Everything you need to know about the 2025 F1 season.
The 2025 Formula 1 season is finally here. The year begins in Melbourne with the season-opening Australian Grand Prix this weekend.
For fans of the sport new and old, you might have some questions heading into this year.
Let us try and anticipate — and answer — those questions for you.
Wait, Lewis Hamilton is at Ferrari?
That’s right.
After 246 race starts, 84 Grand Prix wins, 12 seasons, 8 Constructors’ titles, 7 Drivers’ Championships, and one knighthood, Lewis Hamilton is no longer a Mercedes driver.
When the lights go out Sunday in Melbourne he will be behind the wheel of one of Ferrari’s SF-25s alongside his new teammate, Charles Leclerc. Seeing Hamilton in red is still taking some getting used to.
Wait, Charles Leclerc the pianist?
Yes Charles Leclerc, the pianist as well as the winner of the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix and the driver who finished third in the F1 Drivers’ standings a season ago is a self-taught pianist who composes his own music.
For example, here is “MON23 (1:3):
Consider this a musical interlude of sorts.
Back to Hamilton. Can he win another title?
This might be his best chance since 2021.
Ferrari finished 14 points behind McLaren a season ago for the 2024 Constructors’ title. While Max Verstappen claimed his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship, both McLaren and Ferrari seemed on the front foot during pre-season testing in Bahrain two weeks ago, while Red Bull conceded that they have some work to do with the RB21.
Furthermore, Verstappen himself admitted in recent days that at least when it comes to the season-opening race in Australia, he does not think he’ll be among the favorites.
Last year Hamilton returned to the top step of a podium in an emotional win at Silverstone, his first win since the 2021 season and his final British Grand Prix with Mercedes. He then notched a second win when teammate George Russell was disqualified at the Belgian Grand Prix, and Hamilton was promoted to first after finishing second.
More importantly, the SF-25 seems to have pace, and he is still “going for the gaps” as he admitted to media, including SB Nation, at last season’s Miami Grand Prix.
He can win another title. But will he? That is a tougher question.
Have some other drivers changed teams?
Yes, Hamilton is not alone in moving teams for 2025!
Esteban Ocon left Alpine for Haas. Nico Hülkenberg left Haas for Sauber, which is set to become Audi next season. Carlos Sainz Jr., after Hamilton took his spot at Ferrari, is now driving for Williams. Liam Lawson, after another super-sub stint at Visa Cash App Racing Bulls in place of Daniel Ricciardo, is back for 2025 but as a teammate of Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
So those are some of the faces in new places, but not all of them as some rookies are joining the grid.
Other team personnel are the same, right?
Not, exactly.
There have been some significant changes on the other side of the pit wall as well.
Red Bull Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley has left the team, and will become the new Team Principal at Sauber starting in April, ahead of the team becoming the Audi works operation for the 2026 F1 season.
Laura Mueller is a new race engineer at Haas, and will make history as the first female race engineer in F1. She’ll be working with Esteban Ocon this season.
Then there are all the changes coming to Aston Martin. Mike Krack, last season’s Team Principal, has moved into a new role as the team’s Chief Trackside Officer. Andy Cowell has taken over as Team Principal.
Oh, and Adrian Newey just joined Aston Martin at the start of March as their Managing Technical Partner. He might know a thing or two about designing cars, however, since he did not join the team until after they launched the AMR25 his focus will likely be on upgrading this year’s challenger before he turns his attention to the AMR26, and the new regulations that go into effect next season.
More on those in a moment.
You mentioned something about rookies?
Yes, five rookies are joining the grid, in addition to Lawson whose status as a rookie remains something of a contested point. Some consider him a rookie given he does not have a full season under his belt, others point to his stints in both 2023 and 2024 and think he’s a bit more of a veteran.
But joining Lawson as new drivers on the grid are: Gabriel Bortoleto, the 2024 F2 Drivers’ Champion who will drive for Sauber alongside Nico Hülkenberg; Jack Doohan, the Alpine reserve driver who was promoted to a full-time spot alongside Pierre Gasly; Isack Hadjar, who finished second behind Bortoleto in F2 a season ago and will drive for VCARB; Oliver Bearman, who scored points in place of Carlos Sainz Jr. for Ferrari in his F1 debut last year, joins the grid alongside Ocon at Haas, and 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli gets the task of stepping into Lewis Hamilton’s shoes at Mercedes.
Yes, he got his road driving license recently.
You feel old now, don’t you?
What does the 2025 driver lineup look like?
Here is the full driver lineup for the 2025 F1 season.
