Formula 1
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Racing Bulls: Tsunoda at Red Bull should still be our target
Racing Bulls racing director Alan Permane says getting Yuki Tsunoda to Red Bull should remain a target of the squad's satellite team after his snub for 2025.
Red Bull decided to turn to Tsunoda's less experienced 2024 team-mate Liam Lawson to replace Sergio Perez at its main team for the upcoming season, ensuring Tsunoda stays at the junior team for a fifth consecutive season, much to the...Keep reading -
Hamilton reunited with long-time F1 trainer Cullen
Lewis Hamilton will be reunited with his former trainer Angela Cullen as he embarks on a new chapter in his F1 career at Ferrari.
Hamilton, who enjoyed a formidable partnership with Cullen during his time at Mercedes, has turned to the New Zealander, who will form part of his backroom team.
Cullen worked with Hamilton for six of his seven world championship wins but they parted company...Keep reading -
Why Haas thinks ground-breaking new F1 race engineer is perfect fit for Ocon
It was the first name that stood out on the presentation slide displayed on the wall in one of the meeting rooms in Haas’ UK factory in Banbury.
Alongside the appointments of Ronan O’Hare as Oliver Bearman’s race engineer, plus the return of Mark Lowe as sporting director, Laura Muller’s name was confirmed as Esteban Ocon’s race engineer.
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Haas makes “huge” changes to F1 team personnel ahead of new season
Haas has significantly altered its Formula 1 race team staff ahead of the 2025 season, with changes in driver engineers, strategy and sporting operations personnel alongside its two new drivers.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu said the alterations represented a “huge change” for Haas, as he briefed the F1 press corps ahead of the new season.
Topping the bill of the changes to the American...Keep reading -
Aston Martin won "championship for most updates" but must focus on making them work
New Aston Martin team principal Andy Cowell reckons that although the Silverstone outfit "won the world championship for most updates" in 2024, it must work on its internal processes to ensure that new parts deliver the expected performance.
Aston Martin started the season in reasonable shape and scored points in the opening seven grands prix, but a comprehensive series of updates at the Imola...Keep reading -
Sauber and Racing Bulls set for Imola F1 testing
The Sauber and Racing Bulls Formula 1 teams will kick off their 2025 campaigns with a multi-day test in Imola this week.
As previously reported, Racing Bulls will head to the venue of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix for a three-day test of a previous car [TPC], with its 2025 racing drivers Yuki Tsunoda and debutant Isack Hadjar driving the 2023 AT04 from the team's AlphaTauri days. Ayumu Iwasa...Keep reading -
South Africa opens bid process for F1 return after 32-year hiatus
The South African government has opened up a bid process for prospective organisers of a future Formula 1 race in the country.
The government of the African nation has appointed a so-called Formula 1 Bid Steering Committee which has been tasked with finding potential organisers for South Africa's return to the F1 calendar.
South Africa last hosted an F1 grand prix at the Kyalami circuit in...Keep reading -
Hamilton makes first visit to Ferrari F1 factory ahead of testing debut
Lewis Hamilton is set to make his Ferrari track debut on 22 January at Fiorano circuit, driving the F1-75 car from the 2022 Formula 1 season, Autosport understands.
Joining Charles Leclerc at the Scuderia for the upcoming campaign after spending the last 12 years at Mercedes, Hamilton went to Maranello on Monday morning to prepare for his maiden run in red.
Hamilton has been able to get...Keep reading -
Vowles: Sainz-Albon partnership brings leadership to Williams, not politics
Williams team principal James Vowles says he is expecting his 2025 line-up of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon to bring his Formula 1 team the leadership it needs to help steer it out of its current plight.
The British squad landed a major coup by signing race winner Sainz on a multi-year deal after the Spaniard lost his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton.
In Sainz and Albon, Williams is arguably...Keep reading -
Alpine set for 'reality check' with new F1 rules in 2026
Alpine’s executive technical director David Sanchez has admitted the team will have no excuses going into Formula 1’s new era in 2026.
