Formula 1
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Ben Hunt: What next for F175 after an encouraging night leaves vast opportunities?
Judging by the exuberant fans exiting London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday night, Formula 1 has stumbled upon a winning formula for engaging a new audience.
Fans, many of whom had never attended an F1 race before, were buzzing at having seen their heroes in the flesh and in a familiar setting inside an easily-accessible city venue.
It had whetted the appetite, with many of those punters now...Keep reading -
Can Horner maintain a united front at Red Bull in F1 2025?
The booing of Formula 1’s pantomime villain Christian Horner drew much attention at the F175 London launch event.
It has mainly centred upon whether it was right or wrong for the fans in the arena to boo.
For his part, Horner handled it extremely well. The jeering began even before the video that accompanied the team’s launch segment had started running on the big screen, so it was not...Keep reading -
Should F1 weigh up FIA president’s return to V10 engines idea? Our writers have their say
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has suggested Formula 1 should consider a return to V10 engines running on sustainable fuels – but is the pitch worth considering?
F1 is switching to fully synthetic fuel next year as part of its engine overhaul, which will feature a near-50/50 split between a V6 internal combustion engine and a MGU-K electric motor, increasing the reliance on electric...Keep reading -
Steiner dismisses Haas F1 lawsuit after mediation
Guenther Steiner has dropped his lawsuit against the Haas Formula 1 outfit after the former team principal came to an agreement during mediation proceedings.
The 59-year-old initially sued Haas Formula, LLC in April of last year for what he claimed was money owed to him after his contract with the team was not renewed.
The case claimed Haas had built its success and fanbase largely on the...Keep reading -
FIA president thinks F1 should consider return to V10 engines on e-fuels
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem thinks Formula 1 should at least consider switching back to V10 engines in the future, running on sustainable fuel.
F1 is switching to fully synthetic fuel from next year as part of its change in engine formula, which will feature a near-50/50 split between output from a V6 internal combustion engine and a more powerful MGU-K electric motor, increasing the...Keep reading -
What progress looks like for Williams in F1 2025
"I don't want to keep saying that we're sacrificing this year for next year. But this year is definitely a time to do that."
This line pretty much sums up Alex Albon's thinking on Williams' upcoming campaign, highlighting the team's laser focus on catching the right wave in 2026 when F1 introduces all-new cars.
But that doesn't mean Williams is just throwing in the towel this year...Keep reading -
Analysis: How Racing Bulls renewed its latest charge to lead the midfield order
Racing Bulls has, quite rightly, garnered plaudits for its switch to a white livery for 2025, producing a new(ish) twist to the formula of Red Bull influenced liveries as its 'sister' team completes a decade with the same design. White cars haven't always been popular, particularly in the mid-2000s when it felt like every manufacturer team had one, but the VCARB 02's matte tones just feel...Keep reading -
Formula 1 and Motorsport Network launch 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey
Formula 1 and Motorsport Network have launched the 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey to hear your views on the series.
The Global F1 Fan Survey is the fourth edition that F1 and Motorsport Network have collaborated on, following previous surveys in 2015, 2017, and 2021. Each of these attracted over 200,000 respondents, helping F1 gain insights into fans’ viewing habits, experiences, and favourite...Keep reading -
Exclusive: F1 drivers can opt not to wear FIA-approved cooling vests, but mandatory from 2026
The new wearable-tech shirts designed to keep drivers cool in races in extreme heat will be optional for competitors in the 2025 Formula 1 season, Autosport understands.
The devices are being introduced as part of the FIA’s response to the events of the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, where Logan Sargeant withdrew for Williams with heatstroke, then Alpine driver Esteban Ocon vomited in his helmet and...Keep reading -
Hamilton in no doubt Ferrari switch was the right move
Lewis Hamilton has been left in no doubt that he has made the right decision to join Ferrari.
The seven-time world champion was speaking after his first drive in Ferrari’s challenger for 2025 at a shakedown run at the team’s test track in Fiorano.
