2025 Australian GP Preview – Testing is all done and the stage is set for the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship season, which returns to the streets of Albert Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia this weekend for the Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix 2025. This is the 28th year that Melbourne has hosted the Australian Grand Prix and the 39th time the Australian GP has been part of the Formula One calendar. The event also sees feeder series the FIA Formula 2 and 3 World Championships hit the Albert Park Street Circuit for the third time. The 2025 season sees seven-time world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton join Ferrari after spending 12 years with the Silver Arrows and replaces Carlos Sainz who heads off to Williams to team with Alexander Albon. Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli steps in at Mercedes as Hamilton’s replacement to partner George Russell whilst Liam Lawson partners reigning world champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull. This will be the final season that will feature the current power-units, which have been run since the 2014 campaign. A revised configuration, with the MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit-Heat) to be removed, and a higher power output from the MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic) will be introduced for 2026. This is also the final season for the current spec of ground-effect cars introduced in 2022 and the last year of the DRS (Drag Reduction System) introduced as an overtaking aid in 2011 to be replaced by active aerodynamics and moveable wings are being brought in for 2026.
2025 Australian GP Preview – A look at the Albert Park Street Circuit
The Albert Park circuit with its spectacular backdrop is a temporary street circuit around Albert Park Lake, only a few kilometres south from central Melbourne. Despite the track being run on public roads, it has characteristics of a permanent racing circuit considering its fast, flowing nature combined with extensive runoff in many corners.
The circuit itself uses everyday sections of road that circle Albert Park Lake, a small, altered lake (originally a lagoon formed as part of the ancient Yarra River course) just south of the city of Melbourne. The road sections that are used were rebuilt prior to the first event in 1996 to ensure its consistency and smoothness. As a result, compared to other circuits that are held on public roads, the Albert Park street circuit has quite a smooth surface.
The track is considered to be fast and easy to drive; drivers have commented that the consistent placement of corners allows them to learn the circuit very quickly and achieve competitive times.
Each year, most of the motorsport infrastructure, trackside fencing, pedestrian overpasses, and grandstands are built approximately two months prior to the race weekend and removed within six weeks after the event. Land around the circuit (includes a large aquatic centre, a golf course, Lakeside Stadium, some restaurants and rowing boathouses) has restricted access during the event weekend.
The Albert Park Circuit had undergone changes in the months before the return of the Grand Prix in 2022, which were touted as the most major changes since the inaugural 1996 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. Several drivers were consulted on the changes to the layout.
Corners 9 and 10 were completely revised, where they used to form a right–left chicane with a heavy braking zone on the approach to it. Now the redesign saw it become a much quicker right–left sequence. This change was made to raise the approaching speeds for turns 11 and 12. Several other corners were modified to encourage overtaking, the most notable being turn 13, which has been widened to create more racing lines. Positive camber was also added to the corner to allow the drivers to carry more speed through the corner. The Walker Straight and pit-lane were also redesigned, with the pit-lane wall moved two metres closer to the track so the edge of the circuit sits directly next to the wall.
The pit-lane modification was made in response to Daniel Ricciardo’s opening-lap accident in 2019, where the Australian ran wide at the start, running onto the grassy verge and hitting an unsighted culvert, which destroyed the front wing and the undertray of his Renault R.S.19 racer, forcing him to retire from his home race. As a result of the changes, Australian Grand Prix officials applied to sport’s governing body, the FIA to raise the pit-lane speed limit from 60 kph (37.28 mph) to 80 kph (49.71 mph).
A change such as this one would be significant, as the Formula One pits sit next to the Supercars support race paddock, creating one of the longest pit-lanes on the F1 calendar. These changes were originally planned to be made after the race. However, the cancellations allowed Australian GP organisers to make the changes in advance. Further changes, such as the track being resurfaced with a tarmac compound designed to wear tyres out quicker, were planned to take place after the race in time for the 2022 event.
The circuit runs in a clockwise direction and is 5.278km (3.280 miles) in length with 14 corners.
The race distance is 306.124km (190.216 miles) in length with 58 laps in total.
Charles Leclerc holds the fastest lap record on the streets of Albert Park set last year with 1:19.813 in his Scuderia Ferrari SF-24 racer.