Since the Renault Group bought the Enstone-based outfit back in late 2015, it has consistently set long-term goals of regular podiums and wins, but the past nine seasons yielded just nine top-three finishes, including Esteban Ocon’s memorable victory in...Keep reading -
The forgotten first Lawson versus Tsunoda battle - as teenaged team-mates
“If you have two Red Bull cars, you have kind of a magnet in between them and they always come together at a regular rate!”
Motopark boss Timo Rumpfkeil is chuckling about his year running both Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda in the 2019 Euroformula Open series, where they locked horns five years before they would be at war again, this time for the seat alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull in...Keep reading -
How Hamilton, Leclerc and Piastri stack up – to the man who's engineered them all
“We are somewhere in the past for these drivers – from their start points to the final target. And we are super happy to see that they have success.”
No Formula 1 driver has immaculately appeared at the top level. Now a decade ago, even Max Verstappen made the briefest stop in the junior categories before his graduation to grand prix racing.
Back then, he’d just scrapped closely with...Keep reading -
Why Lawson could offer Verstappen a new threat
Of all the scrutiny over the so-called ‘big teams’ in Formula 1, Red Bull's new line-up is probably the one that has slipped under the radar for most.
Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari and Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s promotion at Mercedes have understandably taken the spotlight, with attention drawn to how they will compare against their new team-mates.
But it is perhaps the Max...Keep reading -
Would Verstappen really consider Aston Martin? Writers' verdict
Our writers debate the merits of Max Verstappen moving out of Red Bull after the upcoming Formula 1 season, amid rumours of a monster bid prepared by Aston Martin.
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Verstappen has always been very vocal...Keep reading -
Aston Martin denies Verstappen offer rumour, but 2026 question marks remain
On Thursday, The Daily Mail published the rumour that Aston Martin is reportedly approaching sponsors with the intention of signing Max Verstappen on an astronomical £1 billion salary, spread over several years.
Although that amount was mentioned in capital letters, the interest itself should come as no surprise. It is no secret that both Aston Martin and Mercedes are still hoping for the...Keep reading -
Who should GM sign for Cadillac's F1 entry? Our writers have their say
Formula 1's driver market for 2026 is expected to be a lot less lively than the seat-swapping antics that spanned the entirety of last season, as many of the championship's key players are locked in for the advent of F1's new regulatory overhaul.
That said, there's one key destination that many of those left out in the cold for 2025 may choose to pursue, as Cadillac's welcome to the grid opens...Keep reading -
Mercedes breaks tradition, won’t launch 2025 F1 car at Silverstone
Mercedes has decided not to organise its traditional launch event for its latest Formula 1 car this season, Autosport understands.
The new W16, which will be driven by George Russell and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, will first emerge when Mercedes runs a filming day at Bahrain International Circuit on 25 February, with pre-season testing set to take place on the same track from 26-28...Keep reading -
Exclusive: Ex-Hulkenberg and Schumacher race engineer joins Aston Martin
Ex-Haas engineering stalwart Gary Gannon has been signed by Aston Martin ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season, Autosport can reveal.
Gannon left his previous post with Haas at the end of the 2024 F1 campaign – signing off alongside Nico Hulkenberg, for whom he had worked as a race engineer at the American squad since the start of 2023.
Before that, Gannon held the same role for Mick...Keep reading -
Lawson: ‘I wasn’t trying to prove a point’ with Alonso, Perez fights
New Red Bull driver Liam Lawson has insisted he was not “trying to set an example” with his hard racing during his six-round campaign in Formula 1 last year.
The Kiwi replaced Daniel Ricciardo at RB [now known as Racing Bulls] ahead of the last two triple-headers of the 2024 season, as Red Bull was keen to evaluate Lawson with a view to promoting him to the main team – and eventually did...Keep reading -
Vowles believes Williams attempted too much change in 2024
Williams team principal James Vowles has admitted his approach to restructuring the Grove-based outfit always risked being detrimental in the short-term.
