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Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

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Fortitude

Senior member
Wolff, Brown and Horner share their predictions ahead of F1 2025 'epic season'.
"At the end of the day, you know, when the flag drops, the bullshit stops.” Toto Wolff.
6 Feb 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com

Wolff cautious about Mercedes' chances in 2025: Last year was not a good one for Mercedes... again. The team's performance change was like night and day, even across sessions during the same race weekend. "We've been scratching our head a lot last year, particularly in the beginning. Like all the other teams, we had up and downs, very dominant performances in Vegas and then other races that were not so good," said Wolff to Sky Sport.

Will Verstappen make it five on the trot? Before sizing up Red Bull Racing's potential come next season, Horner seems to agree with most experts and pundits. "I think [2025] is going to be a mega year," said the Briton. While acknowledging McLaren's 2024 success, he also reminds his rivals that Red Bull have something they don't: Verstappen.

Brown, wary of McLaren's rivals next season: Many in the F1 paddock are naming McLaren driver, Lando Norris, as the favourite to take the Drivers' title in 2025, in that regard, Brown reamins rather coy. "I heard about that today, but I actually haven't seen it yet," adding that, "I think he's definitely one of the favorites."

‘F1 2025 'epic season'’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/3262...predictions-ahead-of-f1-2025-epic-season.html


‘Problem’: McLaren and Ferrari have a ‘problem’ that could cost Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton the 2025 F1 title
6 Feb 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Dutch racing driver Mike Hezemans feels Norris goes into the 2025 Formula 1 season as the favourite to win the title. He cites the 25-year-old as the pre-season favourite as Hezemans believes McLaren still have a superior car over Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.

Yet while Hezemans has Norris as the pre-season title favourite, he thinks Verstappen’s fifth championship in a row awaits the Red Bull driver. The Dutchman claims glory is again on the cards as unlike Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari have a ‘problem’ having two ‘too good’ drivers.

Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton cannot rely on team orders like Max Verstappen can. Hezemans added: “That’s McLaren’s whole problem. They actually have two drivers who are too good and too close together, and that might also be Ferrari’s problem. And I don’t think they have that problem at Red Bull! So, I think in the end Max will become world champion again.”

‘Problem having two ‘too good’ drivers’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mc...-norris-and-lewis-hamilton-the-2025-f1-title/


Toto Wolff would ‘rather not talk too much’ about Mercedes’ 2025 F1 hopes
6 Feb 2025
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has admitted that he would “rather not talk too much” about the team’s Formula 1 prospects in 2025 before pre-season testing has taken place. “These cars are so complicated to hit the sweet spot, that we’ve only done it on a few occasions,” Wolff told RacingNews365.

“We were ultra-dominant in Las Vegas [where it finished 1-2], and then at other tracks, we were unable to contest for a podium. So I’d rather not talk too much and see how we can perform in the tests and see whether we have solved some of those balance issues, get on top of the tyres and then we shall see.”

“Rather not talk too much”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025...t-talk-too-much-about-mercedes-2025-f1-hopes/


F1 News: Red Bull 2025 car will have small operating window
Feb 7, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Technical director Pierre Wache makes clear the RB21 will have very limited margin for error. Red Bull prioritising “overall potential” over comfort. Technical director Pierre Wache says Red Bull will still be navigating a tightrope in 2025:

“The overall potential decreases if you increase the window,” he told motorsport.com. “If you look at other teams’ cars and how they’re positioned, they’re all insanely stiff. What you want is to produce the fastest car. But it’s not the case that a car is slow because the window in which it operates is small. What you want is to be in the right window for each circuit, so that you can anticipate that.”

However, according to Wache, a small operating window is necessary to optimise potential: “Why would you want to extend the window and flatten the overall potential of a car? You want the fastest car compared to the others. will not reduce the overall potential to make it easier operationally,” emphasised Red Bull’s technical director. “You can reduce the potential to help drivers to use the car, but not to help engineers to use the car.”

‘RB21: Navigating a tightrope’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motors...ll-2025-car-will-have-small-operating-window/


Many in F1 paddock expected ‘earthquake’ Max Verstappen announcement before 2025 season
8 Feb 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer

Many people in the F1 paddock were expected ‘earthquake’ Max Verstappen move to Mercedes before 2025 season. As per a report from Motorsport.com, it looked as though ‘F1 was about to experience another earthquake almost immediately’ after Hamilton’s move to Ferrari.

Naturally, Mercedes were in need of a replacement for the seven-time champion – and they had their hearts set on signing Verstappen. The Dutchman’s future with Red Bull was thrown into uncertainty at the start of the season. The internal civil war between the two sides of the ownership – sparked by the allegations against Christian Horner – lef to speculation that Verstappen could leave the team.

‘Expected ‘earthquake’ Max Verstappen announcement’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ma...x-verstappen-announcement-before-2025-season/


‘Very big surprise’: Lando Norris snubbed as £4.5m a year F1 rival backed to be ‘surprise’ 2025 title contender
7 Feb 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Lando Norris is the pre-season favourite to win the 2025 Formula 1 title for many yet Jan Lammers does not think the McLaren racer is the driver to deny Max Verstappen. Lammers thinks that while pundits like Karun Chandhok believe Norris is the pre-season title favourite, Piastri proved last year that he has the ‘mental resilience’ to endure a season-long duel over the title in 2025. He is also a proven champion after winning F2 and F3 as a rookie.

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko often questioned Norris’ mental strength to beat Verstappen in the 2024 title fight. So, having proven that he can consistently improve and be their lead racer, Lammers feels McLaren’s £4.5m a year Piastri can be a ‘surprise’ title threat. “Oscar Piastri,” Lammers told RacingNews365. “He has had an incredible upward trend with winning all the [junior] championships. He is used to the most, he knows himself the most as a champion.”

“Then you know that you have the speed, but also the balance and the mental resilience to spread that over an entire season.” He adds: “Formally, I have to say that if McLaren are the main threat to Red Bull, then it will be Lando Norris who will win. But then I still think that Piastri could be a very big surprise.” Few pundits believing he is the driver to dethrone Verstappen does not stop Piastri stating “I feel ready” to fight for a Formula 1 title, though. He was also the top-scoring driver from the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix to the Singapore Grand Prix when Piastri registered 183 of his 292.

‘Very big surprise’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/la...l-backed-to-be-surprise-2025-title-contender/
 
Ferrari have granted Lewis Hamilton a great honour with their chosen date for 2025 car reveal.
“The SF-25 will thus be officially presented on the day of birth (recorded in the registry office on 20/02/1898) of Enzo Ferrari”. Piergiuseppe Donadoni posted on X (formerly Twitter).
8 Feb 2025
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari’s new livery will be unveiled at the sport’s launch event – F175 – at the O2 Arena in London on February 18th – the event will be Hamilton’s first public appearance as a Ferrari driver. The following day, the SF-25 will get its first outing in Fiorano before, as per journalist Piergiuseppe Donadoni, the car is officially presented on February 20th – Enzo Ferrari’s birthday.

‘Great honour’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fe...r-with-their-chosen-date-for-2025-car-reveal/


'Focus more': Juan Pablo Montoya thinks Lewis Hamilton’s arrival has forced Ferrari into one important change
9 Feb 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer

Juan Pablo Montoya believes that the Italian team have changed their focus after Hamilton’s arrival and that priority may not sit with Leclerc this season. “It could be a little bit of an [awkward] thing how everything is going to happen at Ferrari. Everything was always that they wanted Charles to do well. Now they are really going to want Lewis to do well.”

“Personally, I don’t think that you being Ferrari, are going to hire Lewis Hamilton and you are going to do tests and everything and you are going to focus more on Charles’ needs than on what you need.”

How Lewis Hamilton fared against Charles Leclerc in Ferrari’s Pirelli tyre test. Hamilton and Leclerc’s best times in Ferrari’s Barcelona test were over seven-tenths slower than what Norris managed, but there’s little context behind how those laps were set. Perhaps more significant was that the Brit managed to go just over one-tenth faster than his new teammate, despite completing the same number of laps (Hamilton 87 vs Leclerc 86).

‘Lewis Hamilton, one-tenth faster’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/feature...has-forced-ferrari-into-one-important-change/


Will Hamilton survive the duration of his two-year Ferrari F1 deal?
Lewis Hamilton is tied into his Ferrari contract until the end of the 2026 F1 season, but Bernie Ecclestone does not think the partnership will last that long.
09 Feb 2025
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone does not believe Lewis Hamilton will see out the entirety of his contract with Ferrari, which runs to the end of 2026. The British F1 mogul feels the relationship between the two, which has been billed as the most iconic partnership in F1 history, will fall flat.

However, Ecclestone did provide reasons for his prediction, even if the logic might not completely hold up. Hamilton is in pursuit of an elusive and record-breaking eighth F1 drivers' title, but Ecclestone nonetheless has suggested the 40-year-old has less motivation than he would have if he were not already a champion.

‘Will Hamilton survive?’;

https://racingnews365.com/will-hamilton-survive-the-duration-of-his-two-year-ferrari-f1-deal


Toto Wolff acknowledged he made big mistake with Lewis Hamilton - 'You weren't happy'
The team principal spoke about his time working with Lewis Hamilton.
Feb 9, 2025
Amos Murphy
Daily and Sunday Express

Toto Wolff has hinted he made a mistake that might’ve led to Lewis Hamilton departing Mercedes. Wolff explains the disagreement, which centred around the team’s novel zero-pod concept to comply with the new ground-effect regulations, with Hamilton during an episode of Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’.

Wolff said: "Last year, the development of the car, you weren't happy with me. You know, sticking to the concept from last year, holding on to it because of the encouraging results at the end -- the biggest [failure].” The concept was eventually changed as per Hamilton’s request, with the British driver able to produce more consistent results at the back end of the 2023 season, finishing the campaign in P4.

'You weren't happy';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/2011959/toto-wolff-lewis-hamilton-mercedes-ferrari


Red Bull mechanic Nicholas admits: 'It's really exciting what Hamilton is doing'
10 Feb 2025
Savannah Lenz
GPblog.com

Speaking to talkSPORT, Nicholas weighed in on the very important switch of Hamilton to Ferrari and what that could mean for the Briton and teammate Charles Leclerc. "It's really exciting. I think if you're going to get the best out of Lewis, it's going to be when he's fired up like a new opportunity like this of Ferrari. I think we're all aware it clearly means a great deal to him."

He continues: "Ferrari, with its history and passion, is something that a lot of drivers want to have as a part of their careers. It'd be really exciting. I think he and Charles Leclerc will work really well together. From the limited interaction I have with Charles, he seemed like the kind of guy who's always going to want to learn from someone with sort of the experience of Lewis."

‘Exciting’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/326763/red-bull-mechanic-looks-out-for-lewis-hamilton-at-ferrari.html
 
No break for Norris as he works to be 'more prepared than last year'.
“It’s been a good winter, probably one of the busiest I've had in terms of training and preparation.” Lando Norris.
10 Feb 2025
Savannah Lenz
GPblog.com

Norris 'feels good' after his time during the winter break. But as far as relaxing, he admits he did not do much of it. “I feel like it's been utilised well, and more efficiently than last year, so I'm happy about that. If anything, I’m just more excited to get back going again."

“I’ve done many different things, in many different countries, just making sure, in every aspect, that I can be more prepared than last year,” As far as what lies on the horizon for the McLaren driver, Norris says it's "more training – getting back to the factory for a lot of simulator time and just getting back to work.”

‘No break’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/326773/lando-norris-is-ready-for-the-2025-season.html


Mario Andretti thinks Lando Norris learned one important lesson in 2024 that could lead to him becoming a world champion
10 Feb 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Mario Andretti, the former F1 and IndyCar champion was speaking to F1 Maximaal and reviewing Norris’ 2024 season, he said: “Norris will learn a lot from this. If you haven’t had that experience of starting at the front before, this is something you have to learn.”

“You also notice that that pressure was there because he didn’t even want to talk about the title situation for a while. He didn’t have good starts either, but he learned. He definitely learned. With both drivers, it was clear that they have improved themselves, and they now know how to handle exciting situations. They both show they can win races, and that’s the ultimate proof you want for yourself.”

“If I compare it to my own career: when I started winning at that level, I realised that maybe I belonged at that level. You just get more confidence then, and confidence is crucial. This is why you always have to keep improving so that at some point you realise you can handle the pressure. You feel after a win then: I have proved that I can handle it. That is very important, and young talents should also say this to themselves. You also have to show it, and not just talk about it.”

‘Handling exciting situations’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ma...-could-lead-to-him-becoming-a-world-champion/


'Everything matters': Zak Brown now believes McLaren face a ‘good problem’ in 2025 after title-winning season
10 Feb 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

The team worked hard in the off-season to produce a car capable of going up against Red Bull, who had dominated the 2023 with the RB19. Ex-Red Bull engineer Rob Marshall played a key role in turning around their fortunes, while a few other backroom changes by team principal Andrea Stella streamlined the team’s technical output and made upgrades more consistent.

McLaren and Norris are expected to be title contenders in 2025, given their car will be an evolution of what they had last year. McLaren CEO Zak Brown has said the team faces a ‘good problem’ that might impact their season when speaking on the Intercooler podcast.

Brown: “We get a little less wind tunnel time because we won the championship, so it’s a good problem to have.
Prosser: “Does that make a difference?”
Brown: “About 10%. In F1, everything matters because the field is covered by less than 2%. In the good old days when you had unlimited budgets, you could make it up in other areas. Now we have limited resources and the same level, which is why you saw seven drivers win races.”

'Everything matters';

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/za...d-problem-in-2025-after-title-winning-season/


Why Rob Marshall is ‘really impressed’ with McLaren compared to his previous role at Red Bull
27 Aug 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

McLaren now has the fastest car in Formula 1 after Lando Norris blitzed Max Verstappen to victory in the Dutch Grand Prix by 22.8 seconds. It was the first time Verstappen was beaten by a winning margin over 20 seconds since Lewis Hamilton in 2021, with McLaren firmly asserting themselves as the benchmark to beat.

Marshall replaced David Sanchez in the role of chief designer in January, having left Red Bull midway through 2023. He was part of Red Bull’s inner success team for 18 years having worked closely with Adrian Newey, contributing to their title-winning success through the early 2010s with Sebastian Vettel. Former F1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer believes Marshall has brought the ‘secret sauce’ from Red Bull to McLaren, with his influence immediately being felt.

The engineer has reportedly been impressed by McLaren’s resources behind the scenes, which has been a key aspect of their recent race-winning form. “We’ve heard from Rob Marshall and he’s been saying what he’s been really impressed by since coming over to McLaren from Red Bull is that everything that they try out coordinates perfectly with the wind tunnel, with the simulations. So they know it’s going to work. They put it on the car and it works,” said Stuart.

‘Secret sauce’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wh...en-compared-to-his-previous-role-at-red-bull/


McLaren's finally maximising a key Red Bull signing a decade later
Feb 11, 2025
by Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

McLaren's technical director in charge of aerodynamics Peter Prodromou has signed a multi-year contract extension that reflects how the team is finally maximising a signing it made a decade ago. Not until team principal Andrea Stella reimagined the technical structure at McLaren in early 2023, a few months into his reign as team principal.

Privately, senior figures at McLaren described the shift in Prodromou's responsibilities - being made technical director, aerodynamics as part of a three-pronged technical leadership team - as getting him directly involved in aero design work again, rather than being marginalised and more involved in management tasks.

Stella's reworking of the technical leadership, including empowering Prodromou, unlocked latent potential from the existing workforce and facilities. He put a greater emphasis on what could be achieved short-term, which encouraged different concepts to be explored and brought to the car more quickly. That this was done without sacrificing due diligence, to ensure that new developments like the final floor upgrade of 2024 was introduced without unexpected side-effects, was a testament to the efficiency and creativity that was unlocked - with Prodromou at the heart of it.