Michael Schumacher and Lex Davison are tied for most Australian Grand Prix victories with four apiece.
Ferrari is the most successful Constructor at the Australian Grand Prix, with 14 victories.
2025 Australian GP Preview – Onboard Pole Lap of the Albert Park Street Circuit
Here is the onboard pole lap of the Albert Park Street Circuit set at last year’s event by reigning world champion Max Verstappen in his Oracle Red Bull Racing, Honda-RBPT, RB20 racer, with the Dutchman posting a blistering 1:15.915. You can watch the video right here at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsdTCkQBDMA
2025 Australian GP Preview – The Last Five Winners
2024: Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari. 2023: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing. 2022: Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari. 2021-20: Not Held. 2019: Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1. 2018: Sebastian Vettel, Scuderia Ferrari.
2025 Australian GP Preview – Tyres
Pirelli will be bringing with them to Albert Park, the C3 (White) Hard compound, the C4 (Yellow) Medium tyre and C5 (Red) Soft compounds along with the green-branded Intermediates and Blue side-walled Full Wets in-case of rain.
Drivers will have eight sets of the softs, three sets of the mediums and two of the hards.
2025 Australian GP Preview – DRS Zones
There will be four DRS Zones for the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2025 weekend. The first detection point is 45 metres after turn six with the first activation zone 140 metres after Panel 11, the second activation point is 100 metres after turn ten. The second detection zone is 90 metres before turn 13 with the third activation point 30 metres after turn 13. The final DRS zone is 30 metres after the second corner.
2025 Australian GP Preview – Pitlane Speeds
Pitlane speeds will be 80km/h in all Practice sessions, Qualifying and the Race.
2025 Australian GP Preview – What’s New For F1 in 2025?
Updated Technical Regulations
Minimum Weight Changes
The drivers’ minimum weight allowance has been increased from 80 kilograms to 82 kg. As a result, meaning the overall minimum weight limit of the car without fuel has also been increased from 798 kg to 800 kg. This change was made for the well-being of the drivers, especially those who are either taller or heavier.
Driver Cooling
Driver cooling kits have been introduced this season. The system will only be mandated by sport’s governing body, the FIA in extreme heat conditions, with the minimum car weight increased when applicable. This is to avoid a repeat of driver’s overheating, which was witnessed at the 2023 Qatar GP. When the FIA predicts a temperature of over 30.5 °C, a “heat hazard” will be declared. This will require the ten teams to provide the drivers with their cooling systems, and the minimum weight will be raised by 5 kgs to compensate for the cooling equipment.
DRS Parameters
The rear wing slot gaps between the two modes of the DRS will be modified, with the minimum gap reduced. It will be dropped from 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 inches) to 9.4–13 mmm (0.37–0.51 inches); with the upper boundary remaining at 85 mm (3.3 inches) with the Drag Reduction System activated. The FIA will also tighten the rules on the DRS modes, stating there must only be two positions, and that ending the activation of the DRS system must return the wing exactly as defined to its initial mode.
New and more stricter deflection tests on the rear wing will be carried out from the season-opener in Melbourne, whilst other tests on the front wing will be introduced from the Spanish GP onwards.
Gearbox Limits
There will no longer be a limit of the number of gearboxes used by teams, as the reliability of current designs makes this restriction obsolete.
2025 Sporting Regulation Updates
Fastest Lap Point
The bonus fastest lap point awarded to drivers finishing in the top ten positions for setting the fastest lap during the Grand Prix, which was reintroduced in 2019 championship season will be abandoned.
Young Driver Free Practice Requirements
The requirement for a young driver to run during a free practice session will increase from once per season per car to twice per season per car.
Testing of Previous Cars
The sporting regulations will tighten the restrictions on the testing of previous cars. This will see a twenty-day limit introduced on TPC, and drivers contesting in the championship will only be allowed to run a maximum of 1,000 kms (620 miles) over four days of testing. Testing will only be allowed at circuits that have featured on the FIA Formula One World Championship calendar in the current or previous year. However, testing is not permitted on circuits which will host a Grand Prix within sixty days of a test, nor “if the circuit is deemed, at the sole discretion of the FIA, to have underwent significant modification” since the last race it held.