The former strategy director of Mercedes joined Williams two years ago, with some of the infrastructure famously described as dating back to the "Ming Dynasty" and an Excel spreadsheet used to track all car parts, partly due to a lack of...Keep reading -
Hitting their stride – Miami Grand Prix going from strength to strength after hat-trick year
For Miami Grand Prix president Tyler Epp, 2024 was the year which saw the event blossom into what race organisers had always hoped it would be.
A harsh spotlight had shone on the previous races at the Miami International Autodrome following its high-profile inclusion on the 2022 Formula 1 calendar but, as Lando Norris claimed his maiden victory in the sport, Epp could also afford to...Keep reading -
Alpine's Colapinto deal is a pressure cooker for Doohan, but is it fair to him?
There's one significant detail about Franco Colapinto's move to Alpine – and that's his current job description at Enstone probably not being what he and his managers are really aiming for.
“If Franco is not in a racing seat next year, we'll have a historic car, two-year-old car,” Colapinto's now former boss James Vowles, from Williams, said at a press conference in Qatar. “He'll be...Keep reading -
Another F1 figure connected with the Ecclestone era has gone
Another link between Formula 1’s past and present has been severed – for now. Alessandro Alunni Bravi might not be a household name for fans but the announcement that he is to leave Sauber puts even more distance between F1’s corporate present and its past as Bernie Ecclestone’s personal fiefdom.
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Red Bull agrees Wheatley's Sauber F1 start date, but hangs on to Courtenay
Red Bull has agreed an earlier exit for future Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley, while letting McLaren wait on sporting director Will Courtenay.
Wheatley was announced as Sauber's future team boss last August, but continued in his long-time role as Red Bull's sporting director through the 2024 season.
Autosport understands Wheatley, who has worked for Red Bull since 2006, is now on...Keep reading -
Sauber F1 chief Alunni Bravi to leave team at end of January
Sauber managing director and team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi will part ways with the Formula 1 squad at the end of January after an eight-year stint.
The bespectacled Italian was added to the board of the Sauber team following its takeover by Longbow Finance in 2017, the investment company headed by TetraPak billionaire Finn Rausing.
Previously, Alunni Bravi had enjoyed a lengthy...Keep reading -
“A perfect marriage” – Las Vegas and Formula 1 proving to be a good match
Fittingly for a city known as the Marriage Capital of the World, the arrival of Formula 1 in Las Vegas marked the beginning of a memorable union, with race organisers already planning for year three.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix burst onto the 2023 F1 calendar with the glitz and glamour that is always associated with Sin City and, after initial teething problems involving a loose drain cover...Keep reading -
FIA explains why it feels driver criticism on F1 fines is overblown
The FIA has countered criticism from Formula 1 drivers on how it spends the money generated by fines.
The situation around driver fines was one of several topics that caused unease among F1 drivers last season as they grew increasingly frustrated at how FIA president Mohamed Ben Sulayem has been running things.
Over the 2024 season a total of around 270,000 euros - not counting suspended...Keep reading -
Leclerc's ex-engineer becomes Cadillac technical director in WEC and IMSA
Charles Leclerc’s former race engineer at the Ferrari Formula 1 team has been recruited by Cadillac as technical director of its LMDh sportscar project.
Xavier Marcos Padros is taking up the new position within the Cadillac V-Series.R programme, which straddles the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship, after seven years at the Scuderia.
The Spaniard was a...Keep reading -
Why Bearman's Ferrari debut - and the phone data disaster that preceded - matters for F1 2025
Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and now Oliver Bearman – the most recent Formula 1 drivers to have opened the Autosport International Show.
In cutting the red ribbon to allow the public access to the 2025 show last Saturday, Haas rookie Bearman closed a remarkably fast circle of single-seater career progression. For as his now F1 rivals Leclerc and Norris were opening ASI 2020 (and in the...Keep reading -
Dall'Igna on Newey comparisons: My decisions go "beyond the technical aspect"
Many believe that Gigi Dall'Igna is not very aware of what's coming his way. Despite his eminently technical vocation, his position as general manager of Ducati means that his sphere of influence is not limited exclusively to the design of the Desmosedici, the most dominant prototype in MotoGP history.