‘Maximising’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mclaren-finally-maximising-key-red-bull-signing-12-years-later/


‘Didn’t fall apart’: McLaren boss Zak Brown explains ‘what went wrong’ for rivals Red Bull during the 2024 F1 season
11 Feb 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Zak Brown explains ‘what went wrong’ for Red Bull during the 2024 Formula 1 season. Brown was talking about what made McLaren so successful last season and said: “It was the leadership, the camaraderie, the trust, the transparency, the culture and you can’t buy that. “What you need is the right people working together. And Andrea’s got a great phrase, ‘Don’t eat the poison biscuits,’ within your own team.”

“They’ve got a great wind tunnel, they’ve got a great racing car, what went wrong there is the environment was destabilised. They’ve lost some people, the technology didn’t fall apart overnight and I think it’s hard when you’re dominant for as long as they have been, and at Mercedes, people then want to move on and hit the ceiling. So, I think I hope to have that challenge in three, four, five years, I’ve got a team that’s used to winning championships and then keeping hold of them becomes a challenge.”

‘Didn’t fall apart’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mc...or-rivals-red-bull-during-the-2024-f1-season/


Zak Brown reveals past ‘toxic atmosphere’ in McLaren F1 team
7 Feb 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has revealed that the prestigious Formula 1 team had a “toxic” atmosphere upon his arrival in 2016. Brown revealed the state of affairs at McLaren was beyond what he had already anticipated. “It was a lot worse than I thought,” he said. “I came in knowing that things weren’t in great shape. You could see the [lack of] brands on the car, you could see the results.”

“It was pretty toxic on the shop floor as far as the politics and, as Andrea [Stella, team principal] calls it, poison biscuits. There were lots of poison biscuits being passed around. At the time. I think we were all convinced the problem was the [Honda] power unit. It was the ghosts that people were seeing and the conspiracy theories on the shop floor. So we got that out of the system and very transparent, definitely a no-blame culture.”

‘No-blame culture’ key to newfound return to success. The no-blame culture, according to Brown, was crucial in seeing McLaren rise back to the top of the F1 tree, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri taking six wins between them to edge out Ferrari in the Constructors’ battle. “It’s so easy in the sport [and] it’s very frustrating that if you make a mistake – driver makes a mistake, strategy, tyre, mechanical – to get angry at that person and that’s very unhealthy.”

‘Past ‘toxic atmosphere’ ’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025...als-past-toxic-atmosphere-in-mclaren-f1-team/
 
George Russell: Mercedes “optimistic” about 2025 step forward.
As Mercedes finalise their work on the W16 before Bahrain testing, George Russell says the team is optimistic about their progress. The British driver anticipates a more competitive Mercedes in 2025 – with notable changes from last season.
Feb 7, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Russell: We are going in the right direction. Speaking with Sky Sports, George Russell explained the team’s development progress: “There have been a lot of – I wouldn’t say changes directly from last year to this year – these are things that have been in the pipeline for a long time.Items we couldn’t quite put on the car in 2024, but we’ve been working on them for a long time. We’re optimistic it will be a good step in the right direction,” underlined the Mercedes driver.

The 2025 season is a huge test for George Russell, who is tasked with leading the team in Lewis Hamilton’s absence. Russell believes that with the right machinery, he is ready to deliver for Mercedes: “You obviously never know what your rivals have done. Throughout this year, with a thought on 2026 – whether teams continue developing or not – that’s going to be intriguing.”

“I feel ready, everybody at the team is so motivated. I feel that these years – you know – it’s sort of been trial and error. But every time we’ve had a chance to win, we’ve won. And that’s what gives me the optimism that if we do have the car, we can achieve it.”

“Optimistic”;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motors...-mercedes-optimistic-about-2025-step-forward/


Jordan on Mercedes struggles: ‘Russell grabbed that car by the horns’
7 Feb 2025
Jenny Garnett
GPblog.com

On the Formula For Success podcast, Eddie Jordan shared his views on how Hamilton's final year at Mercedes went. "At the end of the day, George Russell grabbed that car by the horns and he made it do different things to what Lewis was. Lewis has been driving since he was five, seven or eight years of age, so he’s not going to drive something that is not up to his liking," Jordan shared, offering high praise to the seven time world champion's teammate George Russell.

'George absolutely demolished Hamilton': "He made the point, I don’t know if you saw, a very private, recent interview with him where he had said to Toto and to Bono that there was something seriously wrong with the back of the car, that it wasn’t conveying confidence in the corner. He just didn’t feel that the car was giving him the confidence to push to the level that he needed to do to get pole positions and race wins," Jordan continued, speaking about how lack of confidence in the car affected his performance.

Jordan concluded by praising Russell's performance in 2024, "Having said that, George absolutely demolished him (Hamilton) in qualifying and to some extent in the races as well. So well done George Russell. He has a big future and we’re desperately keen to see how he gets on next year."

'George absolutely demolished Hamilton';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/3263...ge-russel-and-lewis-hamilton-at-mercedes.html


Russell reveals 'brutal' preparation for new Mercedes F1 role
George Russell will be stepping up to a new role with the Mercedes F1 team in 2025.
1 Feb 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Ahead of his first season in the senior driver role, Russell has detailed how he returned to training early and underwent "brutal" sessions. “I started my physical preparation with Aleix [trainer] on 2 January," he explained. “We have done a few weeks now, the second week was absolutely brutal.”

“We build into it, the last thing you want to do is go out too hard and injure yourself. I kept moving over the break anyway, keeping mobile to avoid sitting around all day doing nothing. Exercise for me is more than just a physique, it’s a great way of making me feel good and helps my mental health – that’s why I don’t want to stop."

'Brutal preparation’;

https://racingnews365.com/russell-reveals-brutal-preparation-for-new-mercedes-f1-role


George Russell highlights key weakness he is aiming to address in F1 2025
29 Jan 2025
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

George Russell has revealed he is aiming to improve his race pace in the upcoming Formula 1 season, having admitted that it was “not always the best” throughout 2024. “My goals are very much the same and the approach has not changed,” Russell said in an exclusive interview with Mercedes.

“Formula 1 is so unique, so you cannot really set goals like that. If I say that I want to win four races this year because last year I won three, I am not going to be satisfied if I win five but the car is capable of 10. I tend to keep my goals on more details targets. Last year qualifying was my strength, but my race pace was not always the best.”

“I know I have the speed over one lap, but there is no reason why I should not be able to convert that over the course of a race. I need to work on some elements to achieve that, and there will be some other goals – that perhaps are not clear to the fans at home but are at the forefront of my mind.”

‘Improve race pace’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025...-weakness-he-is-aiming-to-address-in-f1-2025/


Russell handed ‘arse kicked’ warning amid brutal criticism
Two-time Le Mans winner and former F1 driver Gijs van Lennep has said George Russell is going to get his "arse kicked" in a withering character assassination of the British driver.
8 Feb 2025
Samuel Coop & Jan van der Burgt
RacingNews365

Speaking on the Ziggo Sport programme Langs de Vangrails about the en vogue issue of drivers swearing and the FIA clampdown on it, the 82-year-old used the opportunity to address his feelings towards Russell. "It's a difficult problem," he stated. "If it were up to me they can say anything, they just shouldn't slander each other.”

He segued to talk about the 26-year-old British driver, adding: "Look at Russell. You think, 'that's a nice guy, beardless, a neat guy', but meanwhile, behind everyone's back, that's the biggest crook of all time." It is something Van Lennep, who raced in eight grands prix in the 1970s, evidently cannot stomach.

"You should give that one a hefty yellow card," he said, leaning into Max Verstappen's assertion from the Qatar Grand Prix last year that Russell is two-faced. "He [Russell] behaves so nicely and thinks he is doing everything right and Max Verstappen is not," Van Lennep continued. "That's the kind of guy I think they should tackle at some point. But he will get his arse kicked, you know. Formula 1 will be something this year..."

"It's a difficult problem";

https://racingnews365.com/russell-handed-arse-kicked-warning-amid-brutal-criticism


George Russell and Valtteri Bottas relationship update after Finn 'tried to kill him'
George Russell and Valtteri Bottas have clashed in the past.
Feb 8, 2025
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

The pair clashed after a high-speed crash in damp conditions in Imola during the 2021 campaign, sparking fury from the Brit, who watched his chances of scoring his first F1 points vanish in a storm of shattered carbon fibre. “I asked him if he was trying to kill us both,” Russell told Sky Sports F1 in the aftermath of the crash.

“We’re going incredibly fast. We know the conditions. In his eyes, he is not really fighting for anything. A P9 is nothing for him, but for us, it’s everything.” Russell was furious in the immediate aftermath of the crash and appeared to smack Bottas, who was still in his wrecked Mercedes’ cockpit, on the head. Before clambering out of his Williams car, he called the Finn a “d***head”.

However, analysis of the crash led a number of pundits and fans to lay the blame on Russell, who jolted off the dry line and lost control of his Williams machine on the damp Imola Tarmac. In a later appearance on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Russell explained that he reached out to Bottas after the crash. “I did give him a phone call, which he didn’t answer,” he revealed.

‘Lay the blame on Russell’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/2009741/George-Russell-Valtteri-Bottas-Mercedes


Mercedes W16 developments spark title hopes for Russell
10 Feb 2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

George Russell believes Mercedes has taken a significant step forward with its 2025 Formula 1 challenger, the W16, expressing optimism that the team can finally close the gap to the front after struggling under the sport’s current regulations.

The 26-year-old is embracing the challenge and even setting his sights on a championship fight if the W16 delivers the performance Mercedes is hoping for. “We’re working as hard as we can for it to be this year, but everybody is fully on board, and it’s going to be an exciting season,” he concluded.

With Russell leading the charge and a renewed sense of belief within Mercedes, the 2025 season could mark the start of the team’s resurgence as they push to reclaim their place at the top of Formula 1.

‘W16 developments spark title hopes’;

https://f1i.com/news/530382-mercedes-w16-developments-spark-title-hopes-for-russell.html
 
Leclerc fastest on final day of Pirelli tyre test at Barcelona.
1'14''971 for Leclerc, 1'16''759 for Hamilton, and 1'15''815 for Piastri.
6 Feb 2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Productive Day for Pirelli’s Tyre Development: The three drivers completed a combined total of 300 laps throughout the day. Leclerc and Hamilton each logged 74 laps in the Ferrari, while Piastri covered an impressive 152 laps in the McLaren.

While lap times were recorded – 1'14''971 for Leclerc, 1'16''759 for Hamilton, and 1'15''815 for Piastri – these figures hold little significance given the differing work programs being carried out for Pirelli. Reflecting on the test, Pirelli Motorsport Director Mario Isola highlighted the valuable insights gained from the two days of running.

“It was a very useful session, particularly when it came to providing a comparison between the various different constructions for next season, as well as experimenting with some compounds from the harder end of the range,” commented Isola.

‘Leclerc fastest’;

https://f1i.com/news/530201-leclerc-fastest-on-final-day-of-pirelli-tyre-test-at-barcelona.html


Leclerc provided assertive advice to overcome Hamilton threat
Ferrari enters a new era this year with Lewis Hamilton linking up with Charles Leclerc at the Italian squad.
8 Feb 2025
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365

Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan has highlighted the importance of the early races in the season for Charles Leclerc in his head-to-head fight with Lewis Hamilton. Jordan believes it will take Hamilton a handful of races to get up to speed, which Leclerc can use to get an early lead over the seven-time champion.

"Leclerc is there now seven years, he knows everybody,” Jordan said on the Formula For Success podcast. “He knows all the people and what to say, the language. He’s the darling of Maranello. However, he will be surprised. I think he had a certain way with him over Sainz.”

“Lewis, I think he will hit the ground running - well, I don’t want to say hit the ground running, I think it will take him two or three races. I would urge Leclerc to get on his bike at the early stage because that’s when Leclerc is going to show certain amounts of dominance.”

‘Get on his bike at the early stage’;

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-provided-assertive-advice-to-overcome-hamilton-threat


Leclerc ready for ‘greatness’ says former Ferrari race engineer
10 Feb 2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has long been considered one of the most gifted drivers in Formula 1, and according to his former race engineer Xavi Marcos, the Monegasque is poised for greatness. And Marcos's assessment of Leclerc's talent – including his ability to extract the most from any car – is glowing.

“Charles is an exceptional driver, he has a truly incredible natural talent,” Marcos told formula1.it. “His strength is being able to adapt immediately to the car in his hands and being able to tell everything that happens while driving.”

He pushes set-up changes a lot, even beyond normal limits or what the engineers suggest. As a technician he’s fun, you can think outside the box. He’s grown so much in racing, he’s strong in tyre management, for me he’s OK in everything. He’s ready to be really great.”

‘Ready for greatness’;

https://f1i.com/news/530367-leclerc-ready-for-greatness-says-former-ferrari-race-engineer.html


Leclerc gets great 'down-to-earth' praise from former race engineer
12 Feb 2025
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

Xavier Marcos Padros (also known as Xavi for many fans), has played a key role in Charles Leclerc's Ferrari journey. The Spaniard was the driver's race engineer until a mid-season switch that took place prior to the Emilia Romagna GP in May. Xavi only has praise for the Monegasque driver.

Over the time he spent together with Leclerc, Marcos got to know the driver really well. According to him, winning Grand Prix races didn't change him at all. “As a person, he is humble, polite and has always treated me with respect," he continued praising Leclerc.

"Despite his success, he has always remained down-to-earth. When you're young, famous and a driver at Ferrari, it's easy to change. But he didn't - and that's something to admire him for," the former Ferrari race engineer concluded.

'Down-to-earth';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/3269...ice-compliments-from-xavi-marcos-ferrari.html


‘The methodology’: Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has now made one important change to Charles Leclerc’s race preparations
3 Feb 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Frederic Vasseur has changed Charles Leclerc’s F1 race preparations at Ferrari. Journalist Matteo Novembrini was asked about the changes Vasseur has made after replacing Mattia Binotto and one of the areas that has been improved is how Ferrari organise their practice sessions. When providing more details, Novembrini said: “This year, it was also seen in the operations on the track. So, in the methodology of the work on the track, a mentality more oriented towards the race [was created by Vasseur].

“Just see what happened in free practice. I remember Leclerc who if he made a mistake, was going around in FP2 on a Friday and asked repeatedly to try something again. It happened so that if a wrong lap occurred, after two attempts, they said no, now we have to try the race setup. It hadn’t always happened like this before. So, this is a mentality that tried to give priority to the aspects of the race starting from Friday.”

“Then, once one driver happened to make a mistake in using the wrong set – obviously nobody is perfect – but I liked to see this awareness when Vasseur arrives to say, ‘OK, Ferrari is lacking in this [understanding their own mistakes]’, and is working to eradicate a certain mindset that probably remained inside the team. They worked in a certain way because the team has changed some personnel, but it has not been completely overturned.”

“Priority to the aspects of the race starting from Friday”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fe...change-to-charles-leclercs-race-preparations/


Sainz: Ferrari, Leclerc ready to win F1 titles
14 Feb 2025
Sky Sports

Williams driver Carlos Sainz says Charles Leclerc and his former Ferrari team are "ready" to win Formula 1 titles this year.

"Let's see how everyone starts the year but I remember saying to all the Ferrari people when I left that they are ready to fight for championships and win a championship this year," Sainz told Sky Sports News at Williams' car launch.