Qualifying Contingencies
The sporting regulations will now include specifically prescribed provisions for how the starting grids for Sprint Races and Grands Prix should be set in the event that qualifying for these sessions is cancelled. The starting grid will be set according to the World Driver’s Championship standings. Previously, it was left to the decision of the stewards to determine the starting grid order if a qualifying session was unable to be run. If the World Driver’s Championship standings cannot be applied to determine the starting grid order, it remains in the stewards hands.
Starting Grid Formation
The protocol for closing the grid when some cars are unable to make it to the start of a Grand Prix was amended following the starting grid formation for cars withdrawn before the start of the 2024 Sao Paulo GP. The final grid for the race will now be determined one hour before the start. Cars that are withdrawn up to 75 minutes before the start of the Grand Prix will not be included in the final grid, and the following cars will all move up the relevant places.
Regulation of Public Comments
Drivers comments are due to be subject to more stricter regulations, and harsher punishments. The issue first come to light when FIA president Mohammed Ben-Sulayem explained in an interview that he wanted to see less foul language in the sport. This was closely followed by Verstappen and Leclerc both being investigated and punished for swearing in F1 interviews. The penalties for “driver misconduct” covers “language, […], gesture[s] and/or sign[s] that is offensive, insulting, coarse, rude or abusive and might reasonably be expected or be perceived to be coarse or rude or to cause offense, humiliation or to be inappropriate”, as well as assault and “incitement to do any of the above”, A first offense would see the driver hit with a €40,000 fine, a second offense would see an €80,000 fine and a suspended suspension, with a third offense being a €120,000 fine, a one-month suspension, and a points deduction. The same penalty scale is set to be applied in any “moral injury or loss” to the “FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers” or its values. The use of “political, religious and personal statements or comments” which contravenes the FIA’s neutrality will also follow the same penalty protocols, with the addition that drivers will be required to make a full apology and retract their statements.
Formula 1 Grand Prix De Monaco 2025
With the aim of producing, there will be an increase in the number of mandatory pit stops for the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix. The Grand Prix will see a mandatory minimum two-stop strategy, in both wet and dry conditions. The teams will also be mandated to use at least three sets of tyres in the race, with a minimum of two different tyre compounds if it is in dry conditions.
Protocol For Damaged Cars
Following concerns raised during the 2024 Canadian GP, where Red Bull’s Sergio Perez controversially returned to the pits to avoid the deployment of the safety car, helping teammate Max Verstappen win the Grand Prix, the sport’s governing body, the FIA has now introduced a new regulation to prevent severely damaged cars from attempting to make it back to the pits. Previously, drivers could make their way back to the garage even if their cars were damaged, which posed a safety risk to other competitors on track. The updated regulation now allows the race director to instruct teams to retire a car if it has significant structural damage or a critical failure that could endanger rivals or hinder competition. In such cases, the driver must pull over to the nearest safe location rather than continue towards the pit lane.
Pit-Lane Starts
Drivers starting from pit-lane will now be required to do the formation lap, a change from previous campaigns where they could remain in the garage until the start of the Grand Prix. Under the new rule, once all cars on track have passed the pit exit, pit-lane starters must leave in the established order unless a delay happens. They must then re-enter the pit-lane at the end of the formation lap before the race starts. This adjustment aims to stream-line race starts and to ensure a more consistent pre-race procedure.
2025 Australian GP Preview – F1 2025 Pre-Season Testing Round-Up
The Formula 1 teams were back on track at the 2025 Pre-Season Test for three days at the Bahrain International Circuit. With the test now concluded, we take a closer dive into how all ten outfits fared.
With all the teams focused on their own testing programmes – fuel loads and race modes under wraps, it’s tough to see what the true pecking order would be. It won’t be until the season-opening Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix 2025 qualifying and the race until we get the full picture.
How did all teams look in testing? We begin with reigning World Constructor’s Champions McLaren.
2024 runner up Lando Norris’s race simulation run on day two of testing in Bahrain was a warning to the field. The Woking based-squad’s running on the C2 compound towards the end of Norris’ simulation was more than two seconds beyond what Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc could manage on the C1 tyre. Despite the lengthy spell in the garage on Day 1, Norris and Oscar Piastri were frequently on circuit learning about the MCL39’s package – which at one point went from papaya to bright green via some generous amount of flow-vis paint sprayed on the car.