His voice was also decisive in the decision to let Jorge Martin go and incorporate Marc...Keep reading -
Red Bull "didn't change car for Miami" amid speculation over 2024 swing
Red Bull did not make any changes to its car ahead of the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, according to technical director Pierre Wache, who has asserted that it was the other teams' progress through the year that produced a swing in form.
After Max Verstappen took largely dominant victories in Japan and China, he was beaten by Lando Norris - who was helped by the timing of the safety car - at the Miami...Keep reading -
A unique flavour – why the Mexico City Grand Prix will continue to be unashamedly Mexican
For the organisers of the Mexico City Grand Prix, the race weekend offers an annual opportunity to showcase their country on a worldwide stage.
The 2026 World Cup will kick off in Mexico, but hosting a round of the Formula 1 World Championship every year opens up a chance to truly celebrate the heritage of the nation.
The race only returned to the F1 calendar in 2015 but has since gone on to...Keep reading -
Racing Bulls: 'No magic' in taking gearbox and suspension from Red Bull
Racing Bulls says there is 'no magic' from the team taking as many parts as allowed by the Formula 1 regulations from parent squad Red Bull, amid unease over itself and Haas.
For 2025 Racing Bulls is sharing Red Bull's Honda engines as well as taking the Milton Keynes outfit's gearbox and both front and rear suspension, increasing its synergy with its parent team compared to previous...Keep reading -
Who are the 2025 F1 rookies? Antonelli, Bearman and more
The start of the 2024 Formula 1 season saw the grid entirely unchanged from the end of one season to the start of the next.
But after a rookie drought, the most recent silly season produced five drivers who take their debut full-time F1 seats in 2025.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli replaces the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, Oliver Bearman has signed for Haas, Jack Doohan has slotted into...Keep reading -
How Williams’ 2024 campaign was dictated by its early heavy car and late crashes
Williams endured a problematic 2024 Formula 1 campaign, beginning the year with an overweight car, and then being forced to revert back to older, heavier parts late on due to a significant number of heavy crashes for both Alex Albon and mid-season substitute Franco Colapinto.
Talking ahead of the Imola weekend in May, team principal James Vowles conceded that the FW46 was giving away roughly...Keep reading -
What Autosport is looking forward to in 2025
The Dakar Rally has claimed its first high-profile victims, and the chequered flag has fallen on the Dubai 24 Hours with victory claimed by the Al Manar Racing by WRT BMW. After a brief lull while gravy-soaked turkey and pigs-in-blankets were consumed, motorsport is well and truly back.
The year ahead promises numerous talking points across the spectrum of categories. From Formula 1's most...Keep reading -
F1 circuit contracts: How long each race will remain on the Formula 1 calendar
Below is an overview of all current Formula 1 grand prix deal and the duration of the contracts as of January 2025.
Mexican Grand Prix - Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez: 2025
The Mexican Grand Prix will remain on the calendar until at least the 2025 season, after the Mexico City race signed a contract extension shortly before its 2022 race. With the absence of Mexican driver Sergio Perez from...Keep reading -
What should Perez's next step be after Red Bull? Our writers have their say
Sergio Perez's first comments since leaving the Formula 1 grid after losing his Red Bull seat indicated a sabbatical from driving.
The Mexican's struggled behind the wheel of the RB20 resulted in Liam Lawson replacing him alongside Max Verstappen for the new campaign, with Perez's 14-year stay in the championship brought to an end.
Speaking at an event in Mexico, he said he would wait six...Keep reading -
Piastri "a bit more pushy" at McLaren, but won't give engineers orders
Oscar Piastri has fine-tuned how he works with the McLaren team and is 'not afraid to be a bit more pushy' having completed his second campaign in Formula 1.
Piastri played a key role in McLaren’s world constructors’ title in his sophomore season, scoring two grand prix wins and eight podiums, with a streak of 12 top-five finishes in 13 rounds in the middle of the year.
The 23-year-old...Keep reading -
"Impatient" Stroll supportive of Aston Martin amid struggles
Former Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has insisted owner Lawrence Stroll is understanding and supportive of the journey faced to reach the top of F1 despite his "impatience" for success.