"All the learning processes that I'm doing right now with Williams, when I left Ferrari, the team was bang on, perfect to go for it. I think Charles, because he's the only guy I know and I don't know Lewis personally or his driving etc., I know Charles is ready to fight for a championship."

‘Ready to win F1 titles’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...leclerc-ready-to-win-f1-titles-in-2025-season


Lewis Hamilton will be concerned when he hears what Pirelli chief has said about Charles Leclerc
5 Feb 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

Lewis Hamilton faces a tough challenge against Charles Leclerc at Ferrari for the 2025 season, as he attempts to win his eighth world title. The question of how well Hamiton will fare against Leclerc is on everyone’s mind, with Peter Windsor expecting the Monogasque to outperform the seven-time world champion. Speaking to F1Maximaal.nl, head of motorsport Mario Isola has recently said something that could concern Hamilton heading into the new season.

Pirelli chief impressed by Charles Leclerc in 2024: Leclerc is expected to be the quicker driver in qualifying at Ferrari this year, which will put him in prime position to outrace Hamilton depending on where their car is in the competitive pecking order. The Monogasque impressed Pirelli chiefs last year with his drive in Abu Dhabi, where Leclerc was hailed for completing an ‘epic’ opening lap in which he overtook 11 cars.

“It’s a mix of elements. In different races we see different reactions. Max was mentioned, but we also have other examples, such as Leclerc in Abu Dhabi,” Isola points out. “That means it is possible to make up for positions if you do your job the right way.”

‘Peter Windsor expecting the Monogasque to outperform the seven-time world champion’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/le...pirelli-chief-has-said-about-charles-leclerc/
 
'He can do it': 'He's ready to go for it': Ex-team principal Guenther Steiner's huge Oscar Piastri title call.
"I think he has the right car now and I think this is his year," he told the Herald Sun.
Feb 17, 2025
Emily Patterson
Channel 9's Wide World of Sports

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes that hometown hero Oscar Piastri can not only win next month's Australian Grand Prix but this year's Formula 1 world championship as well. Coming into his third F1 season, Piastri has two Grand Prix victories to his name from 2024.

With McLaren completing a stunning turnaround to now offer a consistently competitive car and Piastri only growing in confidence and experience, Steiner expects a local winner at Albert Park sooner rather than later. "I think he has the right car now and I think this is his year," he told the Herald Sun. "He over-delivered for a rookie in 2023 and in '24, he followed up with some improvement. And this year, now he's ready to go for it."

'He can do it';

https://www.nine.com.au/sport/motor...-world-championship-call-20250217-p5lcv2.html


McLaren identifies areas for Piastri improvement
Work carried out by McLaren and Oscar Piastri has helped identify areas the young Australian needs to improve as he heads into the 2025 F1 season.
17 February 2025
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Piastri ended the 2024 season speaking about a need for greater consistency. The Australian was out-qualified by teammate Lando Norris on 21 occasions last season, leading him to point to those performances as an area that needed attention. That drew him to view qualifying as the main area of focus but analysis with the team has since revealed that it’s not the Saturday session specifically that he needs to focus on.

Instead, there are other elements that are contributing to his qualifying performances, with the onus therefore on improving those. That process has been a key part of Piastri’s workload after a much-needed summer break spent on home soil. “For the first few weeks or first couple of weeks, it was pretty much just relax and not think about racing for a period of time, especially with the end to the season and kind of the scheduling of the end of the season,” Piastri admitted.

“When you come back into the new year, then everyone has the time and hopefully the energy to go back into the details of what went well last year, what didn’t go so well. For me, in my experience, there’s not that much use in going through things without the evidence to kind of go alongside it. I think separating the break into two periods of relaxing and then how you’re going to go better this season, that comes a little bit later in the new year.”

‘Areas for Piastri improvement’;

https://speedcafe.com/mclaren-identifies-areas-for-piastri-improvement/


Australian F1 rookie Oscar Piastri makes HUGE declaration ahead of 2025 season with McLaren
• Enjoyed a strong debut season in 2024
• Will return to Melbourne Park this year
• Is bullish about his chances on the track
13 February 2025
IAN CHADBAND FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS


Oscar Piastri has enjoyed his first drive in the new Formula One McLaren and offered the bold declaration: 'I do think that I can become world champion this year.' Asserting he's a different driver to 12 months ago, the Australian, who won two grand prix last year while finishing fourth in the championship, explained how he expected 'much more' this year as he took the new MCL39 for its first spin at Silverstone.

'I want to win the world championship this year,' said Piastri, who can't wait to start his season in front of his home Melbourne crowd in a month's time at the Australian Grand Prix in the car he now believes could transport him to the ultimate prize of being the first home world champion since Alan Jones in 1980. 'We are starting on a clean slate and I do think that I can become world champion this year.’

‘HUGE declaration’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...GE-declaration-ahead-2025-season-McLaren.html


Oscar Piastri targeting F1 title tilt having addressed key weaknesses during 2024
13 Feb 2025
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Oscar Piastri believes he now retains the attributes to mount a title bid in Formula 1 in 2025 having worked hard to address the weaknesses he pinpointed 12 months ago.

“I feel like 12 months ago I was going into the season still with some weaknesses that I wasn’t particularly confident with. I think through last season I addressed them. It’s now just about addressing them every weekend and making sure that I’m putting my best foot forward every weekend and that is what is going to be the difference.”

“So yeah, I’m confident. I think we’ve still got some things to work on and I’m definitely not the finished product, but I don’t think anyone necessarily is. And I think if we can work on some of the things that we’ve set out to do in this off-season then I’ll have a lot of tools to be able to try and make that happen.”

‘Mount a title bid’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025...-having-addressed-key-weaknesses-during-2024/


"I don't think anyone..." - Oscar Piastri fires warning to McLaren teammate Lando Norris over 2025 F1 season
Oscar Piastri has sent a warning to the likes of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
14 Feb 2025
Marcus Chan
SPORTbible

McLaren star Oscar Piastri has sent a stern warning to teammate Lando Norris and the rest of his Formula 1 rivals ahead of the new season.

"I do think that I can become world champion this year. I feel like 12 months ago I was going into the season still with some weaknesses that I wasn't particularly confident with. Through last season I addressed them and it's now just about addressing them every weekend.”

"I'm confident and I think we've still got some things to work on. I'm definitely not the finished product but I don't think anyone necessarily is. If we can work on some of the things that we've set out to do in this off-season, then I'll have a lot of tools to be able to try and make that happen."

‘Oscar Piastri fires warning’;

https://www.sportbible.com/f1/oscar-piastri-lando-norris-mclaren-max-verstappen-071145-20250214


Piastri insists ‘I can be World Champion’ as he expands on rules of engagement with Norris for 2025
14 Feb 2025
Formula One - Official Site

Oscar Piastri is confident that he can potentially become World Champion in 2025, with the McLaren driver also feeling assured that he and team mate Lando Norris are “crystal clear” on their rules of engagement entering into the season.

It was a hugely successful year for the papaya squad in 2024, having sealed their first Constructors’ crown since 1998 while Norris finished P2 in the Drivers’ Championship, the Briton proving to be Max Verstappen’s closest challenger.

“Like I’ve said, we’re both starting on zero. There’s every opportunity for either one of us to go win races. Of course if there becomes a points difference in either direction towards the end of the season and we need our team mate’s help then we’ll try and help each other out.”

‘Rules of engagement’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...on-rules-of-engagement.3aXBxw471nTYcMEcf8EIY7


Norris, Piastri and a new weapon in the armoury – McLaren are going into 2025 with a ‘swagger’
14 Feb 2025
Formula One - Official Site

McLaren proved last year that they could deliver a sustained tilt at the title by overhauling Red Bull to win their first Constructors’ Championship since 1998. Had they been firing on all cylinders from the first round in Bahrain, rather than when they brought an upgrade to race five in Miami (which yielded Lando Norris’ first Grand Prix victory), they could well have made it a championship double with the Drivers’ title.

So, it’s unsurprising that the mood at Silverstone on Thursday, when they sent out their 2025 challenger the MCL39 for the first time on a damp and chilly track was buoyant. The team have something of a swagger, as Oscar Piastri put it – a sensation that comes hand in hand with success. And that’s why they are laser-focused on going one better this year and that’s not just defending their Constructors’ Championship but also bringing home a first Drivers’ title since Lewis Hamilton clinched the prized piece of silverware back in 2008.

“That’s our objective (to fight for the titles from the first race),” said Piastri, when we caught up in The Wing building at Silverstone with the sound of Norris pounding around the track just a few metres away. “Last season, the first few races were a little more difficult than we would have liked and then we came on strong from Miami with that first upgrade. Hopefully we can start the year on that note instead of having to wait a few races.”

‘MCL39’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...en-are-going-into-2025.23iciqJ0EwO7A508elwpql
 
Adrian Newey has demanded Aston Martin avoid doing one thing at their factory until he starts working.
Adrian Newey asks Aston Martin to avoid using new wind tunnel before his arrival.
16 Feb 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Aston Martin find themselves in no man’s land heading into the 2025 Formula 1 season. Back-to-back fifth-place finishes in the constructors’ championship don’t tell the full story of what’s currently happening at Aston Martin. The design genius has been brought in from Red Bull and journalist Piergiuseppe Donadoni believes that he’s already influencing Aston Martin’s development plans.

Journalist Federico Albano was speaking to Donadoni on Autoracer’s livestream and said: “For Aston Martin, it seems to be that everything is being designed for the 2026 project in the meantime. In short, it’s a bit of a drag, that’s my impression.” Donadoni replied: “By the way, on Aston Martin, they are making a good move in the sense that the new wind tunnel is almost ready. So, they are not yet in the tunnel with the 2026 car, but what they are doing is they are using a strategy of saving hours in the tunnel to wait for Adrian Newey.”

“So, in these first weeks of the year, they are using fewer hours in the tunnel than they could use to be able to have more time between now and June 30. They want to exploit Adrian Newey for the 2026 project especially, so it’s a strategy that he wanted which is very interesting and very intelligent because they don’t have the tunnel ready yet, but it will be ready in a few days. You still don’t have Newey yet and therefore surely for them, it’s a transition year.”

‘Want to exploit Adrian Newey for the 2026 project especially’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ad...ing-at-their-factory-until-he-starts-working/


Top Adrian Newey priority emerges as ‘low’ Aston Martin expectations surface
17 Feb 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Aston Martin are “waiting for Adrian Newey to put out the fires” following his arrival from Red Bull in time for the start of the F1 2025 season. That is the claim of Roberto Merhi, the former F1 driver, who believes the team are braced for an underwhelming start to the new campaign.

Speaking to Spanish publication COPE, Merhi, who made a total of 13 starts with the now-defunct Manor team in 2015, has claimed that Aston Martin are in for a challenging start to the new season as they wait for Newey to work his magic. Yet he believes Aston Martin should still have enough to be ahead of the likes of Williams, Sauber, Haas and Red Bull junior outfit VCARB.

He said: “From what I understand, Aston is not going to get off to a very good start. They are waiting for Newey to put out the fires. We have to wait a bit. In theory, Aston Martin should be ahead of Williams. They beat them last year and, as a team, they have made a step forward in the last three years. I think we will have a battle with Sauber first, Haas and RB.”

“Waiting for Adrian Newey to put out the fires”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian-newey-aston-martin-insider-fires


Adrian Newey reveals chances of working on Aston’s 2025 car
Feb 7, 2025
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Adrian Newey is undoubtedly an integral part of the Aston Martin project – with the 2026 regulations representing a key moment for the team. Lawrence Stroll’s squad will rely on Newey to produce his usual magic for the next generation of cars. However, there is also the question of how the British team will perform this season.

A balancing act for Newey. Because of this, as he explained in an interview, he will have to adapt to the team’s demands: “My concentration will clearly be on ’26,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. No doubt Lawrence [Stroll] will want me to be a little bit involved in the ’25 car. Whether I can really contribute anything or not – I’ve got no idea until I start.”

Newey breaks down 2026 regulations: Considering Honda’s partnership with Aston Martin, this is a critical element to consider: “There has to be a chance that one manufacturer will come out well on top, and it will become a power unit dominated regulation – at least to start with. And there’s a chance, if it’s on the combustion engine side, that [advantage] will last through the length of the Formula. Because the way the regulations are written, it’s quite difficult for people behind to catch up. If it’s on the electrical side, then there’s much more ability to catch up.”

‘A balancing act’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motors...eveals-chances-of-working-on-astons-2025-car/


Newey will also work on 2025 Aston Martin car
JAN 27, 2025
GrandPrix.com

Other team members are not backing Fernando Alonso's claim that success will "certainly not" come for Formula 1 team Aston Martin in 2025. New team boss Andy Cowell, meanwhile, is notably more optimistic than Alonso about the coming season. “Can we win the world championship in 2025?” he said. “Who thinks we can? Nobody? Well, look what McLaren did. So why can't we?”

Newey, however, warns that all the well-financed teams have basically maxed out the full potential of their existing 'ground effect' car concepts ahead of the final season of the current regulations.

He says the top four teams - McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes - all look like potential race winners for 2025. “It's a clear sign that we have come pretty close to the limit”, Newey explained. Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur agrees. “There are no longer any upgrades that provide more than four or five points of usable downforce.”

“So why can't we?”;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/newey-will-also-work-on-2025-aston-martin-car.html


Alonso rules out F1 2025 championship bid as Adrian Newey arrival impact assessed
2 Feb 2025
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

Alonso believes, but the regulation changes next season mark a major opportunity as F1 introduces new power units and chassis rules. “Not for 2025 for sure,” Alonso told Spain’s DAZN, “because the cars are going to be the same as this year and it’s going to be practically impossible for us to make such a big jump. “Hopefully, it will be better than 2024, but not to win the championship.”

“Then, in 2026 there will be a change of regulations and we will have Adrian Newey working on the project from this April (sic). We have to hope to have a good year, but winning the championship is a big deal. Even so, I know the expectations are going to be high when we are in the 2026 pre-season or at the presentation of the car’.”

Aston Martin is seeking to bounce back from an underwhelming 2024, in which the team nonetheless secured the same fifth-place finish in the championship it secured the previous year with far stronger results.

“Hopefully, it will be better than 2024”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernando-alonso-aston-martin-team-to-watch-f1-2025-championship-not-on


Alonso: ‘No potential for Aston Martin to win in 2025’
29 Jan 2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Optimism for 2026 Amid Regulatory Changes. Aston Martin’s long-term focus is firmly set on the upcoming 2026 regulations, which will introduce sweeping changes to the technical landscape of Formula 1. “There will be some regulatory changes, and Adrian Newey will start working on the 2026 project in April,” he highlighted. “I hope to be able to get more podiums, some wins, and fight for the championship.”

Alonso’s Undiminished Competitive Spirit. Despite a decade-long drought since his last Formula 1 victory, Alonso remains as fiercely competitive as ever. The Spaniard, known for his relentless drive, has made it clear that his hunger for success has not waned.

“Even now, after 20 years, if I go to a karting circuit and see myself second on the timesheet, a tenth or half a tenth from the first, I have the same inner anger, the same frustration, that I might not even have dinner that night,” he admitted. “I don’t like to lose, no matter how hard I work: it will always be like this.”

‘Alonso’s Undiminished Competitive Spirit’;

https://f1i.com/news/529863-alonso-no-potential-for-aston-martin-to-win-in-2025.html


‘Not so easy’: Honda president has just said the last thing Adrian Newey wants to hear ahead of Aston Martin partnership
29 Jan 2025
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Newey will arrive for his first day in Silverstone as Aston Martin’s managing technical partner and as a shareholder on March 3 after leaving Red Bull last year. He will rank beside CEO and new Aston Martin team principal Andy Cowell at the top of the Formula 1 team’s leadership.