McLaren’s Team Principal Andrea Stella watered down the team’s efforts, but Formula 1’s website reported that the Woking based-outfit has the best qualifying and race pace of the entire pack.
There is no doubt McLaren are the benchmark and favourites, and they sit at the top of my pecking order for 2025.
Ferrari are set to be McLaren’s closest challengers along with Mercedes and Red Bull Racing with both Charles Leclerc and Sir Lewis Hamilton quite positive after the three day’s testing. There was a small problem for Hamilton on day one with technical issue hampering his running. Both the seven-time World Champion and team mate Charles Leclerc done some solid mileage through the week, whilst Hamilton ended a close second to Sainz on the overall timesheets.
Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team are definitely in the mix, clocking up the most mileage out of the lot at 458. George Russell rounded out the action topping the time-sheets on the last day posting a 1:29.545. Russell and confident-looking rookie team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli averaged more than 150 tours between them aboard the F1 W16 each day, with no major issues to report. Alongside that, the Brackley based-squad described “good steps” in improving their previous car’s weaknesses, with Russell posting the second-fastest time overall.
Whilst now four-time world champion Max Verstappen said his Red Bull “can’t be worse than last year,” his final day in the RB21 was far from smooth. Despite having all eight hours in the car, the Dutchman clocked up 81 tours, just ten off Mercedes’ George Russell who ran four hours less on the final day. The Milton Keynes based-outfit ran the least amount of tours of any team, just 304 laps, and with flow-vis paint on his car and suffering an evening spin, showed things might not be quite right for Verstappen.
Atlassian Williams Racing saw the fastest time of the test set by new signing Carlos Sainz. The debutant coming from Ferrari’s effort of a 1:29.348 on Thursday evening’s running (Day 2) could not be beaten and team-mate Alexander Albon backed it up by being third overall on the time-sheets on the Friday (Day Three). The Grove based-outfit looks to have put itself in a three-way-battle at the front of Formula 1’s midfield with both BWT Alpine F1 Team and MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, with the latter mostly focused on a longer race run programme during testing.
BWT Alpine F1 Team also broke the 400-tour mark over the three days and six sessions on the Bahrain International Circuit. Heading into his first full season as Team Principal, Oliver Oakes insisted that “we’ve really focused on ourselves” all week but ended pre-season testing “pleased with the things we have learnt” about the A525 – giving them “a solid foundation” that was clearly missing a year ago. Pierre Gasly put the Enstone-based-outfit sixth on the combined timesheets, whilst newcomer Jack Doohan kept it clean and built up more confidence in the Renault-powered machine.
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team quietly pumped in the miles without putting in any headline-grabbing efforts – the Kannapolis-Banbury squad finishing second to Mercedes (by just one tour) on the mileage charts. That was despite a bizarre incident for Oliver Bearman on the final morning of testing, which saw bodywork from the VF-25 detach and scattering itself on the track.
Aramco Aston Martin F1 Team encountered a fragmented test, completing the second-least amount of tours in it’s bid to recover following a difficult 2024 campaign. The key goal with the Mercedes-powered AMR25 was to improve driveability and, whilst early driver feedback suggested this has been achieved, areas were found “that could be better and need more focus”, according to Team Principal Andy Cowell. On a disrupted final day of testing, Fernando Alonso got some extra running due to Lance Stroll feeling unwell. The Silverstone-outfit fell from fifth fastest to the depths of the midfield and looks to continue where it left off in the 2025 season.
Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula 1 Team also has the challenge in returning to the front of the midfield, a position, which slipped through the cracks as development issues hampered the Faenza based-team in the 2024 season. The team managed to get through plenty of running with their new Honda-RBPT-powered VCARB02, calling it a “successful” test with “no major car issues”. On the lap-time front, Yuki Tsunoda’s quickest Day 3 effort meant they were eighth out of the 10 teams, from MoneyGram Haas F1 Team and Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, ahead of what looks set to be another tight midfield fight this season.