Canadian businessman Stroll bailed out the floundering Force India team last decade, renaming the team Racing Point before transitioning to the luxury British car manufacturer's moniker.
Since...Keep reading -
Finland is out of F1 drivers for the first time since the 1980s – but why?
Finland may have just 5.6 million inhabitants – just 0.07% of the world’s population – yet it has immensely contributed to Formula 1’s history.
The Nordic country admittedly has never hosted grand prix racing, and neither has it had any teams in the world championship. Still, among its nine drivers competing in F1, there were seven podium finishers (including Mika Salo and Jyrki...Keep reading -
How Alpine recovered from being stuck 'in a corner'
Alpine’s executive technical director David Sanchez has described the team as being "in a bit of a corner" with its development in the early phases of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Sanchez was hired by Alpine last May, having worked at the Enstone-based outfit from 2005 to 2007 as a junior aerodynamicist before moving to McLaren and Ferrari, with a brief second stint in Woking early last...Keep reading -
Perez to take six-month sabbatical before deciding on F1 return attempt
Axed Red Bull driver Sergio Perez will take at least six months off racing in 2025 before deciding whether he will even attempt to make a Formula 1 comeback.
Perez’s F1 career was brought to a sudden halt at the end of the 2024 season when Red Bull decided to pay him not race in the upcoming campaign after his lengthy string of poor performances last season.
These culminated in Red Bull...Keep reading -
With Alpine signing Colapinto, is Hirakawa right to continue to dream about F1?
Ryo Hirakawa’s move to Alpine as a test and reserve driver was overshadowed by the news that ex-Williams racer Franco Colapinto has been appointed for the same role on Thursday. Beyond obvious questions as to why Alpine chose to have three drivers for a position usually held by a single up-and-coming junior, its decision to hire 30-year-old Hirakawa was also curious.
In Colapinto it has a...Keep reading -
Red Bull explains what went wrong with RB20 F1 car
Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has delved into the reasons that led the squad to lose the Formula 1 constructors’ title in 2024, although Max Verstappen retained his crown to become a four-time world champion.
Red Bull’s season got off to a flying start with Verstappen winning four of the first five grands prix and leading three 1-2s thanks to Sergio Perez’s...Keep reading -
Ben Sulayem fires another media retort with British GP comment
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has delivered an attack on the media along with a confusing statement about the Formula 1 British Grand Prix.
Speaking to the media at the Dakar Rally, Ben Sulayem has reopened his criticism of the press in a strange rant, with it uncertain what caused his latest outburst, as it raised more questions about his running of motorsport’s governing body.
Ben...Keep reading -
How Ricciardo's F1 experience played a part in his downfall
Racing Bulls racing director Alan Permane believes Daniel Ricciardo using his Formula 1 experience to 'overthink things' played a part in his downfall last season.
Ricciardo returned to the team [then known as AlphaTauri] midway through the 2023 campaign as a replacement for Nyck de Vries, though a broken metacarpal sustained in practice for the Dutch Grand Prix kept him out for five...Keep reading -
A year without Steiner: How "boring" tweaks yielded crucial gains for Haas
There was a slight discrepancy between the look and the words. "I am very, very happy," Ayao Komatsu assured the media on the evening after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Though he seemed rather tired and somewhat disappointed instead, as he leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.
Led by Komatsu, the team overachieved in 2024. After finishing 10th the year before, even the...Keep reading -
F1 team principals: Who are they and what do they do?
The Formula 1 team principal role has consistently evolved over time, where the differences between now and back in the championship's early years are staggering.
A team boss was once the person who founded the constructor, think Bruce McLaren or Frank Williams, and held the role for decades.
But now, the approach to the role is more like that of football which has managers constantly coming...Keep reading -
Cowell takes team principal role in Aston Martin F1 team restructure
Aston Martin has shaken up its team management structure with Andy Cowell appointed team principal, replacing Mike Krack who has been given the title of chief trackside officer after just under three years in his previous position.
It will be a busy January for those charged with etching job titles into the frosted glass of the office doors in Aston Martin’s newly built Silverstone campus...Keep reading