Aston Martin will even be a works Honda power unit team in 2026 after the Japanese crew switched allegiances from Red Bull “We are struggling,” Watanabe conceded, via quotes by Speedcafe. “Now, we are trying our best to show the result next year. Everything is new. The motor is a new 355-kW, very compact one we need. Also, the lightweight battery, it’s not so easy to develop. And also the small engine with the big power. Everything is very difficult, but we try our best.”

Newey will be devastated to hear Watanabe admit that Honda are ‘struggling’ to develop an engine for F1’s new 2026 power unit regulations with Aston Martin becoming a works entry. It will have been the last thing Newey wanted given his concerns about the new regulations.

“We are struggling”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ho...ts-to-hear-ahead-of-aston-martin-partnership/
 
F1 75 crowd has clear message for FIA with boos.
That there's no love lost between the fans of Formula One toward the FIA was more than clear during Tuesday night's event.
18 Feb 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com

Something remarkable happened during the F1 75 event. While fans were hugely excited for each livery unveiling, the FIA was on the receiving end of harsh booing from the crowd. While the governing body was being complimented on their work in motorsport, loud boos broke out from the audience.

When the FIA's name came up, loud boos immediately broke out from the audience, a clear demonstration of the displeasure fans are currently experiencing toward the governing body. The booing may be stemming from the new code of conduct and penalties the FIA announced as a response to what the governing body views as misbehaviour from competitors in its sanctioned championships.

One of the things it seeks to regulate is the use of 'inappropriate language' in its racing classes. In Formula 1, for instance, fines can be issued to competitors who do not abide by the recently introduced regulations with up to a €120,000 value. Drivers will also face race bans and even points deductions in the championship should they be found in breach of the FIA's conduct guidelines.

‘Clear message for FIA with boos’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/328223/formula-1-fans-with-boos-towards-fia-during-f1-75-event.html


The 7 funniest, weirdest, and wildest moments from F1 75 Live
This is what happens when Formula 1 puts Machine Gun Kelly, Gordon Ramsay, and 10 teams in a room (okay, an arena)
Feb 19, 2025
Emily Selleck
Motorsport.com

Celebrity chef and F1 super fan Gordon Ramsay was sitting in the audience, notably alongside Stefano Domenicali, when Whitehall asked the famously foul-mouthed TV personality about the FIA's swearing ban. His response:

"Listen, I think it's an industry language. The fact that these athletes are pushing themselves to the extreme. So sometimes if it comes out, let them be real. Let it go, come on! They're risking their life every time. They're traveling over 200 miles an hour. So if the sh—". That's when his mic cut — though the O2 crowd roaring in approval let the FIA know where F1's audience largely stands on the matter.

Aston Martin went full James Bond. Lawrence Stroll might've slipped F1 a few dollars to get a sightly bigger time allotment than the other teams (for legal reasons, I'm joking). Aston's segment featured a James Bond-inspired clip, with animated versions of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll parachuting into the O2 before the actual pair landed in the audience in the Bond-esque formal suits…

‘Wildest moments’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-75-best-weirdest-wildest-moments/10696887/


Ranking every F1 team's 2025 launch show from worst to best
Feb 19, 2025
The Race

10 Red Bull The ‘follow the truck’ video would’ve been a cool piece of standalone social media… Not giving the reigning four-time champion driver a chance to speak during his and Liam Lawson’s brief appearance at the end was another one.
9 Alpine Had Alpine forgotten it was also unveiling a car? It seemed that way as the DJ element went on, and on, and on, and repetitively on.
8 Haas Haas's big 'we're an American F1 team' pitch felt slightly at odds with the rest of its presentation and in general with the way Haas has approached things in recent years.

7 Racing Bulls If this was purely a livery ranking then Racing Bulls would be right up there - there was near universal love for that livery in our virtual workspace during the launch - but unfortunately the other elements of its launch let it down - at least for the majority of us.
6 Williams Not the flashiest or most innovative, but a sensible and well-paced mix of nod to heritage, evocative video, use of the actual stage, plenty of time with drivers, boss and car in front of the audience, and also carried off with a nice bit of polite swagger from James Vowles.
5 Mercedes We saw the new livery in some dazzling lights and heard from team boss Toto Wolff and race drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Perfectly passable if slightly forgettable. - JS

4 Sauber Proper theatrics! Lots and lots and lots of drummers! Glowing green drumsticks! Closer to the vibe of a traditional standalone over-the-top glitzy launch than anything anyone else pulled off.
3 Aston Martin Aston Martin should absolutely continue to lean in as hard as it can to the James Bond thing. It’s classic for a reason. In the midst of the two hour long continuous stream of livery/car launches, Aston’s stood out.
2 Ferrari Given this was Lewis Hamilton walking out onto a stage in Ferrari overalls in London, Ferrari didn’t have to do too much to make a success of its slot.

'1 McLaren McLaren just pips Ferrari to the top spot on our list with our F1 enthusiasts being wooed by the presence of so many championship-winning McLarens on stage;'

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/ranking-every-f1-team-2025-launch-show-worst-to-best/


Hamilton sends London wild on massive night for F1
Feb 19, 2025
RacingNews365

Lewis Hamilton received a heroes welcome in London, as F1 75 took over the British capital! All 10 liveries for the 2025 season were revealed, with Racing Bulls having dazzled with an entirely new look! Swearing was also a big topic on the night. Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes and Nick Golding, as they reflect on a historical night for F1.

‘Massive night for F1’;

https://racingnews365.com/hamilton-sends-london-wild-on-massive-night-for-f1


Unveiled: Formula 1's ten teams show off 2025 liveries
18 Feb 2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

The Formula 1 community, joined by 14,000 fans, packed London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday evening for the highly anticipated 2025 season launch extravaganza. The event, a dazzling mix of motorsport heritage and cutting-edge design, served as the perfect stage for the grand unveiling of the liveries that will represent the ten teams this year.

Under the spotlights and amid the glitz, the covers were lifted to reveal each team’s latest colors, setting social media abuzz as fans debated their favorite looks. With new sponsors making their mark and some teams opting for streamlined, carbon-heavy aesthetics, the liveries told stories of innovation, ambition, and tradition.

‘Formula 1's ten teams’;

https://f1i.com/news/530797-unveiled-formula-1-teams-show-off-striking-2025-liveries.html


Success or failure? Our verdict on F1's 2025 launch event
18 Feb 2025
The Race

A pleasant surprise Scott Mitchell-Malm: “I really thought I'd struggle to enjoy parts of this but the show got off to a strong start, especially host Jack Whitehall (who I was dubious about) leaning heavily into ribbing F1's biggest names. That injected a lot of energy into it - and the right tone - even on the broadcast.”

Focus was on the wrong stars Gary Anderson: “I’m a bit old-school when it comes to this sort of thing, having been around F1 for some 52 years, but from my point of view I just wish they would have given the cars, drivers and probably team principals more time and let them do the talking. Their part in the livery presentation was more or less non-existent.”

Us sceptics were wrong Jon Noble: “I, along with probably many people in F1, will admit to having been wrong. Was it perfect? No. But it hit the mark in so many different ways.”

Much better than 10 separate launches Samarth Kanal: “There was plenty to cringe about during F1 75: lengthy and weird videos; Jack Whitehall; that Alpine DJ set; the Gordon Ramsay cameo; Brad Pitt’s reputation somehow remaining intact... Yet I couldn’t help but laugh at some of Whitehall’s jokes, that Ramsay bit, and yes, even during that Alpine DJ set did I manage to crack a smile. It was all so bizarre - and it was fun. So, I might have cringed, but the cynicism I felt before the event faded away rapidly. If it captured new fans, that’s even better.”

F1's never been more fun Josh Suttill: “There's a fine line between cringe and entertainment and I think F1 mostly got the balance right tonight - certainly far more often than I and probably most hardcore fans feared. Whoever wrote Whitehall's script deserves a raise. So often F1 is the butt of the joke but this felt like F1 laughing along with its audience rather than at the audience. It might have been an anniversary F1 75 celebration but this was very un-F1 in the best possible way.”

How it should be done every year Matt Beer: “Yes, it had rough edges… But overall, it was fun, wasn't it? It didn't take itself too seriously, it hit the balance between mass appeal and respect for F1's hardcore fandom and heritage pretty well. It was a massively impressive spectacle and logistical triumph.

More 'show' than 'sport' - and that's fine Edd Straw: “I'm very much aware this event is not aimed at a cynical journalist very familiar with the world of Formula 1 - but knowing that I had concerns that it wouldn't deliver for the fans who paid big money to attend. Judging by the reaction, that was misplaced. It's exactly what a global sport that wants to build an even bigger fanbase should be doing - looking outwards and making itself look accessible and fun. There's no reason why F1 can't be both this and detailed inspection of sidepod design variations during pre-season testing.”

‘Verdict’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f1-2025-launch-event-our-verdict/
 
Tifosi Swarm SF-25 Shakedown In Fiorano [Photo Gallery].
The Tifosi were out in force at Fiorano for the SF-25 shakedown with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Feb 20, 2025
F1 Chronicle

‘Out in force’;

https://f1chronicle.com/tifosi-swarm-sf-25-shakedown-in-fiorano-photo-gallery/?nowprocket=1


Lewis Hamilton's debut laps in the Ferrari SF-25 F1 2025 car at Fiorano | First FLAT-OUT session!!
Feb 19, 2025
NM2255 | Raw Car Sounds

Lewis Hamilton completed his first flat out laps in Ferrari's new SF-25 F1 2025 car today at Fiorano circuit as the seven-time Formula 1 world champion continued his preparation for a huge season in red!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUdsPV7wqtQ


Behind Ferrari’s Curtain: SF-25 Exclusive Interviews You Can’t Miss!
Feb 19, 2025
Racing Avenue Clips

Dive into the exclusive world of Ferrari’s latest masterpiece, the SF-25! In this video: never-before-heard insights from Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Fred Vasseur, Enrico Gualtieri, and Loic Serra as they discuss the innovation, strategy, and future of Ferrari F1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8X0WoyrGFs


Lewis Hamilton - The First Ferrari Interview
Feb 19, 2025
Ferrari

Watch as Lewis Hamilton goes through his arrival at Ferrari, takes in the iconic surroundings, and relives his first experiences with the team, from putting on the red suit for the first time, to being surrounded in a red Formula 1 cockpit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz47Js3kW7E


"It's everything I dreamed of and more!" | Lewis Hamilton explains his love for Ferrari
Feb 19, 2025
Sky Sports F1

With Ted from a Ferrari show room to Lewis Hamilton at Maranello, the seven-time world champion looks ahead to the new season, how it felt to drive the Ferrari car for the first time and the support he's had from the Tifosi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9RzBcBpwk4


Hamilton praises Ferrari's differences: 'Nothing like what I've had'
Feb 20, 2025
Toby Nixon
GPblog.com

Speaking to GPblog and others, the 105-time Grand Prix winner said: "It's completely different. I thought, ‘It's another Formula One car.’ I thought it would be [like] when I went from McLaren to Mercedes; there were similarities, but I guess it's still powered by Mercedes. So the sound, the vibration was all the same. It was similar. And whilst there were slightly different characteristics of the car. This is a [big] step, with the whole thing being completely different," he revealed.

"It's a really exciting experience. This is something I've really enjoyed trying to get and wrap my mind around, particularly also just in settings, and the terminology they use, the different ways that they can set up a car. That's taking some getting used to, for sure."

"I've been waiting such a long time for it, so firing the car up, it's like such a new, uncharted journey, and it's the most exciting thing that's happened to me for as long as I can remember. It's nothing like the car that I had before over the last 10, 12, 17, years," Hamilton said in his first Ferrari interview.

'Nothing like what I've had';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/3284...-with-ferrari-than-mercedes-in-formula-1.html


Lewis Hamilton insists Ferrari ‘has the ingredients’ to win F1 titles
Feb 20, 2025
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Lewis Hamilton has expressed that his opening weeks as a Ferrari driver have proven to him that the team possesses “all the ingredients to win” again in Formula 1. When asked whether he was convinced that the timing to come to Ferrari was right, Hamilton replied: “100 per cent. I don’t have the slightest doubt or question in my head.”

“I’m in the right place at the right time and it’s a great privilege to be here, to join this team and to work with everyone to try to build and continue the great historical tradition of this team. Every day has been exciting. Even last night, walking on that stage [at the F1 75 livery event at London’s O2] dressed in red was something totally new for me.”

“To be able to meet and experience the fans is something very different doing it as an opponent or doing it as a Ferrari driver. To begin a journey together with them and the team is something that left me speechless.”

‘Has the ingredients’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025...ferrari-has-the-ingredients-to-win-f1-titles/


Charles Leclerc: Lewis Hamilton has made Ferrari F1 move at ‘the right time’
Feb 20, 2025
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

“I think Lewis is coming into the team in [at] the right time,” Leclerc told media including Motorsport Week once he had completed his debut run in the team’s SF-25 car. “I think Fred is a guy that has a very big strength of keeping the emotional level of the team at a very good level, and we’ve been so much more solid on that in the last past years.”

“Obviously the fact that Lewis has joined the team has been a big boost and has been amazing in so many ways. But I feel like the team is very, very calm and very calm and very clear in what is the direction to work in and not getting too affected by everything that is going on around the team, and that is extremely important and that’s great to see.”

“It’s always very, very interesting the first few weeks with a new team-mate, and especially when your team-mate is Lewis Hamilton,” he added. “He’s achieved so much, it’s super interesting, and it’s super cool for me to be able to analyse how he actually works day to day with his engineers. What are the comments that he makes, what are the things that he puts particular attention on, because obviously it’s been a very successful approach.”

‘Leclerc learning alongside Hamilton at Ferrari’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025...n-has-made-ferrari-f1-move-at-the-right-time/


Lewis Hamilton gave Ferrari ‘cultural shock’ as Alesi offers behind-the-scenes insight
20 Feb 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Former Ferrari F1 driver Jean Alesi revealed the backstage reaction to Lewis Hamilton within the team after completing his Mercedes switch. And it is good news for the seven-time World Champion, as the opinions which Alesi has been getting from Ferrari personnel on Hamilton are very positive indeed.

“I know many people in Ferrari. He impressed everybody,” Alesi – who claimed his sole F1 victory with Ferrari at the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix – told Sky Sports F1. “He impressed everybody from his presence, the way he presented himself to the team. Really, he was a cultural shock for Ferrari, to have such a champion, and without taking anything to Charles and Carlos Sainz [sic], but so far, he impressed everybody.”

“Impressed everybody”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-hamilton-impressed-everyone-ferrari-jean-alesi
 
Gary Anderson names which F1 team has taken ‘bigger steps’ with their 2025 cars between McLaren and Ferrari.
Unless Red Bull or Mercedes take impressive steps forward, or another team on the grid stuns the rest of the paddock, Ferrari and McLaren will be the favourites at the start of 2025.
20 Feb 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Gary Anderson thinks McLaren have taken ‘bigger steps’ with their 2025 F1 car than Ferrari. Anderson was asked which out of the 2025 McLaren and Ferrari he ‘particularly liked the look of’ ahead of the other and said: “Well, the one thing I would say is that McLaren have, I suppose you could say, taken risks in my opinion with how far they’ve exploited the longitudinal suspension geometry. Using braking and accelerating to try to control the aero platform of the car.”

“And my biggest worry with that is that from my experience, it’s one of these that is so difficult to simulate. It’s about driver feel, it’s about how the driver is affected by it all. So, I think on the track, if McLaren don’t have problems, then I think McLaren have taken bigger steps than Ferrari. I think they’ll still be together battling quite closely and that’s what I want to see. And I want to see Red Bull join the club, Mercedes join the club, [and] perhaps even Alpine join the club.”

