Verstappen may be Formula One’s reigning world champion, but the Dutchman isn’t immune to penalisation, having accrued a total of eight points on his FIA Super Licence towards the end of last season. Verstappen said he would “manage the situation”, because collecting 12 points over the first few months of the 2025 championship could see him facing a race suspension – something that could potentially cost him a fifth driver’s title.
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