Hamilton, who lit up the F1 75 livery launch in London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday evening, revealed he has tried to integrate himself into the...Keep reading -
JA on F1 Podcast: Making the F1 Fans' Voice Heard
Formula 1 held its spectacular season launch event at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday in a ceremony that was all about entertaining the fans, particularly those new to the series.
Hot on its heels, F1 is launching the latest Global Fan Survey in partnership with the Motorsport Network, Autosport’s parent company, on Thursday 20 February.
This is where F1 fans from around the world have a...Keep reading -
Were fans right to boo at F175? Our writers have their say
Formula 1’s first-ever livery launch which gathered all 10 teams brought elements of a race weekend to the one-off event, including the return of the divisive topic of booing certain stars.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and reigning world champion Max Verstappen received poor receptions, while the mention of the FIA also gained a negative reaction from fans inside London’s O2...Keep reading -
What Hamilton found so "invigorating" from fresh start at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton has explained why he is so 'invigorated' by his move to Ferrari as he made his first UK appearance for the squad at Formula 1's season launch event.
When Hamilton was put on the spot to sum up his high-profile move to the Scuderia in one word, the seven-time world champion used "invigorating", feeding off the energy from the 15,000 fans inside the arena that gave him the biggest...Keep reading -
Every F1 team’s seven minutes at F175 ranked
Attendance at Formula 1’s glitzy season launch was mandatory for the teams. Some came willingly, others less so.
Time was tight so each outfit was given just seven minutes to play with. How did they do? Here is our ranking of each presentation.
10. Mercedes
Mercedes F1 W16
Photo by: Getty Images
Long after the dry ice had spluttered and dispersed – as if the smoke...Keep reading -
Analysis: The key changes behind Ferrari's evolutionary SF-25
London on Tuesday night, Fiorano by Wednesday morning; Ferrari's key personnel either took a private plane directly from the F175 launch event at the O2 Arena (significantly likely), or hotfooted it to Stansted for the Ryanair flight to Bologna.
Actually, that eventuality might be a little less likely... can you imagine Lewis Hamilton, sitting uncomfortably on the blue leatherette seats...Keep reading -
Brown hails unrivalled F1 commercial success story at McLaren
Zak Brown believes McLaren is commercially the most successful team in Formula 1 history after taking its first constructors’ title for 26 years in 2024.
It began last season with 53 partners, which was the most on the F1 grid when teams lined up for the Bahrain opener in March.
When Brown was appointed CEO in 2018, McLaren had 31 partnerships so bringing more on board – specifically...Keep reading -
Ben Hunt: F175 wasn’t for the purist but the gamble paid off
There was one line in the middle of F175 livery launch event that particularly stood out.
Above all the whooping every time Lewis Hamilton’s image was shown on the big stage. And the booing of Christian Horner and Max Verstappen. More poignant too than the loudest jeers of all, which were reserved for a mention of Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA.
It was a line from the host, comedian...Keep reading -
All 10 F1 teams unveil their 2025 liveries as F175 comes to an end at London's O2
All 10 Formula 1 teams have unveiled their liveries at the championship's 75th anniversary event in London's O2 Arena, showcasing their new colours in front of fans live at the venue.
This was F1's first collective launch event in history, with all teams in attendance to unveil the designs they will race with in 2025 - albeit on older machinery at the arena formerly known as the Millennium Dome...Keep reading -
Why Verstappen is leaving 2024 feuds behind in hunt for a fifth F1 crown
Max Vestappen initially joked he might have conveniently fallen ill to miss the F175 launch event at London’s O2 Arena, but instead the reigning, four-time world champion showed up and was again the man on form when it came to addressing the media.
There were plenty of topics to choose from, given his seemingly innate ability at courting column inches is equal to his quality behind the...Keep reading -
F1 increases mandatory pitstop tally for Monaco GP amid FIA commission changes
The Monaco Grand Prix will receive additional mandatory pitstops to promote more eventful racing during Formula 1 grands prix at the principality - as the FIA ratified further new rules at its latest commission meeting.
It led to a number of resolutions across the championship's sporting, technical, and financial regulations, but also hosted discussions with regards to improving the spectacle...Keep reading -
How Tsunoda has shown the maturity he needs to secure his F1 future
Yuki Tsunoda says he has reconciled himself to being beaten by Liam Lawson in the race to the seat alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull – an admission he is perhaps moving towards to dispel the doubts Red Bull’s decision makers still hold about him.