“We want a competitive season. It’s the end of these rules, there’s going to be a separation of this grid in 2026 for sure because of the rule change for them because it’s quite big. So, this year’s the fourth year of ground effect rules as we know them and I would love to see a season where we have no idea who’s going to win the championship until the last couple of races.”

Bigger steps’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ga...-their-2025-cars-between-mclaren-and-ferrari/


F1 icon Nigel Mansell in no doubt over ‘monumental’ Lewis Hamilton prediction that fulfils eight-year Ferrari prophecy
20 Feb 2025
Joe Brophy
talkSPORT

Asked what he makes of the latter's move to Ferrari, 'Il Leone' said: “Well, having been there and done it, I think it’s absolutely fantastic! I mean, Ferrari’s a dream come true and Lewis is doing everything right.”

“Lewis is a complete class act, he’s going to surprise a lot of people this year. [He’s] not surprised me, but I think he’s going to get the job done and Ferrari between him and Charles Leclerc, Ferrari is overdue for winning a championship or both championships. So, the timing I think of coming together with Ferrari is monumental. I think it’s so exciting!”

‘Monumental’;

https://talksport.com/motorsport/2947701/f1-nigel-mansell-lewis-hamilton-prediction-ferrari-title/


Fernando Alonso thinks Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari boss is wrong about how the season will pan out
21 Feb 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

Fernando Alonso explains why Frederic Vasseur is wrong about how 2025 F1 season will pan out. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has previously told The Race that the competitive landscape is likely to be decided in the first races of 2025, however, Alonso does not think this is the case.

“I feel that the Bahrain tests and the first races will be less relevant than usual. In the last two years, I have seen that during the season,” said Alonso. “Before, it seemed that starting the year well guaranteed you continuity and in these last two years we have seen radical changes in McLaren in 2023, in Mercedes last year, [now] Haas….”

“If the team hits the key in race nine, the season is so long that until race 24 there is a lot to solve. So, I take it a little more calmly how to face the preseason and a good year for us means, at least, equalizing what we did last year. We were fifth in Constructors, I think we were not the fastest fifth at the end of the year and we have to return, at least, to those benefits throughout the year.”

‘The first races will be less relevant than usual’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fe...s-is-wrong-about-how-the-season-will-pan-out/


Nigel Mansell Backs Lewis Hamilton For Magical Ferrari Debut Win, Predicts ‘Momentous’ F1 Season
Feb 21, 2025
F1 Chronicle

Speaking with ESPN, the 1992 world champion shared his enthusiasm for Hamilton’s move from Mercedes to Ferrari, stating, “I think it’s absolutely brilliant. Lewis has done something absolutely amazing. If not the greatest … I think he is the greatest ever. I hope he wins first time out like I did, because that’s a magical moment to win your first race with a new team. Ferrari is right at the top of their game.”

“The timing is perfect. Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and [Mclaren] as well. It could be the most momentous year in Formula 1,” Mansell added. The former champion also emphasized the unique and special nature of driving for Ferrari, drawing comparisons to the reverence shown to the Pope.

“Driving for Ferrari … a lot of people go and visit the Pope. The Pope goes to visit Ferrari! All the church bells ring when Ferrari wins. It doesn’t happen in any other country like that,” Mansell explained, highlighting the unparalleled passion and dedication of the Tifosi.

‘Momentous’;

https://f1chronicle.com/nigel-manse...in-predicts-momentous-f1-season/?nowprocket=1


Nigel Mansell and Jackie Stewart invited just one current F1 driver to special legends dinner
20 Feb 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

Fernando Alonso joined F1 legends dinner in London. In the days before the F1 75 launch, a dinner was hosted by F1 legends including Nigel Mansell, Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti, Emmerson Fittipaldi and Mika Hakkinen at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant in Mayfair. Fernando Alonso was present at the legends dinner and was seemingly the only current driver from the grid to be invited.

Posting about the dinner on social media, Andretti said it was the “best time” and that it was “so fun” to meet up with fellow big personalities of F1. Several of them would go on to attend the F1 launch at the O2, where their cars were displayed on stage including Fittipaldi’s McLaren and Hakkinen’s from his title-winning season.

Fernando Alonso and F1 legends write messages to open in next 25 years. Alonso said that his former team boss, Giancarlo Minardi, who gave him his first drive in F1 in 2000 was also present at the event. He revealed that each of the drivers did something special by hand-writing messages and putting them into a locked box for the future. I guess we will have to wait until F1’s 100th anniversary until we see exactly what these legends of the championship have written.

‘Special legends dinner’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ni...-current-f1-driver-to-special-legends-dinner/


George Russell confident Mercedes won't 'fall into trap' again with W16 car during 2025 F1 season
George Russell is optimistic that Mercedes will make a stronger start to the season than they have managed in recent campaigns; watch F1 pre-season testing live on Sky Sports F1 from February 26-28
21 Feb 2025
Sky Sports

George Russell says he is confident Mercedes are "not going to fall into a trap" with their 2025 car in the same way they have done in recent seasons. Speaking as Mercedes' W16 was revealed at F1's all-team launch in London, Russell said: "I think it's going to be a significant change this year, to be honest. Every year we've uncovered a problem, we've solved it, and it's created a new one.

"We've probably been a lot more disciplined with every change that we've made and been more thorough than ever in terms of the simulator running - just to ensure we're not going to fall into a new trap. And so far, it's a reasonable step, obviously you have no idea what everyone else is doing and it's going to be, I feel like, quite an interesting season with how people deploy the resource between 2025 and 2026."

‘Optimistic that Mercedes will make a stronger start to the season’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...trap-again-with-w16-car-during-2025-f1-season


Toto Wolff clarifies Mercedes’ Ineos future after reported sponsorship cutbacks
20 Feb 2025
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

Ineos has long been a major player in the sporting world, owning or sponsoring ventures in the likes of football, sailing and rugby, but there are reports that the British company is scaling back on some of its outgoings. This comes following the news that New Zealand Rugby is suing Ineos for alleged breach of contract, claiming they walked away from a six-year deal three years early.

Sailor Ben Ainslie is also reportedly mulling over taking Ineos to court following his departure from the America’s Cup team. These potentially costly outgoings, along with a $1.6 billion purchase for a portion of Manchester United, has Ratcliffe looking to cut costs, notably with the football club but also by ending its sponsorship of Tottenham Hotspur.

However, any penny-saving measures will not be applied to Mercedes it seems with co-owner Toto Wolff saying his business partner was there to stay.

‘Clarification’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-...os-future-after-reported-sponsorship-cutbacks
 
Verstappen and Red Bull to be at the front again?' 'I've heard they've done a good job'.
1992 F1 world champion Nigel Mansell expects a great battle for the championship will happen this season in the competition. According to the Briton, Max Verstappen and Red Bull will bounce back, and with four frontrunners, he expects a very interesting year of Formula 1.
22 Feb 2025
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

According to the former Lotus, Williams and Ferrari driver, Red Bull Racing and the Dutchman will be back and based on the information he received, they will be able to do just that. "The exciting thing about F1 in 2025 is that Max (Verstappen) won’t lie down with Red Bull. I’ve heard Red Bull have done a good job with the car over the winter," the told Mail Sport.

While, Mansell wishes that Lewis Hamilton would win the title next season this season, he also sees another two teams entering the equation. "McLaren were outstanding last year and if they got their act together a little bit sooner, they could have won the (Drivers’) Championship so both Lando (Norris) and (Oscar) Piastri are going to be challenging," he continued about the British squad. "And, of course, you mustn’t forget Mercedes with George Russell. Toto Wolff is not there to make up the numbers," the former world champion added.

‘Bounce back’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/3287...tappen-red-bull-good-job-over-the-winter.html


Jos Verstappen: 'If Red Bull can't do it now, you fear for the next years'
22 Feb 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com

Jos Verstappen is on the one hand optimistic about Red Bull Racing and his son Max's 2025 season, but at the same time he worries: Will Red Bull manage to build a championship-worthy car again? "If they can't figure it out now, then you do worry for the years after," he said.

Looking ahead to the new season, Verstappen Sr., says he has many question marks. What will the balance of power of be, he does not know: "You do not know how the others are doing, so everything is new. Next week they will test and then you can see a bit of what is happening, but not quite yet either. So it is a matter of waiting and hoping that Red Bull has made a good car, because that is incredibly important for Max," Jos Verstappen told RaceXpress.

Out loud, Verstappen Sr., wondered whether Red Bull "can still do it?", after a season during which the Austrians seemed to have lost their way. "With these new people, to then put down a good car.... You take that into next year too, when everything is new. If they can't get out of it now, you do worry for the years after that. So we are optimistic, but we want to see it progress."

‘Many question marks’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/3287...ing-years-if-red-bull-does-not-plug-leak.html


Mansell shares ‘exciting’ insider update on the Red Bull RB21
22 Feb 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

In a major boost for reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, Red Bull has done a “good job” with their new creation, the RB21.

That is the information heard by Formula 1 legend Nigel Mansell, who for as much as he wants to see Lewis Hamilton and his former team Ferrari back on top in F1, warns that Verstappen and Red Bull “won’t lie down” in the much-anticipated F1 2025 season to come.

And as the RB21 readies to hit the track – a filming day in Bahrain scheduled on Tuesday, February 25, the day before pre-season testing commences – Mansell has heard good things from his sources about Red Bull’s new challenger.

“The exciting thing about F1 in 2025 is that Max won’t lie down with Red Bull. I’ve heard Red Bull have done a good job with the car over the winter.”

‘Max won’t lie down with Red Bull’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/nigel-mansell-heard-red-bull-done-good-job-rb21


Verstappen in spotlight: 'They were stable weeks, a normal rhythm'
25 Feb 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com

One driver after another tested an old F1 car in recent weeks, some drivers have already had the shakedown with their new cars. And Max Verstappen? The Red Bull Racing driver reported to his employer's factory later than his F1 colleagues. Not that Verstappen was slacking off in the meantime. Instead he was quietly preparing himself for what will undoubtedly be a long and hectic season.

He told Dutch press, including GPblog. "I also tried to do that as much as possible in January, to do this kind of thing as late as possible. So actually January was very nice. A lot of training at home, stable weeks, so to speak, a normal rhythm. Now it's a few final weeks before it starts and it's different again; a few days of training and now again, not, because you're on the road."

Everyone wants to know the same thing at the moment: Can Verstappen clinch his fifth title on the trot in 2025? This early in the season, Verstappen says he has no idea. After all, his RB21 has yet to make its first run. "In all the years I've experienced the winter months, it's never been 100 per cent clear how good or how bad something is. That's why I'm neutral on it, I'll just wait until I've driven the car myself. Then you know a bit more," concluded the Red Bull Racing driver.

‘Normal rhythm';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/328769/verstappen-clear-on-f1-75-event-would-rather-stay-at-home.html


How dominant will Verstappen be over Lawson?
Max Verstappen has not finished an F1 season behind a team-mate since his first year with Red Bull in 2016.
22 Feb 2025
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

Liam Lawson faces a daunting task in 2025 being alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, in what is the New Zealander's first full-time F1 seat.

Not since Daniel Ricciardo in 2016 has Verstappen finished a season behind a team-mate; however, he did not race for Red Bull in the opening four rounds that year.

The Dutchman is also chasing a fifth consecutive F1 drivers' title in the upcoming campaign, giving the 27-year-old extra motivation.

‘How dominant?’;

https://racingnews365.com/how-dominant-will-verstappen-be-over-lawson


Team preview: Amid team changes and a new driver, can Red Bull reclaim the Constructors’ crown in 2025?
25 Feb 2025
Anna Francis
Formula One - Official Site

In one way it’s business as usual for Red Bull entering into 2025, with Max Verstappen again ready to defend his title after sealing his fourth consecutive World Championship. But in other respects the picture has changed dramatically from this time last year, given the departures of some high-profile figures within the team as well as the arrival of a new driver – and not to mention the loss of the Constructors’ Championship. Here’s the lowdown on the Milton Keynes-based outfit ahead of the campaign…

It’s season number 10 as a Red Bull driver for Max Verstappen, who arrives into the campaign having taken perhaps his most hard fought Drivers’ Championship yet. This achievement has elevated the Dutchman even further into the upper echelons of the record books, making him one of only six drivers to score four World Championships while his victory tally of 63 has put him third in the all-time list.

Meanwhile it’s all change on the other side of the garage. Following the exit of Sergio Perez after a tough season for the Mexican, Liam Lawson has been promoted after impressing during his previous super-sub stints for Racing Bulls. Given the loss of the Constructors’ Championship last time out, the pressure will be on the New Zealander to help the team bounce back.

‘Team changes’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...n-red-bull-reclaim-the.1YHbfFU8XtDYZ5ULXNJ3Qa


Red Bull ‘happy’ to see McLaren regarded as favourites in F1 2025
22 Feb 2025
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has asserted that he’s “happy” to see the pressure on McLaren and Lando Norris rather than his team going into the 2025 Formula 1 season. “It’s sometimes good not to be the favourite. It puts the pressure on others,” Horner told media including Motorsport Week at the F1 75 season launch in London.

“I’d be very happy to see Lando go into the first race as the favourite, but it’s meaningless until we get to that first race. Even then, Melbourne’s a pretty unique circuit. I think you need to see that first batch of flyaways to get a real true read of form and degradation. We’ve got new surfaces in China. There’s a lot of moving parts and it’s such a long season. So, let’s see how it plays out.”

‘Happy to see the pressure on McLaren and Lando Norris’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025...ee-mclaren-regarded-as-favourites-in-f1-2025/
 
Gary Anderson's verdict on, Red Bull's secretive 2025 F1 car, 2025 Mercedes F1 car, Aston Martin's crucial 2025 F1 car, Ferrari's '99% new' 2025 F1 car, the 2025 Haas F1 car, Williams's 2025 F1 car, the boldest part of McLaren's 2025 F1 car.


Gary Anderson's take on Red Bull's secretive 2025 F1 car
Feb 25, 2025
Gary Anderson
The Race

Red Bull has just released the first pictures of its new car for 2025, and I have to ask why it has bothered given what we've seen appears to be a few shots of a polished-up 2024 car with lighting and background that makes it very difficult to see anything.

It looks like the car has a very shallow nose profile.
The inboard end of the top front wishbone forward leg is raised right to the top of that surface (green ellipse).
Red Bull has retained the nose-to-front wing forward flap cover panel which means no slot gap.

From this side view of the radiator intake, sidepod and engine cover, the whole thing doesn’t look much different.
It retains the pushrod-operated rear suspension (red highlight) with a reasonable amount of anti-lift on the top wishbone forward leg (light blue highlight).

‘Gary Anderson's 2025 technical analysis’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/red-bull-secretive-rb21-reveal-gary-anderson-technical-analysis/


Gary Anderson's verdict on surprising 2025 Mercedes F1 car
24 Feb 2025
Gary Anderson
The Race

Let’s have a close look at what Mercedes has revealed of its W16 so far, with the proviso that what we see now might not be what we see during the team's shakedown on Tuesday, pre-season testing later in the week or at the season-opener in Melbourne. Mercedes has pulled the wool over our eyes in the past and is quite capable of doing the same again.

Mercedes' front wing has changed since last year but it’s difficult to see to what degree.
Front suspension: There is a slight difference in the angle of these two pictures which makes the top wishbone look higher but other than that the layout looks very similar to last year.
Radiator inlet: Where other teams seem to have opened up their cooling inlets, Mercedes seems to have really gone to town on minimising its sidepod inlet.