McLaren: Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri
Ferrari: Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc
Red Bull: Max Verstappen, Liam Lawson
Mercedes: George Russell, Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll
Alpine: Pierre Gasly, Jack Doohan
Haas: Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman
Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team: Yuki Tsunoda, Isack Hadjar
Williams: Alexander Albon, Carlos Sainz Jr.
Sauber: Nico Hülkenberg, Gabriel Bortoleto
What is the full race schedule?
This weekend’s Australian Grand Prix kicks off a 24-race marathon that criss-crosses the globe.
Of those 24 race weekends six of those — the Chinese Grand Prix, the Miami Grand Prix, the Belgian Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the São Paulo Grand Prix, and the Qatar Grand Prix — are F1 Sprint Race weekends.
Wait, they take a month off in the summer?
Just about!
Following the Hungarian Grand Prix at the start of August, the grid will go silent until the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of the month. The factories will go quiet, the work will stop, and the team members will enjoy some much needed R&R before the final stretch of the season.
Article 24.1 of the F1 Sporting Regulations requires two “factory shutdown” periods. The first comes right in the middle of the season. Termed the “Summer Shutdown,” Article 24.1 requires that the first such factory shutdown cover:
“… fourteen (14) consecutive calendar days during the months of July and/or August. If two consecutive Competitions during this period are separated by only seventeen (17) days a shutdown period of thirteen (13) consecutive calendar days must be observed. In either case Competitors should notify the FIA of their intended shutdown period within thirty (30) days of the start of the Championship.”
For those wondering, the second shutdown begins on Christmas Eve, and runs for nine days until the new year.
During this time all work stops, including any development of the teams’ cars at the factory. Pursuant to Article 24.2 of the Sporting Code no wind tunnel operation is allowed, no Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) work is allowed, no assembly is allowed, and as Williams pointed out in this explainer, “[p]ut simply, any activity that could contribute to making a better or faster car is strictly forbidden in this window. It is even prohibited to send emails, make calls or hold meetings about any such topics.”
Teams can engage in work involving repairs to a car “seriously damaged during the Competition preceding the shutdown period,” as well as work on projects “with no direct relation to Formula One.”
Why does F1 implement this rule? In addition to this rule helping control costs under the sport’s cost cap, it is aimed at the health of team members. Between the long grind that is the F1 season, and the fact that teams often work incredibly hard during the holidays given preparations for the next season, this break helps team members rest and reset before the final stretch of the schedule.
So … how about some more piano music from Charles Leclerc?
Here you go, this is “MIA23 (1:2):
Are there important rule changes to know for 2025?
There are!
We previously covered the new rules at length in this piece, but here is a snapshot of the new rules for 2024.
We can start on the technical side of the ledger. The cars are going to be slightly heavier this year, with the minimum weight increased by two kilograms. The sport is also imposing increased restrictions on both the Drag Reduction System and “flex wings,” hoping to avoid last year’s McLaren “mini-DRS” controversy. To aid driver safety — and avoid a repeat of the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix — the FIA is mandating a driver cooling kit when extreme weather is present.
On the sporting side of the rules, if you liked the bonus point given for the fastest lap we have some bad news. That is being eliminated this season, perhaps due in part to what happened at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. VCARB called Daniel Ricciardo into the pits in the closing stages, with Ricciardo running well outside the top ten, and bolted a set of softs onto his VCARB RB01. He instantly laid down the fastest lap of the race, denying the driver who won that race that extra point.
That driver? That was Lando Norris, who was at the time locked in a title fight with Max Verstappen. VCARB’s status as a sister team to Red Bull led to some … consternation at McLaren after that moment.
In addition, teams now have to run four “young driver free practice sessions,” an increase over the two required under the rules in previous seasons. Also, to codify the process for setting the grid if qualifying cannot take place the FIA changed Article 42 of the Sporting Regulations, and if qualifying cannot take place then the Drivers’ Championship standings will set the grid.
Oh, and the drivers might not want to swear, because they could face escalating fines, suspensions, and even a deduction in championship points.
Wait, the drivers cannot swear?
Well, they can.
But they might not want to unless they are feeling charitable.
Swearing and driver language were two of many flashpoints during the 2024 F1 season. Yuki Tsunoda was fined for using ableist language over team radio at the Austrian Grand Prix, and Charles Leclerc was fined for swearing in the FIA Press Conference at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
But the big flashpoint involved Max Verstappen. Answering questions about the RB20 in the Thursday FIA Press Conference ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix Verstappen used a swear in his description, describing the car as “f—-d.”
For this transgression, the driver was hit with a fine by race stewards and ordered to participate in community service.