Sitting alongside new Racing Bulls team-mate Isack Hadjar, team principal Laurent Mekies and CEO Peter Bayer in a press conference ahead of the...Keep reading -
How Mercedes aims to avoid the "traps" it has fallen into with recent F1 car designs
Ever since Formula 1 reintroduced ground-effect underbody aerodynamics into its ruleset, Mercedes has unwittingly ensconced itself within the pitfalls that the aero overhaul had laid out.
A series of design direction changes over the past three years have brought glimmers of hope with each new car, but in each time Mercedes has tripped itself up with inconsistencies in car...Keep reading -
What Doohan's blunt response to Colapinto replacement rumours revealed about Alpine's driver situation
Alpine driver Jack Doohan has issued a firm riposte to questions about his long-term Formula 1 future after Franco Colapinto joined the team as a reserve driver over the off-season – pointing out he was in the Argentine’s exact position a year ago.
Alpine signing temporary 2024 Williams driver Colapinto as one of its reserves this year added fuel to rumours that suggested Doohan only has a...Keep reading -
Why Norris has got his Verstappen battle tactics targeted differently ahead of F1 2025
What Formula 1 drivers and their team bosses are not saying at this time of year is usually much more revealing ahead of a new campaign.
And for one that’s predicted to be even closer and more competitive than the last time the championship got a season-long scrap for world title glory – 2021 and that season of seasons – it’s worth paying attention to the subtext of what the likely...Keep reading -
Could Russell’s row with Verstappen spill over into F1 2025?
George Russell's extraordinary row with Max Verstappen across the final two grands prix of the 2024 Formula 1 season was as explosive as it was unprecedented.
Although the end of the campaign cut off the discourse, there is every likelihood that it will erupt again throughout the 2025 season.
In a remarkably honest and wide-ranging interview with Autosport, Russell explained how he is...Keep reading -
Sainz: FIA's going too far with in-cockpit language restrictions
Williams driver Carlos Sainz says the FIA's clampdown on swearing is "too much" and thinks it would be bad for Formula 1 if drivers were no longer allowed to show emotion inside the car.
Last month, F1's governing body issued an update to its Sporting Code, featuring a series of stewards' penalty guidelines to handle swearing or other sporting code violations. The new guidelines suggest much...Keep reading -
Getting to know you – Maaden putting its name out there with Aston Martin deal
Speaking to Autosport on Friday evening, Maaden CEO Bob Wilt asks for an honest answer to his own question – had this writer heard of the company before it linked up with Aston Martin last year?
The answer, as he predicted, was ‘no’. But it also explained just why Maaden was tempted to enter Formula 1 as a sponsor before today, 17 February, where it has become the first principal sponsor...Keep reading -
Jack Whitehall to host F175 as Take That among artists to perform
On the eve of its livery launch event at London’s O2 Arena, Formula 1 has announced that British comedian and actor Jack Whitehall will host the show.
The F175 celebration will see all 10 teams unveil their livery for the 2025 season, with each squad given seven minutes on stage to do so.
Autosport revealed last month what fans can expect from the evening, while on Monday morning F1...Keep reading -
Can 2025 be Piastri's year to win the F1 title?
Somewhere near the end of Oscar Piastri’s press conference last week when McLaren launched its Formula 1 car for 2025, the Australian answered a question that nobody was asking.
The actual question was about his relationship with team-mate Lando Norris and how McLaren would handle the competitiveness between the two.
Towards the end of his answer, Piastri said: “I want to win the world...Keep reading -
What McLaren’s “aggressive” approach says about its confidence to nail both 2025 and 2026
Every year, Formula 1's teams have to make the decision when to end focus on the current season and pour all of its engineering resources into designing the next car. It's an important thing to time correctly, and F1 is littered with examples of teams who either kept developing too late and started the next year badly, or diverted course too early and sacrificed success in the immediate term for...Keep reading -
Our writers' left-field F1 2025 predictions
It's customary to make the usual predictions ahead of a brand new Formula 1 season: who's going to win the title, which team is going to be the constructors' champion, yada and indeed, yada. In recent years, even a crystal ball from Temu would likely lead any clairvoyants on a budget to predict Max Verstappen would win the title, so there's not been much fun to be had in that area.