Sidepod: The undercut on the front corner of the sidepod (red highlight) is now more of a full length undercut.
Engine cover: More defined are the now-common cannon exits coming off the drivers' shoulders.
Floor sides: I’m surprised that we are not seeing more differences in this area because I would have thought that three months of aerodynamic research would have brought something to the package.

‘Gary Anderson's 2025 technical analysis’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mercedes-2025-f1-car-w16-gary-anderson-technical-analysis/


Gary Anderson's verdict on Aston Martin's crucial 2025 F1 car
Feb 23, 2025
Gary Anderson
The Race

With Adrian Newey being about a week away from ‘officially’ starting his new job with Aston Martin, the pressure is on the existing technical group to prove that they actually know what makes an F1 car tick.

Front wing: In its press release, Aston claims to have made a lot of changes to the front wing to help the front grip in low speed corners.
Front suspension: This is very similar to last year, I can't see any major differences in anti dive, top wishbone forward leg

Radiator intake: This new style of inlet (red highlight) is beneficial when you are running high angles of front wing, the top peak is roughly where the airflow separation point happens
Sidepod: The surface profile of the sidepods are less complicated than last year's version.
Rear suspension: Aston uses the Mercedes transmission system and with it, I’m pretty sure most of the rear suspension layout.

‘Gary Anderson's 2025 technical analysis’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/aston-martin-2025-f1-car-technical-analysis-gary-anderson/


Gary Anderson's verdict on Ferrari's '99% new' 2025 F1 car
Feb 23, 2025
Gary Anderson
The Race

The new Ferrari Formula 1 car has now hit the track and what's on show at Fiorano seems to be pretty consistent with the renders the team released of the SF-25, although there are no guarantees that this is what we will see in Bahrain when the cars start running for pre-season testing.

A wheelbase change: It looks like Ferrari has slightly lengthened the wheelbase by moving the front wheels forward.
Front suspension: Ferrari has gone to the pullrod (blue line above) front suspension… … mainly for aerodynamic optimisation and to allow further areas and direction for development.

Front wing: There's no big difference from last year, but for me the nose is fairly wide and boxy (blue arrows above) just where the front wing attaches to it.
Sidepod and radiator: The radiator inlet area is larger than last year. I think this comes about from the thinking that it could be a competitive season and that when running in traffic you need to make sure you can cool the car.

Gary Anderson's 2025 technical analysis’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/99-percent-new-2025-ferrari-f1-car-sf-25-gary-anderson-verdict/


Gary Anderson's verdict on the 2025 Haas F1 car
Feb 18, 2025
Gary Anderson
The Race

The restructuring at Haas prior to 2024 produced major benefits, with team principal Ayao Komatsu turning it into an engineering-led operation. I always say the devil is in the detail, but I must admit I expected just that little more externally-visual difference.

There is a very slight difference in the rear view mirror shroud, with the addition of a top and bottom horizontal vane to control the wake as it comes around that curved front surface and spills into the flat surface where the mirror lens is situated, but that’s about it.

Haas has retained the 2024-specification pushrod front suspension supplied by Ferrari, rather than taking the new pullrod version that we are expecting Ferrari to introduce.
The one change I have spotted is the detail of the rear-wing-to-endplate transition. I have highlighted this area with the green ellipse, and included a cropped version.

‘Gary Anderson's 2025 technical analysis’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/gary-anderson-verdict-2025-haas-f1-car/


Gary Anderson's verdict on Williams's 2025 F1 car
Feb 14, 2025
Gary Anderson
The Race

We've now seen the second 2025 Formula 1 car courtesy of Williams and I'm a little surprised that we haven't seen more differences between its 2024 and 2025 cars. Team principal James Vowles said that Williams was focusing on driver-usable downforce… But as I often say, it's the detail that counts and we really don't see enough of that to comment with any degree of confidence on whether Williams has achieved that this year.

Front wing and front suspension: As I have said many times, it all starts at the front of the car. There seems to be a slightly different loading of the front wing, which has the trailing edge highlighted in yellow, and the transition from the section under the nose looks less pronounced.
Sidepod: From a side view we can see changes to the sidepod profile. Williams now has more of a bathtub effect than just a short sidepod, which is highlighted with a red line on the image below.

Mercedes rear suspension: This year it's the latest 2025 Mercedes package (understood to be a 2024 carryover) complete with rear suspension. The main change is going from a pullrod to a pushrod rear suspension system, which is highlighted with the green line.

‘Gary Anderson's 2025 technical analysis’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/williams-2025-f1-car-gary-anderson-verdict/


Gary Anderson: The boldest part of McLaren's 2025 F1 car
Feb 13, 2025
Gary Anderson
The Race

The wait is over and we have our first look at a 2025 Formula 1 car courtesy of McLaren's Silverstone shakedown. As you'd expect given the secrecy over new cars, there's only a handful of images available - some from distant angles - but there are still some detail changes that we can pick out if you look closely enough.

Looking at what we've seen so far, there's one area that immediately grabbed my attention: McLaren has gone to town on its front and rear suspension geometry. Team boss Andrea Stella said most of the changes on the 2025 car are to optimise the aerodynamic package. This overall increase in anti dive using the top wishbone will achieve that…

Sidepod inlet: Radiator intake-wise (green highlights above), McLaren has altered the opening to more of an upside down L-shape.
Revised airbox: It is slightly wider and appears to be shallower - perhaps McLaren has just been watching the Six Nations, as it's more like a rugby ball shape?

‘Gary Anderson's 2025 technical analysis’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/gary-anderson-mclaren-2025-f1-car-verdict/
 
1st Day of Winter Testing done | Afternoon report: It's going to be close in 2025.
…and from the past 4 hours of on-track running, it's the usual suspects at the top and one outlier. Here's a look at how the session unfolded.
26 Feb 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com

As Norris topped the timesheets, Sainz went even quicker and managed to slot himself in P5, just behind Verstappen. Although Hadjar moved up to Tsunoda’s time, and managed to slot in behind his teammate after having spent the majority of the session adrift off the Japanese's pace, the Racing Bulls rookie went off track once again at turn 7.

Verstappen placed himself behind Norris with a 1:30.6, almost two and a half tenths behind his McLaren rival, only to be pushed down to P3 by Mercedes driver, Russell.

Ocon, Hadjar and Verstappen did the most laps in the afternoon, with the Haas driver doing 88, the Racing Bulls driver 76 and the Red Bull Racing driver 74. How close will it be in 2025? At least during the afternoon session, Verstappen, Norris and Russell set the records for sectors 1 through 3 respectively.

‘It's going to be close in 2025’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/3293...done-afternoon-report-2025-will-be-close.html


Are Mercedes ‘copying’ Red Bull in F1 2025? Testing sparks debate
26 Feb 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Brackley may now be looking beyond their in-house ideas in a bid to save their championship hopes as Ted Kravitz suggests they’ve peered over at what Red Bull produced last time out as a source of inspiration. Mercedes have made significant design alterations for the 2025 season, prompting speculation that they are adopting Milton Keynes’ successful aerodynamic concepts, which led to 17 wins in 2022, 21 in 2023 and nine in 2024.

“[Kimi] Antonelli has stepped into the car, which looks like the Red Bull,” Kravitz told Sky Sports F1 at the Bahrain International Circuit. “They have certainly taken some design cues from recent Red Bulls, but they have taken it to a more extreme level. Just beneath the wing mirror, you can see one of the sidepod air intakes is the vertical one which Red Bull brought to their car last year. It’s extreme and a different design idea to the Mercedes of last year.”

‘Peered over at what Red Bull produced last time out as a source of inspiration’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/mercedes-copying-red-bull-f1-2025-testing-sparks-debate/


'So fascinating': Ted Kravitz shares why Max Verstappen’s first push lap of 2025 F1 testing was ‘crucial’ for Red Bull
26 Feb 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer

Speaking on Sky Sports F1, Ted Kravitz said that because so much of their car has changed, it was a ‘crucial’ lap for the team. “Max was obviously going for it and certainly everybody in the garage was keen to see what that lap was going to be. We’ve got them all lined up here,” he said.

“We’ve got Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and Liam Lawson, as well as GP Lambiase, all the other engineers, just looking at the pictures, watching Max on that lap. So, I think that was a crucial lap and it’s just going to be so fascinating because, I don’t know if everyone watched the press conference in the break, but Christian Horner underlining how much is different on this RB21. He said every single surface was changed from last year.”

‘Crucial’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/te...-of-2025-f1-testing-was-crucial-for-red-bull/


Edd Straw's trackside verdict on every 2025 F1 car
26 Feb 2025
Edd Straw
The Race

Amid question marks about fuel loads, run plans and engine modes on day one of 2025 Formula 1 testing, what can't be hidden is how the cars look on track.

Watch from trackside for enough time, and at different corners, and you are guaranteed to see every car being leaned on in a way that will expose its traits. That's what makes following pre-season testing from behind the tyre barriers so fascinating. Every time a car passes, you grab a snapshot for assimilation into the growing tapestry of understanding.

All 20 drivers ran on the first day in 2025, offering a whistle-stop tour of the key players for the coming season. As a result, we can tease out early signs of the car characteristics we will soon become familiar with. These impressions are drawn from trips to watch trackside both in the 'morning' and 'afternoon' running in Bahrain and should be regarded as nothing more definitive than first impressions.

‘Edd Straw's trackside verdict’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/every-2025-f1-car-trackside-verdict-edd-straw/


Lando Norris looks every inch the world-championship favourite as McLaren star leads day one of pre-season testing - while Lewis Hamilton's first outing for Ferrari fails to impress
• Last year's world championship contender looked threatening in Bahrain
• Mercedes star George Russell was second-fastest, with Max Verstappen third
• But Hamilton found himself in the bottom-half of the pack on his public debut
26 Feb 2025
JONATHAN MCEVOY
MailOnline

Lando Norris lived up to his billing as world-championship favourite by setting the fastest time on the opening day of pre-season testing in Bahrain. In an afternoon session that was paused for an hour after a power cut plunged the garages and paddock into darkness, the McLaren man pipped his fellow Brit George Russell, of Mercedes, to top spot by 0.157sec.

Red Bull’s Verstappen was third quickest on the day, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc fourth best after he took over driving duties from Lewis Hamilton, who was 13th fastest on his first publicly timed outing in the red car since his £50m-a-year move from Mercedes.

‘World-championship favourite’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...re-season-testing-Lewis-Hamilton-Ferrari.html


Verstappen reacts: This is how his first run with Red Bull's RB21 went
25 Feb 2025
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen has completed his first kilometres in Red Bull Racing's new RB21. At a windy Bahrain circuit, the reigning champion was the first to subject the new car to a small test during the shakedown this Tuesday. Afterwards, Verstappen addressed how the session had gone for him so far.

"It’s good to be back on track in Bahrain for this Filming Day before we head into Testing," Verstappen said. "It is really nice to be back driving again and to get into RB21 for the first time. I got a few laps in, but today was more about getting comfortable in the car, seeing what fits and we will then learn more about the car over the next few days."

As we know, Red Bull has had a challenging 2024, in which the team no longer had the fastest car. The coming days should show whether that has changed. "We know what last year’s limitations were, so it is important that we assess the pace over the next few days and see if we have improved. We don’t have a long time before the first race so, over Testing, we hope to get a lot of mileage on the car and lots of runs in to understand where we can find time."

‘Shakedown on Tuesday’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/3291...-his-first-run-with-red-bull-s-rb21-went.html


Feedback from Verstappen prompts enthusiastic Marko in Bahrain
26 Feb 2025
Tim Kraaij
GPblog.com

The feeling at Red Bull Racing is good after the first day of the winter test. Helmut Marko was positive to GPblog.com, but still mentioned McLaren as the team that, like last year, looks very strong.

Max Verstappen's feedback, after he drove around the track for more than a race length in the afternoon, was also positive, according to Marko. ''Good. He says the car is better put together. When they make changes, the car responds in the right way. During his fastest lap, he had a small wobble. However, the longruns we saw were very impressive.''

Overall, Red Bull Racing can therefore be very satisfied after the first day in Bahrain, according to Marko. The goals set, to make the car faster and more predictable, have all been achieved. On to day two, where only Liam Lawson will be in action for Red Bull Racing.

‘The feeling at Red Bull Racing is good’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/3294...-of-testing-and-feedback-from-verstappen.html
 
Sainz narrowly leads Ferrari pair in second day of test.
Carlos Sainz Jnr finished his allocation of pre-season testing for Williams by putting them on top of the times on the second day of running in Bahrain,
27th February 2025
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

The driver who was fastest in pre-season testing last year, for Ferrari, posted the quickest time of the test so far. He set a 1’29.348 shortly after returning to the cockpit following the lunch break. The two cars of his former team got within a tenth of a second of his time, Lewis Hamilton second for Ferrari ahead of Charles Leclerc.

Sainz was one of two drivers to complete the entire day solo. He logged 127 laps, the most of any driver. Liam Lawson, the other driver who had a car to himself all day, fell short of the 100-lap count after being confined to his garage towards the end of the morning session with an apparent power unit problem.

‘Sainz fastest’;

https://www.racefans.net/2025/02/27/sainz-narrowly-leads-ferrari-pair-in-second-day-of-test/


Lando Norris hints at big McLaren development mistake
The Brit believes McLaren may have work to do on the rear of their car
27 Feb 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Could McLaren have made a key development mistake ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season, potentially costing them the constructors’ championship, as Lando Norris hints the team still have a lot of work to do ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.

“Nothing’s been majorly addressed. Let’s say it’s not like that much has changed from what we’ve tried to do,” Norris added told members of the media, including Total-Motorsport.com. “Just try to do just try to make the car quick all around and add more load.

“That’s the most simple way of looking at it, honestly. We still want to try and focus on some areas more than, more than others, and we’ve struggled a bit more in the rear than we would have liked, over yesterday and today.”

‘Key development mistake?’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-2025-lando-norris-hints-big-mclaren-development-mistake/


Hamilton issues stinging response to Wolff after ‘shelf life’ remark
Lewis Hamilton is not messing around with a response to a Toto Wolff comment about his age.
27 Feb 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

In a book released in November 2024 charting the inside story of Mercedes' season, Wolff said that Hamilton's decision to quit for Ferrari for '25 "helps us because it avoids the moment where we need to tell the sport’s most iconic driver that we want to stop ... We’re in a sport where cognitive sharpness is extremely important, and I believe everyone has a shelf life."

Reflecting on Wolff's 'shelf life' comment, Hamilton launched a passionate defence. "Don't ever compare me to anybody else," he told TIME. "I'm the first and only black driver that's ever been in this sport, I'm built different.”

"I've been through a lot, I've had my own journey and you can't compare me to another 40-year-old, past or present Formula 1 driver in history. Because they are nothing like me. I'm hungry, driven, I don't have a wife and kids. I'm focused on one thing, and that's winning. That is my number one priority."

‘Stinging response’;

https://racingnews365.com/hamilton-issues-stinging-response-to-wolff-after-shelf-life-remark


'I really enjoy driving this car' - Hamilton's early 2025 Ferrari verdict
Feb 27, 2025
Josh Suttill, Jon Noble
The Race

So what’s his initial feeling with the car? Does it suit him better than the 2024 Mercedes W15 that so often frustrated him? “I think it’s a bit early to say but I’m really enjoying the car,” Hamilton said on Thursday.

“We’re slowly bonding I think. Yesterday was a so-so day. It was OK. But yesterday we got through all of our run plan. We’re testing a bunch of things. So I’m not doing set-up changes or directing where I want the car to go. We’re just getting through the motions. Today was a bit more of getting to explore a bit of my interaction with my engineer. So far I really enjoy driving this car.”