Verstappen did not let the matter go. After qualifying second for the Singapore Grand Prix he was required to participate in the post-qualifying FIA Press Conference. He gave truncated answers to each question before remarking “I would prefer if you ask these questions outside [the FIA Press Conference] room.”
He then held an impromptu session with the media where he gave extended answers to their questions.
In an attempt to at least standardize the penalties available to race officials, the FIA implemented a series of changes to the Sporting Code ahead of the 2025 motorsport season. In this updated Appendix B, which we discussed at length in this piece, drivers face escalating fines for “misconduct,” which includes swearing.
Those fines also increase depending on what series the driver is participating in, with the heaviest fines reserved for F1 drivers. For example, a first offense carries a fine of €10,000, a second offense carries a fine of €20,000 plus a one-month suspended sentence, and a third offense is a €30,000 fine, a one-month suspension, and a “deduction of Championship points.”
For F1 drivers the fines are multiplied by four.
Weeks ago the FIA handed down the first fine under this updated Appendix B, fining World Rally Championship driver €10,000 — with a further €20,000 suspended — for swearing in a post-race Rally.TV interview. However, the FIA also chose not to fine Dan Ticktum, a Formula E driver, for a lengthy rant over the team radio at the Jeddah E-Prix that included multiple profanities.
That is at least an indication that the FIA will penalize drivers for swearing during media appearances/press conferences, but not penalize drivers for what they say in the heat of battle.
Unless, of course, there is aggravated language such as in Tsunoda’s case last year in Austria.
Aren’t there new rules about the Monaco Grand Prix?
Yes, some changes are coming to the Monte Carlo streets this season.
The Monaco Grand Prix remains the crown jewel of the F1 calendar. One of the three races — along with the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans — that comprise the “Triple Crown of Motorsport,” the Monaco Grand Prix combines history, glitz, glamour, celebrity, yachts, and historical landmarks for the biggest event on the F1 schedule.
But the race itself has become something of a dull affair.
Qualifying Saturday at the Monaco Grand Prix is perhaps the most thrilling hour of the F1 season, as the drivers push themselves and their machines to the limits and beyond. But the race itself resembles more of a parade than a race, given just how difficult it is to overtake on the tight and narrow Monte Carlo streets. That was exacerbated last season when a massive shunt on the opening lap involving Sergio Pérez, Nico Hülkenberg, and Kevin Magnussen brought out the red flag, and brought the rest of the grid into the pits.
Most drivers simply bolted on hard tires, and made it the rest of the way following behind race winner Charles Leclerc.
I sat down with Oscar Piastri, who had a pristine view of Leclerc’s rear wing for almost the entire race as he finished second behind him, after the Monaco Grand Prix and the young driver explained just how tough it is to overtake in Monaco.
“It’s incredibly tough [to overtake in Monaco]. I think for me the difficult thing is that whilst I was right behind Charles for a lot of the race, it wasn’t because he was slow,” started Piastri. “It was because he was deciding to go slow, right?
“So it’s not like somewhere else where they have clear strengths and weaknesses and you can kind of set them up [for an overtake]. Like for him, if he wanted to go faster, he could have, literally depending on what he wanted to do with his right foot,” added the McLaren driver. “So that also made it tough.”
Piastri admitted he made one attempt, but reviewing the race afterwards, he conceded it would have been difficult to make the overtake stick.
“I tried once into Turn Eight to try and get by. But, yeah, I watched it back and to be honest, I was even further back than I thought. So it definitely wouldn’t have worked. But yeah, that is just the nature of Monaco, I guess.”
And while some may have found the lack of overtaking frustrating watching the race on Sunday, Piastri admits that as the laps were winding down, he was rather glad to be on the tight Monte Carlo streets.
“To be honest, for the last 10 laps of the race, I was pretty happy we were racing Monaco [because] my tires were struggling a bit,” added Piastri. But yeah, it’s just the nature of the beast around there.”
Now, the sport is hoping to improve the racing, or at least up the chaos.
Starting this year drivers will be required to make two pit stops in Monaco and Monaco alone, in both dry and wet conditions. Under this change drivers must use “at least three” sets of tires in the Monaco Grand Prix, with a minimum of two different tire compounds to be used if the race is run in dry conditions.
Will that improve the racing, or simply increase the chaos along pit lane?
We’ll find out in May.
What will the upcoming 2026 regulation changes mean for 2025?
Imagine, if you will, a sport deciding every few years to redo the rule book. Take the NFL. Picture a situation where Roger Goodell announces that “in two seasons passing touchdowns will be worth 12 points, field goals over 50 yards will be worth five points, and a Pick-Six will be worth ten points.”