The 2025...Keep reading -
Goodbye 20,000-cell Excel spreadsheet: How Williams’ new F1 car build system works
It was a moment that caused jaws to drop aplenty in the 2024 Formula 1 season: Williams team boss James Vowles revealing he’d discovered his then still-fairly-new squad was using a single, gigantic, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to itemise its entire car build package.
The list ran to multiple thousands of cell entries – an approximate figure of 20,000 was at one stage mentioned – on a...Keep reading -
Analysis: Williams may be focused on 2026, but FW47 shows hints of team's regeneration under Vowles
Thankfully, the mooted Valentines' Day special livery that enrobed the Williams FW47 was none too garish, once the car was revealed during its Silverstone shakedown on Friday. The dark blue screenfade effect was actually quite cool, almost like a gateway into a badly damaged '90s CRT screen - with the lingering screen burn of a time when Williams was at the zenith of Formula 1. It has no secrets...Keep reading -
The next phase in Alpine’s F1 recovery
If you had told any Formula 1 fan at the start of 2024 that by the end of the season Alpine would have a double podium and finish sixth in the constructors’ championship, you would probably have been met by some very confused looks.
But from the Brazilian Grand Prix, things started to look up for the Enstone team, after a chaotic rain-filled race saw Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly finish...Keep reading -
McLaren vows to stick to principles as Norris and Piastri come out swinging
Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri gave a confident impression as they presented the 2025 McLaren Formula 1 car to the world on Thursday at a wet Silverstone.
Norris is adamant he has learned a huge amount from his first title battle, admittedly a long shot, last year and going up against now four-time world champion Max Verstappen wheel-to-wheel, having stewed over a number of confrontations...Keep reading -
Trio convicted for blackmail plot of Schumacher’s family
Three men have been convicted of trying to blackmail Michael Schumacher’s family for millions of pounds.
A German court has jailed one individual for three years after he threatened to upload 900 photos, 600 videos, plus medical reports of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion to the dark web unless Schumacher’s family paid a ransom of €15million.
A second man has been charged with...Keep reading -
Norris vows to “get my elbows out” with Verstappen in F1 2025 title challenge
Lando Norris has said starting a new Formula 1 campaign on equal footing with Red Bull's world champion Max Verstappen will change how aggressively he can race the Dutchman.
Norris mounted an unlikely title bid last year after McLaren started the season significantly worse than Red Bull, but a comprehensive Miami upgrade turned around the papaya squad's fortunes and transformed the MCL38 into...Keep reading -
Ben Hunt: McLaren flexes its muscles to kick off F1 launch season
It was a rare thing these days. A team hosting an in-person car launch, rather than pressing ‘send' on an email containing some made-up quotes from its drivers and rendered images of its F1 car.
It was even rarer that it was the reigning world champion squad that would be first to throw the covers off its new challenger for the season ahead.
Usually such honour is taken by one of the teams...Keep reading -
Piastri clears a confidence quibble in time for F1 2025: “I can be world champion”
Ahead of his second Formula 1 season with McLaren last year, Oscar Piastri could feel an awkward “weaknesses” he wanted to address. Now, as his team launches its 2025 challenger, he’s crystal clear he has what it takes to become world champion.
After all, the 2024 campaign that ended with McLaren as constructors’ champion was just Piastri’s sophomore year.
And it started with...Keep reading -
Analysis: McLaren's MCL39 unveil offers few details - but there's some evident developments
Formula 1’s 2025 launch season kicked off in cryptic fashion with the constructors’ championship winners, no less.
McLaren opened the yearly cloak-and-dagger proceedings with a quintet of images of its MCL39 from a distance while undergoing its Silverstone shakedown, dressed in a papaya and black dazzle camo livery that makes its defining details significantly difficult to...Keep reading -
McLaren becomes first F1 team to reveal 2025 car design, with enforced camouflage livery
McLaren has revealed its MCL39 Formula 1 car at a Silverstone season launch event – becoming the first team to show off a 2025 design, albeit with temporary restrictions on its livery.