'I really enjoy driving this car';

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/...his-car-hamiltons-early-2025-ferrari-verdict/


Red Bull suspicions bring reminder of F1's biggest sandbagger
Feb 27th 2025
Cambridge Kisby
Motor Sport Magazine

The lack of obvious changes between the 2025 Red Bull and last year's F1 car has raised speculation that the team is sandbagging, and holding back radical parts. It's denied by the team, but wouldn't be the first time it has happened...

Unsurprisingly, amid the speculative atmosphere of the F1 testing, suspicions have been raised that the team has a more extensive upgrade hidden away, ready to whip out and stun the paddock at the first race of the season in Australia. So has Red Bull run out of ideas, or is it mounting an elaborate cover-up?

The answer to both questions appears to be no. When asked about the RB21’s supposed lack of development over the winter, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was quick to fire back. “Every surface on our car is different to last year, it just looks similar because it’s a similar philosophy,” he said during a press conference on the opening day of testing. “And you can see other cars have converged with that.”

‘Sandbagging suspicions’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/...nder-of-f1s-biggest-sandbagger/?nowprocket=1#


Verstappen happy with RB21: 'Already a big difference'
Feb 27th 2025
Jenny Garnett
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen is so far satisfied with the work Red Bull Racing has done to fix the performance issues which arose in the team's 2024 F1 car. He has already concluded that the RB21 is an overall improvement on its predecessor.

On day two of the winter test in Bahrain, Verstappen was asked about his initial feeling toward the 2025 car. "So, I think the direction that we are working into is good. So we just need to follow that and see how much we can extract out of that. But at the moment, it's really early days. So, [there are] a lot of things that we are still discussing and wanting to improve. But, yesterday, like I said, I enjoyed it, and that's already a big difference to last year."

So far, the four-time world champion is delighted with the RB21, with which he will try to win his fifth Formula 1 world title. "It's just improved everywhere compared to last year. I don't want to go too much in detail. It's not necessary. We keep that for ourselves. But, let's see. I've done half a day. So, there's a lot to analyse also, but it's positive," he continued.

‘Improved everywhere compared to last year’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/329552/max-verstappen-praises-red-bull-s-improved-rb21.html


David Croft says Adrian Newey made one bizarre request for his Aston Martin office during secret factory visit
27 Feb 2025
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

David Croft says Adrian Newey requested a bed in his Aston Martin office. Croft was commentating alongside Rachel Brookes and she explained: “If you speak to anybody at Aston Martin and you listen to them or you feel the energy that is there at the moment ahead of his arrival and the way people are speaking about it and the way the people there seem to be reenergized inspired by the fact that he’s coming, you can see just what sort of influence he brings.”

“It’s more than just what he does on a car.” Croft continued: “I had a fabulous story about Adrian Newey during the discussions with Aston Martin, you know when he was rumoured to have gone on a tour to the factory. They closed it down, they took him to the design office, showing him where he would be, where his office would be, where the drawing board and all of that and he asked, ‘Where do I sleep?’”

“They were like, what do you mean where are you going to sleep? At home probably. “No, no, no, no sometimes I’ll be here working late in the night, it could get to two o’clock in the morning, there’s no point going home, I’ll have a little snooze and I’ll get back to it again.’ So they had to make provisions to have somewhere nearby.”

‘Adrian Newey requested a bed in his Aston Martin office’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/da...on-martin-office-during-secret-factory-visit/
 
Russell pips Verstappen to fastest time of final day of testing.
However his best effort was two-tenths of a second slower than the quickest time of the test, set by Carlos Sainz Jnr yesterday.
28th February 2025
Keith Collantine
F1i.com

Sainz’s team mate Alexander Albon was briefly fastest today after producing a 1’29.650 with a run on the C4 tyres. However Max Verstappen moved to the top with a quicker time on the C3 tyres, then Russell took that from him using the same tyres, with just six minutes remaining.

Oscar Piastri produced McLaren’s fastest time of the test to end the day fourth-fastest, with what looked like a conservative effort. That lap moved him ahead of Pierre Gasly, who ran a sequence of increasingly fast laps after the lunch break, and ended up fifth.

The day’s two sessions were each interrupted due to unusual incidents. The first occured almost three-quarters of an hour before the lunch break, when a pane of glass fell onto the pit straight from a flag gantry above. The second interruption was potentially even more serious. Shortly after the lunch break ended, with the track live once more, a bus entered the circuit at the run-off area on the outside of turns nine and ten.

‘Russell pips Verstappen’;

https://www.racefans.net/2025/02/28/russell-pips-verstappen-to-fastest-time-of-final-day-of-testing/


Max finishes test days in P2: 'We will see in Melbourne where we are at'
28 Feb 2025
Kees-Jan Koster
Verstappen.nl

After the final day of this three-day winter test, Max commented: “I think we had a decent day. We had a few little problems, but overall we completed quite a bit of what we tried to do. I think it was not bad, but at the same time there is still work to do.”

“It was what I kind of expected, we just keep on working and trying to improve. Hopefully we will be ready for Melbourne, learn a bit more, and see where we are at. I do not expect us to be the fastest at all, but at the same time it is very difficult to tell where everyone’s pace is. There is some work to do for us.”

‘Decent day’;

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5721/


Verstappen admits Red Bull have ‘work to do’ as pre-season testing concludes
28 Feb 2025
Formula One - Official Site

Max Verstappen shared mixed feelings after pre-season testing came to an end at the Bahrain International Circuit on Friday, saying there is “still a bit of work to do” for Red Bull.

“I think it wasn’t bad, but at the same time there is still a bit of work to do. However, it is what we expected and we will keep on working and keep on trying to improve and, hopefully, as we go into [the first Grand Prix in] Melbourne, we will learn a bit more by going through all the data and see where we are at.”

“It is difficult to tell where everyone’s pace is, so there is still a bit of work to do for us. We are looking forward to starting racing properly again in Australia.”

‘Work to do’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...ason-testing-concludes.7wBAIm5eQDymUfEoJ4XR1s


What we learned from F1 2025 pre-season testing Day 3
What did we learn as the final day of the 2025 F1 pre-season test came to a close?
28 Feb 2025
Ewan Gale
PlanetF1.com

Red Bull searching for answers: A far from vintage three days of testing for Red Bull was typified by constant set-up changes on the final day in Bahrain.
Aston Martin setback by Stroll illness: Lance Stroll had struggled overnight between day 2 and 3 as he came down with illness, which saw Aston Martin switch run plans around and put Fernando Alonso in the car for the morning.

Alpine lays down its pace for first time this week: It took until the final day of the test but Pierre Gasly put a potential marker down for Alpine‘s pace in the midfield battle.
Track temperature the key to laptime comparison: Anyone looking at the long run data from the past two days will notice that those running mock races on day 3 were slower than the previous day of running.

Bizarre incidents overshadow stunning reliability: Other than a small issue for Mercedes, a bodywork failure for Haas and other small niggles across the other two days for various teams, there were no huge problems for any of the 10 outfits.

‘What we learned’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/what-we-learned-f1-2025-pre-season-testing-day-3/


What we learned watching all 10 F1 cars trackside in testing
28 Feb 2025
Thomas Maher
Total Motorsport

McLaren’s MCL39 looks to be the car to beat to start the F1 2025 season, even if it looks a little reluctant at times… What quickly became evident is that there is a paddock-wide belief that it’s McLaren who have the car to beat to start the season – even if the handling of the car isn’t quite where the drivers want it to be just yet.

Red Bull look to have got on top of the handling and balance issues of last year, but the RB21 looks set to start in a chasing position, along with Mercedes. The consensus around Ferrari is that the switch from push-rod to pull-rod suspension is something of a head-scratcher, given the strong position and relentless performance Ferrari ended the 2024 season in.

Behind Ferrari, the majority seem to agree it’s Alpine, although Williams also appear to have joined in the fight to be best of the rest – tying in with Andrea Stella’s Thursday comments that there may be as many as six or seven teams in the mix, although Carlos Sainz was at pains to downplay any potential leap forward by Williams when he spoke to media on Friday.

‘What we learned watching’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-testing-2025-pecking-order-mclaren-track-observations


Lewis Hamilton causes a stir off track at F1 testing – but are Ferrari in title contention for 2025 season?
28 February 2025
The Independent

In a week where all eyes were on Lewis Hamilton’s first public outings in the Ferrari cockpit, it was away from the racetrack where he made his biggest waves.

Acting as creative director for his own TIME photoshoot and interview, in which he posed next to a stallion named Aroma, the seven-time F1 world champion caused a stir with his punchy comments directed at “older, white men”.

“I’ve always welcomed the negativity,” he said, in the interview. “I never, ever reply to any of the older, ultimately, white men who have commented on my career and what they think I should be doing. How you show up, how you present yourself, how you perform slowly dispels that.”

‘Punchy comments’;

https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/f1...ngs-ratings-2025-lewis-hamilton-b2706804.html


Lewis Hamilton ‘really struggling’ as ‘nasty Ferrari’ catches Brundle’s eye
28 Feb 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Alex Brundle, the racing driver and son of respected Sky F1 Martin Brundle, was unimpressed by the Ferrari while studying onboard footage of one of Hamilton’s laps on Friday in Bahrain.

“Anywhere where it’s got its tail to the wind, Hamilton is really struggling to get it into the apex. This is going to be a better lap for him, but it doesn’t look happy. Big understeer through the mid corner [but] it’s probably one of the better corners of [Hamilton’s] lap.”

“It looks really, really nasty behind the [wheel], whatever they’ve done to that Ferrari for Hamilton, whatever they’re testing. Of course, you take avenues that don’t always work, but that isn’t friendly.”

‘Really struggling’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-hamilton-ferrari-nasty-alex-brundle


Jolyon Palmer in awe of five-podium F1 driver who unleashed ‘hell’ with final lap times in Bahrain test
28 Feb 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Jolyon Palmer loves seeing the ‘shackles’ come off for Pierre Gasly and Alpine at F1 testing. Before leaving the commentary box on the final day of testing, Alex Jacques asked Jolyon Palmer for his highlight of the three days. He pointed to Gasly at Alpine.

The Frenchman was one of the form drivers on the grid at the end of last season, surging into the top 10 in the championship at the expense of Nico Hulkenberg. After Alpine’s unforgettable double podium in Brazil, he finished fifth in Qatar and seventh in the Abu Dhabi finale.

He also qualified a season-high third for the Las Vegas GP, only to retire with mechanical issues. Perhaps this was an indication that Alpine can occasionally disrupt the top teams in 2025. “Gasly unleashing hell in the Alpine this afternoon!” Palmer said. “Nice to see the shackles coming off.” Jolyon Palmer.

‘In awe’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jo...ed-hell-with-final-lap-times-in-bahrain-test/
 
Wache: Magnitude of Red Bull progress ‘not as big as we expected’.
Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache acknowledged that the team’s three-day test in Bahrain had not unfolded as seamlessly as hoped, though its car’s raw pace appeared promising.
01/03/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

“It was not as smooth a test as we expected and the team expected, but it is better to find some problems here than later down the line and it is why we are here, to understand the car,” he said.

“We tried to explore the potential of the car and tried to understand how it responds to different set-ups, and I think we more or less achieved that.” For Red Bull, the hiccups – evident in garage tweaks throughout Friday’s running – were a chance to probe the RB21’s limits before the stakes rise.

An Uncertain Pecking Order. Both Wache and Verstappen hesitated to peg Red Bull’s standing among its rivals. “I think it’s very difficult to see a starting order for Melbourne across the grid right now,” Wache noted. “You see that four teams look quite quick, including us, but we didn’t look too much at other teams, we tried to focus on our programme.”

‘Magnitude of Red Bull progress ‘not as big’;

https://f1i.com/news/531780-wache-magnitude-of-red-bull-progress-not-as-big-as-we-expected.html


Ferrari searching for balance and answers at end of F1 test
Mar 1, 2025
Jon Noble
The Race

Given Ferrari had been tipped to be McLaren's main threat in the 2025 Formula 1 season, how it fared in Bahrain testing may have left some wanting.

From an encouraging first day where Charles Leclerc seemed to be quite at ease with the new SF-25, the subsequent two days of running gave the impression of there being a gap between Ferrari and McLaren.

In fact, based on Lando Norris's astonishing long run on the second evening that put him 30 seconds up the road in a like-for-like comparison with Leclerc, indications point to Ferrari not only being behind but also facing a potential extra threat from the improved Mercedes.

‘Left some wanting’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/ferrari-searching-for-balance-and-answers-at-end-of-f1-test/


Winners and Losers from F1 Preseason Test Days in Bahrain
Defending Formula 1 Constructors' champion McLaren looks strong, while Red Bull produced mixed results.
FEB 28, 2025
PHILLIP HORTON
AutoWeek

Strong McLaren Eyes Good Start: McLaren captured the attention during the evening of the second day of running with a very strong race run for Lando Norris, while Oscar Piastri’s simulation on the final day was also good.
Mixed Test for Verstappen, Red Bull: Max Verstappen will have it work cut out for him in his bid to defend the F1 Drivers’ Championship. Verstappen didn’t carry out a full race simulation during testing, with Red Bull finishing bottom of the mileage charts, and after the final day of running was so-so over the team’s situation.

Lawson Aware of Tough Start: New Red Bull driver Liam Lawson did not have the smoothest of preseason tests, as one of the only drivers to have a half-spin on a push lap through turn 3, and he also lost some running time due to a loss of engine water pressure.
Antonelli Searching for Short-Run Lessons. Kimi Antonelli has big shoes to fill at Mercedes in replacing Lewis Hamilton. “I think was a pretty positive test, everything went well with the car, overall it went pretty smooth,” Antonelli said. “I still need to understand more about the car, and especially about the tires, in the quali lap, the window where they work is hard to get right.”

Hamilton Happy with Life at Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton is enjoying his first few months driving for Ferrari. Hamilton is continuing in his assimilation process, unpicking minor but crucial details such as different working practices after his 12 years at Mercedes, different settings, and fostering relationships and understanding with his engineers and the remainder of the team.

‘Winners and Losers’;

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/for...s-losers-from-f1-preseason-test-days-bahrain/


What Lawrence Stroll was seen doing before he left F1 testing as Aston Martin drop ‘like a stone’
1 Mar 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz encountered Stroll in the paddock and made an optimistic comment about the AMR25. Kravitz indicated that the Canadian shook his head in response. The billionaire isn’t known for his patience. Stroll got ‘pretty loud’ with Aston Martin staff after last year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, where an upgrade package failed to deliver.

“I was going to give them the benefit of the doubt until I spoke to Lawrence Stroll, who was leaving,” Kravitz said. “When I got to the point of the car, I said ‘oh the car looks better’ [shakes head]. They have dropped back.”

Most notably, Adrian Newey has joined from Red Bull. Newey will start work on Monday, so it’s unclear whether he have any meaningful influence over the 2025 car. According to David Croft, Newey has asked for a bed in his office. That’s a strange request, but one that shows his commitment to winning with the Silverstone-based team.

‘Like a stone’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wh...f1-testing-as-aston-martin-drop-like-a-stone/


Mixed bag for McLaren in pre-season testing
McLaren remains the title favourite heading into this year’s F1 season despite a mixed experience during pre-season testing in Bahrain.
1 March 2025
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri looked strong over a long run, but the MCL39 also appeared a handful. While clear room for improvement, McLaren has maintained its mantle as favourite as the F1 circus now heads to Melbourne. Across the three days of running in Bahrain it proved itself to be a well-rounded car, and a step forward in low-speed than its predecessor, a machine that delivered McLaren its first world title in a generation.