That might change how teams construct their rosters and call plays going forward, right?
It is an extreme example, but it is something that F1 does put into action. The sport is as much an engineering puzzle to be solved as it is a race to be won, and coming in 2026 is a host of new technical regulations that contain revised aerodynamic regulations as well as new power unit rules.
In a nutshell, the cars will use a power unit running on 100% sustainable fuel, the internal combustion engine and electrical power will be a 50/50 split, and the front and rear wings will include “active aerodynamics,” including “movable front and rear wings.”
These are just part of the incoming regulations that go into effect next year.
What might that mean for this season? It might mean that some teams stop developing and upgrading their 2025 cars before you know it, and turn to getting ready for 2026, with an eye on getting a jump on the field. Recently SB Nation caught up with former Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner and put that question to one of the sport’s most recognizable figures.
“I actually spoke with some people which are doing this in F1, in the moment which are faced with this, because I think everybody will shift to the ‘26 car in May because that is the future,” said Steiner. “If you develop until May the ‘25 car, you still bring parts until the middle of the year, because until you develop and then you have to make the parts, obviously that takes time.
“So I do not think that there will be a lot of development going into a ‘25 car after May, beginning of June. Except somebody may be fighting for the world championship, you know, if the battle is close, then obviously you decide, ‘[h]ey, we need to go a little bit longer [with developing the 2025 car] we win this championship.
“But I think everybody making their plan in the moment, I would say in June we are on 95% or 97% [the] ‘26 car.”
You might also want to read that interview to get Steiner’s thoughts on swearing for … reasons.
A final musical interlude from Charles Leclerc? Sure.
This is “MC24 (1:4):
Are there races in the United States I can go to?
If you have made it this far you are either my mom — hi mom! — or a true F1 fan.
So you might be wondering if you can get to a race this season.
For those in the United States, there are three you can choose from! The Miami Grand Prix at the beginning of May, the United States Grand Prix in Austin in October, and the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November.
If you do make it to one of those races this year, stop by and say hello!
Speaking of the US, is the new Cadillac team competing this year?
Friday brought word that after a lengthy process, F1 had formally approved the new partnership between TWG Motorsports and General Motors for an 11th team to join the grid, competing under the Cadillac brand.
However, you will need to wait a little longer to see them on the grid. That team has been approved to join the series starting in 2026.
That will not slow down speculation over who their two drivers will be, however.
Who is going to win the Constructors’ Championship?
Now we get to where the rubber truly meets the road.
Earlier this calendar year I published a piece on the bold predictions for the 2025 season, but deferred predictions on the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles to a later date.
My masterful gambit has failed, as that date has arrived.
Welp, I cannot hide any longer.
Joking aside, fans of four different teams — Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren — all have reasons to be confident heading into 2025. While pre-season testing data is always to be taken with a grain of salt, McLaren’s race pace in Bahrain was truly impressive. But both Mercedes and Ferrari seemed to be close behind McLaren’s pace, and with Ferrari having sorted out their tire degradation issues last year — and having two talented drivers in Hamilton and Leclerc — they might look at the 14-point gap to McLaren from 2024 as something they can overcome.
As for Red Bull, they still have Verstappen.
In the end, this looks to be another duel between Ferrari and McLaren, and similar to 2024, I think Team Papaya carries the day.
Who is going to win the Drivers’ Championship?
There are many moments from my week in Austin for the 2024 United States Grand Prix that are seared into my memory.
Sitting down at the bar at the Four Seasons shortly after landing to chat with Pierre Gasly is certainly one. Talking padel and more with Oliver Bearman is another, as is getting to interview Lewis Hamilton just minutes after he spun out on the second lap of the Grand Prix. It was an incredible few days in Austin, and another reminder that I am truly, truly lucky to get to do this job.
But then there was standing in front of Lando Norris, minutes after the Grand Prix ended, and not just hearing him talk about his latest on-track clash with Max Verstappen, but seeing the look in his eyes.
Norris is a very introspective athlete, and perhaps his own toughest critic. Even when he wins, he finds something to criticize regarding his performance. That afternoon in Austin, as he talked about how you cannot race Verstappen halfway — “The thing is with Max you’ve got to commit, but people don’t understand that kind of thing. With Max, you can’t just go half-hearted,” said Norris to the media, including SB Nation, in Austin — there was a look in his eyes. One that spoke louder than his words.
The look of an athlete who had come to understand just what it takes to win at this level.
Norris did not chase down Verstappen last year, but he learned what he needed to do. That look in Austin told me everything I needed to know.
He will overtake him this season.