As all 10 teams are committed to only fully revealing their 2025 liveries at the F1 75 Live event at London’s O2 arena on Tuesday, McLaren can at this stage only show off the MCL39 in a distinctive one-off...Keep reading -
Eni happy returns – energy company back in F1 with Alpine
Eni has made a return to Formula 1 and is back on board at Enstone after signing a strategic partnership deal with both Alpine and Renault.
The energy tech company was last in F1 with Benetton in 2000 but will now work with Alpine as the team’s official energy and fuel partner.
The agreement will also see Eni and Alpine collaborate on “assessing and analysing innovations in fuel...Keep reading -
F1 reserve drivers: All the back-up drivers for 2025
Formula 1 teams are well underway preparing for the forthcoming 2025 campaign, which will consist of 24 grands prix beginning in Melbourne on the 14-16 March.
The grid is set and all but two teams - McLaren and Aston Martin - have changed their driver line-up, meaning this year will have a new look.
But it is not just the full-time competitors that play a crucial role, as a team’s back-up...Keep reading -
Red Bull will not “throw away” 2025 F1 title for 2026 head start
Red Bull’s technical director Pierre Wache has insisted the team will not sacrifice the 2025 Formula 1 title fight – not even to maximise its chances for the new era next season.
F1’s upcoming overhaul in technical rules means teams are facing a difficult balancing act when it comes to allocating their resources over 2025.
Hampered by current regulations which restrict both their...Keep reading -
F1 warned against "blood-stained" Rwanda race by Democratic Republic of Congo
Representatives of the Democratic Republic of Congo have called on Formula 1 not to entertain the idea of sanctioning a Rwanda Grand Prix amid a long-running conflict in the region.
Since 2022 the DRC has been embroiled in a bloody conflict with the M23 movement, a military rebel group backed by the Rwandan army, which has taken over swathes of territory in the North Kivu province that borders...Keep reading -
F1’s Monaco Grand Prix gets its first title sponsor as TAG Heuer signs up
TAG Heuer has become the first title sponsor in the history of the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.
The watch manufacturer was named as F1’s official timekeeper in January as part of LVMH’s 10-year global partnership with the series.
Now TAG has made history by securing the naming rights to the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix, one of the most famous races on the F1 calendar.
TAG branding...Keep reading -
The rookies set to gain from F1’s FP1 rule change in 2025
There will be fresh blood aplenty in Free Practice 1 sessions this Formula 1 season, with teams required to run rookies twice in each of their cars.
To be frank, a rookie's FP1 outing is usually not the headliner of an F1 grand prix. Teams often leave it until the very last second to tick that box, leaving young drivers with what are effectively the most 'perfunctory' sessions of the year...Keep reading -
McLaren joins F1 in partnering with lottery operator Allwyn
McLaren has linked up with lottery operator Allwyn which will become a new partner to its Formula 1 team, esports outfit, and F1 academy in 2025.
F1 announced its own partnership with Allwyn on Tuesday, but McLaren has also secured a deal with the company's global operations, which holds brands that operate national lotteries across seven different nations in North America and Europe.
The...Keep reading -
Exclusive: Why Bearman thinks F1 2025’s big rookie class will boost his debut campaign
Oliver Bearman believes the unexpectedly large crop of rookie drivers joining him in Formula 1 2025 will provide a lift for his first full-time year with Haas.
The 19-year-old is one of six rookies on the F1 grid in 2025 after the 2024 season began with zero driver market transfers.
Things started changing last February when Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari for this year was announced...Keep reading -
F1 Driver of the Day: Which driver has won the most times?
Driver of the Day is a fan-voted feature which can add an exciting element to an F1 race. Although there is no prize - other than bragging rights - it can still be a great achievement for a driver to claim at the end of the race.
The award was first introduced in 2016 at the opening race of the season - the Australian Grand Prix - with the award being handed to Romain Grosjean at Haas. The...Keep reading