“Last year, I think we ended up with a car that was pretty well rounded, and hopefully we can continue that this year,” Piastri reasoned. “Bahrain has not been our happiest of tracks, certainly in my time at McLaren, but hopefully we can change that with this year’s car. So I’m excited to see what we’ve got. We’re not going to know until we get to Melbourne, really, but I think the signs have been positive.”

‘Mixed bag for McLaren’;

https://speedcafe.com/mixed-bag-for-mclaren-in-pre-season-testing/


Hamilton delighted with Ferrari's performance, but fears McLaren are ahead
01 Mar 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Having completed his first pre-season testing with the Scuderia, Lewis Hamilton echoed Leclerc's words, claiming that the weather conditions caused an unusual factor in Manama. "Overall, it’s been a great few days and we’ve made some strong progress as a team. We had to finish a little earlier than planned today, and the weather has been hard to predict all week, but that’s how testing works sometimes, and we’ve managed to gather a lot of good information to build on before the season starts.”

Asked about the pecking order, the seven-time F1 champion insisted that McLaren looked incredibly strong given Lando Norris' race simulation on the second day of the running in Sakhir. “Obviously it's a lot hotter today but the McLaren did a great run yesterday. And I think also Max did a decent one today, even with the temperatures. So again it's hard to know what fuel loads everyone is running, as we're all doing different on our own programs.”

‘Fears McLaren are ahead’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/26381


Breaking Down F1'S Top Tech Upgrades From Testing In 2025
01 Mar 2025
Motorsport.com

F1's 2025 pre-season testing is now over, and we've seen the first views of what the 2025 Formula 1 grid will look like. But what tech upgrades stood out the most? From sidepods to suspension, engine covers to noses and more, Jake Boxall-Legge sits down with his trusty (digital) pen to break down the biggest tech trends from F1 pre-season testing, leading up to the 2025 Australian Grand Prix.

‘F1'S Top Tech Upgrades’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/video/breaking-down-f1s-top-tech-upgrades-from-testing-in-2025/659356/
 
Assessing the Performance of F1 Teams: A Comprehensive Ranking Post 2025 Pre-Season Testing.
In essence, the 2025 pre-season testing has provided a treasure trove of data and insights that will influence not only the initial races but also the broader championship narrative.
March 2, 2025
Darius Needham
FormulaNerds

From unexpected gains by McLaren to the implications of the new Hamilton-Ferrari alliance, this early glimpse into team performance provides valuable insight into their potential for success. Let’s dive deeper into the comprehensive rankings and assess where each team stands after these crucial pre-season tests.

McLaren has particularly stood out with impressive gains, showcasing their engineering prowess. The ongoing competition between Red Bull and Ferrari also illustrates how different teams are approaching the season with varying strategies and setups. Verstappen from Red Bull admitted that there’s work to do, signifying their admission of ongoing technical challenges. In contrast, the Hamilton-Ferrari alliance has sparked discussions, as both sides look to exploit their strengths.

Strategy and adaptability, as showcased by teams like Alpine and AlphaTauri, will play a critical role in shaping the initial races of the season. Noted teams such as Mercedes and Ferrari could either uphold their status or face challenges based on how well they integrate their learning from testing.

‘Comprehensive Ranking’;

https://formulanerds.com/features/f...ng-post-2025-pre-season-testing/?nowprocket=1


F1 testing data discovery indicates true Red Bull pace compared to Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes
2 Mar 2025
Pablo Hidalgo
PlanetF1.com

Red Bull Racing remain one of the biggest unknowns after Formula 1’s Bahrain pre-season test, as Max Verstappen’s team appears to have been hiding their pace heading into 2025. This data analysis was contemplated from the second day of pre-season, but we decided to wait until the last day to get more data and answers to provide to readers — and we knew Red Bull deserved a separate, deeper dive. With a much shorter stint than his rivals, Lawson ran similar lap times to Leclerc and Antonelli, but was still far from Norris and McLaren at more than three and a half tenths of a second difference per lap. Lawson in his second part of the race simulation loses almost a second per lap to Leclerc and Antonelli!

If we look at the telemetry of the fastest laps of Leclerc and Lawson in this stint we get the answer: Red Bull is really hiding its real pace especially in the low speed corners. Appart from using a very conservative engine map for their race simulation, what might be really be causing this is a car running with extra weight -sandbagging- which is why we see Lawson struggling at low speed corners and having to drop pace hitting clearly lower engine revs.

The only conclusion we can draw from this analysis of the race simulations is that Red Bull is undoubtedly not as far behind Ferrari and Mercedes, as the data seems to indicate. Mercedes looks stronger than Ferrari and Red Bull in windy, low-grip conditions but a small step behind when suffering from higher degradation in ‘normal’ track conditions.

‘Unknowns’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/red-bull-racing-test-data-bahrain-ferrari-mercedes


Red Bull are ‘internally’ saying something seismic about Lando Norris’ 2025 McLaren F1 car
2 Mar 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Red Bull think they could be this far behind McLaren at the Australian Grand Prix. According to The Race, some are ‘very worried’ about McLaren’s pace. The 2025 season is forecast to be one of the closest ever, but the narrative may now be shifting. Speaking on Autosport’s YouTube channel, journalist Ronald Vording relayed an ominous message from Red Bull. They feel they’re competing with Mercedes and Ferrari for a best-of-the-rest role behind McLaren.

“Everyone in the paddock agrees,” Vording said. “I just talked to some people from Red Bull, they also said it seems to be really close behind McLaren. But they say McLaren seem to be a bit ahead. They don’t how much ahead – it could be two-tenths, it could be five-tenths – but they are the team to beat.”

Vording couldn’t put an exact figure on McLaren’s advantage. But Auto Motor und Sport’s Michael Schmidt has heard that they could be put four-tenths clear of Red Bull. You hear internally at Red Bull, they are expecting a three to four-tenth difference,” Schmidt said. “That would be a lot when you consider how close they were last year. This is a truly seismic claim. It suggests Norris may not only have a contending car this year – he may have a dominant one.”

‘Something seismic’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/re...ismic-about-lando-norris-2025-mclaren-f1-car/


Piastri: McLaren heading to Melbourne ‘in decent shape’
01/03/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Piastri, reflecting on the MCL39’s performance, highlighted its reliability as a launchpad. “I think it was a productive three days. We tried a lot of things and learnt a lot,” he said. “Some things felt quite good, others still need improvement but working through this is exactly what testing is for.”

“The car ran pretty much faultlessly, which was a solid place to be starting from. We've got a lot to review before Melbourne, but I think we’re going into it in decent shape.” His 84 laps underscored the car’s consistency, even if perfection remains a work in progress.

‘In decent shape’;

https://f1i.com/news/531795-piastri-mclaren-heading-to-melbourne-in-decent-shape.html


Red Bull points to McLaren and Ferrari trick: 'They're still using it'
28 Feb 2025
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com

According to Pierre Wache, Red Bull Racing's Technical Director, it is clear that some teams are once again pushing the limits. "It is still going on," he told The Race. "I think Ferrari and McLaren are doing the mini-DRS stuff still."

There will be no protests for now, as the cars in Bahrain do not undergo extensive checks to see how far they comply with the regulations. In Melbourne, this will be different. "It will be [discussed]," predicts Wache. "It is quite visible."

To curb the use of the mini-DRS effect, the FIA has tightened the regulations surrounding the use of the so-called 'flexiwings'. For instance, the minimum opening of the rear wing has been reduced from 10-15mm to 9.4-13mm and the DRS bodywork is only allowed to have two positions: open or closed. Flexible intermediate positions are not allowed. In addition, teams must further strengthen their rear wing to prevent deflection of the component.

‘Pushing the limits’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/329884/red-bull-points-to-mini-drs-mclaren-and-ferrari.html


Stella’s warning: Williams could crash the top four party
02/03/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella noted Williams’ standout performance in pre-season testing in Bahrain, and specifically the impressive single-lap pace of their FW47 car. “We see there are definitely several cars that are in condition to put together very competitive lap times, which I think are competitive in absolute terms,” Stella told the media, quoted by Motorsport Week.

Asked who among the chasing pack stood out, Stella pointed straight at Williams. “I’ve seen that in terms of one-lap pace in addition to the top four that seem to be certainly Williams, very competitive,” he said. “I’m really stating the obvious because I’m sure everyone will have seen the data. They are the same data that I look at.”

‘Williams could crash the top four party’;

https://f1i.com/news/531845-stellas-warning-williams-could-crash-the-top-four-party.html


Alonso calls Norris out: 'Now that he has the winning car, he says that'
2 Mar 2025
Savannah Lenz
GPblog.com

After being told that Lando Norris thinks there will be more than 14 race winners, Fernando Alonso joked: “Now that he has the winning car, he says that. When he was in the fifth or sixth team, he was saying that only one team will win all the races.”

Alonso, who has already said it looks like McLaren has an advantage this season, said “This is a normal confident speech. It is good for him but it is going to be difficult.” He said, “Reliability is so good on these days. There are not many retirements, there are not many incidents. Strategies are quite defined.”

‘McLaren has an advantage this season’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/330117/fernando-alonso-on-lando-norris-confident-speech.html
 
March 3, 2025: A historic date for Aston Martin, Newey AND Verstappen?
In a few years, the date 3 March, 2025 may just turn out to be a historic one in Formula 1 history. Will Verstappen be Aston Martin's next big signing?
3 Mar 2025
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com

With this outlook, 3 March 2025 could be a historic day. Is this the moment when Aston Martin actually started transforming from midfield to top team? A question that concerns not only everyone within Aston Martin, but also one that Max Verstappen would like to see answered.

It is no secret that Aston Martin - and certainly Adrian Newey - wants to bring Verstappen to the team. But the Red Bull Racing champion will only consider such a move if he sees potential in the Aston Martin project. And so that is up to Newey. Then, who knows, maybe another historic moment for the British team will follow at some point, when Verstappen signs his commitment with Aston Martin?

‘March 3, 2025’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/3301...-at-aston-martin-what-does-verstappen-do.html


New Aston Martin designer Adrian Newey ready to get back to drawing board
3 Mar 2025
The Japan Times

London – Adrian Newey will be literally going back to the drawing board when Formula One's foremost designer starts work at Aston Martin on Monday.

The 66-year-old Briton, whose departure from Red Bull was announced last May, famously likes to work with pencil and paper in a sport awash with supercomputers and data-crunching on a mind-blowing scale.

"His office is ready, the drawing board's there," team principal Andy Cowell told reporters during testing in Bahrain last week.

‘Drawing board, pencil and paper are ready’;

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2025/03/03/more-sports/newey-start-aston-martin/


Adrian Newey ‘objective’ revealed ahead of long-awaited Aston Martin arrival
2 Mar 2025
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

Team principal and CEO Andy Cowell revealed the team’s “objective” with Newey, who is set to join in the newly-created role of managing technical partner, will be for him to not only be involved with the design of their F1 2026 car, but to help “lift our quality standards” to ensure they become title challengers in future.

Firstly, though, an office big enough to house one of his famed drawing boards has been checked off the list. “Everybody on site is excited at the thought of working with him, so when he arrives, there is a new office that’s large enough for a drawing board to go in. So that’s in place.”

‘Office big enough to house one of his famed drawing boards’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian-newey-aston-martin-objective-arrival


Adrian Newey reveals first Aston Martin "target" as former Red Bull CTO arrives in Silverstone
Mar 2, 2025
Lydia Mee
Motorsport.com

Newey revealed what his first priorities would be upon joining the team. He explained: "I'm just looking forward to it and what will be, will be. The first target really is to get to know everybody here, understand how everybody works, and try to integrate myself with everybody.”

"It's talking to the drivers, it's talking to my fellow engineers, trying to bounce ideas off them. Getting that sort of creative flow going. Together with great partners like Honda and Aramco, they have all the key pieces of infrastructure needed to make Aston Martin a world championship-winning team and I am very much looking forward to helping reach that goal."

‘First Aston Martin "target"’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/...red-bull-cto-arrives-in-silverstone/10699966/


Aston Martin reveals where Adrian Newey’s focus will lie as F1 designer begins role
3 Mar 2025
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Motorsport Week

Aston Martin has addressed that Adrian Newey’s initial work at the team will be split between improving both its 2025 car and the new rules coming to Formula 1 in 2026.

“You know, everybody’s super excited to work with Adrian,” Cowell told select media including Motorsport Week in Bahrain. “His record speaks for itself. So we’re looking forward to welcoming him on site, doing an induction for a new employee. Might be a little bit different.”

“And starting work on introducing him to the key technical players within our business, showing him the business tools for engineering the car, and then getting stuck into creating a 2026 car and helping the improvements on 2025.”

‘Initial work, improving both its 2025 car and for 2026’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025...ys-focus-will-lie-as-f1-designer-begins-role/


What is on Newey’s to-do list on his Aston Martin arrival
Mar 3, 2025
Ronald Vording
Motorsport.com

The walls of Adrian Newey's office have already been painted, Andy Cowell revealed during testing in Bahrain. It refers to an anecdote from Newey's time at McLaren, when the designer added more colour to his office, leaving Ron Dennis utterly speechless, as the team boss was used to everything grey. "Ron turned purple," Newey joked at the time.

Enrico Cardile, who joins from Ferrari, and Newey. Cardile has officially been appointed as chief technical officer and "will oversee the architecture, design, and build of the new cars," according to the team. Newey's official title is "Managing Technical Partner," alongside becoming a co-shareholder of the Silverstone-based team.

Dual technical leadership is nothing new and is how Newey operated at Red Bull as well. There, Pierre Wache managed the daily operations as technical director, while Newey looked at the bigger picture. Wache explained this division of roles in a recent interview: "He was not involved in the process on a daily basis but approached things more from the sidelines and constantly challenged us.”

‘Colour to his office’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/newey-aston-martin-to-do-list/10700072/


Who is Adrian Newey? Everything you need to know about the legendary Aston Martin designer including net worth
3 Mar 2025
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

After studying aerodynamics and aeronautics at university in the late 70s, Adrian Newey’s ambitions were always to work in motor racing. He was initially rejected by a lot of teams before a call came from Harvey Postlethwaite, who was chief of design at Fittipaldi. The team raced in sports cars and Newey worked on their March 83G GTP, which almost won the 1983 Daytona 24-hour race. It would go on to achieve success later in the 1983 season, before winning Daytona in 1984 with the Kreepy Krauly Racing team.

After a brief stint working in Indycar in the mid 80s, Newey’s F1 success story starts in 1988 when he joined the March/Leyton House team. Newey was signed up as technical director in 1990 and immediately achieved success with Ivan Capelli in the 881 by taking podiums at Spa and Estoril, and going on to achieve sixth in the Constructors’ battle. Despite being fired from Leyton House at the end of the season due to a decline in results, Newey would go on to join Williams which would be the start of his impressive F1 career record.

Adrian Newey signed as chief designer under Patrick Head at Williams in 1991.
An unsuccessful tenure at McLaren does not end well for Adrian Newey.
Adrian Newey takes soft drinks company Red Bull to world champions.

‘Who is Adrian Newey?’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wh...he-legendary-f1-designer-including-net-worth/


"What will be, will be," says Newey
03/03/2025
Pitpass

As he finally arrives at Aston Martin, Adrian Newey insists that he is making no promises. Of course, when you've designed championship winning cars for three different teams over four decades, it is widely accepted that you will continue, which is exactly why Aston Martin signed him, while Ferrari failed.

Newey's main focus will be the 2026 car and the rules overhaul, however, following an uninspiring test, the Briton will almost certainly need to spend some time working on the team's 2025 contender, surely one of the least impressive over the course of the three days in Bahrain.

"What will be, will be";

https://www.pitpass.com/79560/What-will-be-will-be-says-Newey
 
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