Meanwhile, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber is unlikely to suffer as much as it did last season. Sauber combined both evolution and revolution with their C45 racer, which was put through its paces by an all-new driver line-up of experienced driver Nico Hulkenberg and rookie FIA Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto. A hydraulic leak impacted Bortoleto’s final stint in the car, but the team managed to cover “everything we had planned” at the pre-season test and saw a “decent, consistent performance” from the car.
2025 F1 Pre-Season Testing Overall Time-Sheet
DRIVER CAR / ENGINE |
DAY 1
TIME (TYRE) |
DAY 2
TIME (TYRE) |
DAY 3
TIME (TYRE) |
|
| 1 | Carlos Sainz
Atlassian Williams Racing FW47 / Mercedes |
1m30.955s (C3)
68 |
1m29.348s (C3)
127 |
|
| 2 | Sir Lewis Hamilton
Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 |
1m31.834s (C3)
70 |
1m29.379s (C3)
45 |
1m30.345s (C4)
47 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc
Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 |
1m30.878s (C3)
71 |
1m29.431s (C3)
83 |
1m30.811s (C3)
66 |
| 4 | George Russell
Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team F1 W16 |
1m30.587s (C3)
70 |
1m29.778s
71 |
1m29.545s (C3)
91 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen
Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 / Honda RBPT |
1m30.674s (C3)
74 |
1m29.566s (C3)
81 |
|
| 6 | Alexander Albon
Atlassian Williams Racing FW47 / Mercedes |
1m31.573s (C3)
63 |
1m29.650s (C4)
137 |
|
| 7 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team F1 W16 |
1m31.428s (C3)
78 |
1m29.784s (C3)
87 |
1m30.888s (C3)
61 |
| 8 | Oscar Piastri
McLaren Formula 1 Team MCL39 / Mercedes |
1m32.084s (C3)
66 |
1m30.821s (C3)
44 |
1m29.940s (C3)
85 |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly
BWT Alpine F1 Team A525 / Renault |
1m31.353s (C3)
72 |
1m30.430s (C3)
40 |
1m30.040s (C3)
84 |
| 10 | Lance Stroll
Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team AMR25 / Mercedes |
1m31.949s (C3)
42 |
1m30.229s (C3)
57 |
1m31.699s (C3)
34 |
| 11 | Liam Lawson
Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 / Honda RBPT |
1m31.560s (C3)
58 |
1m30.252s (C3)
91 |
|
| 12 | Jack Doohan
BWT Alpine F1 Team A525 / Renault |
1m31.481s (C3)
(68) |
1m30.368s (C3)
80 |
1m31.239s (C3)
61 |
| 13 | Lando Norris
McLaren Formula 1 Team MCL39 / Mercedes |
1m30.430s (C3)
52 |
1m30.882s (C3)
77 |
1m30.943s (C3)
57 |
| 14 | Yuki Tsunoda
Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula 1 Team VCARB 02 / Honda RBPT |
1m31.610s (C3)
78 |
1m30.793s (C3)
46 |
1m30.497s (C3)
87 |
| 15 | Isack Hadjar
Visa Cash App Racing Bulls VCARB 02 / Honda RBPT |
1m31.631s (C3)
76 |
1m30.675s (C4)
94
|
1m31.761s (C3)
73 |
| 16 | Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team AMR25 / Mercedes |
1m31.874s (C3)
46 |
1m30.700s (C3)
45 |
1m32.084s (C3)
49 |
| 17 | Esteban Ocon
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team VF-25 / Ferrari |
1m33.600s (C3)
88 |
1m33.071s (C3)
69 |
1m30.728s (C4)
103 |
| 18 | Gabriel Bortoleto
Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber C45 / Ferrari |
1m31.690s (C3)
59 |
1m31.057s (C3)
80 |
1m32.147s (C3)
35 |
| 19 | N. Hülkenberg
Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber C45 / Ferrari |
1m32.169s (C3)
55 |
1m31.457s (C3)
56 |
1m31.726s (C3)
69 |
| 20 | Oliver Bearman
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team VF-25 / Ferrari |
1m35.522s (C2)
72 |
1m34.372s (C3)
66 |
1m32.361s (C3)
59 |
2025 F1 Pre-Season Testing Mileage Chart (Driver)
| DRIVER | LAPS | KM | |
| 1 | Esteban Ocon | 260 | 1407 |
| 2 | Isack Hadjar | 243 | 1315 |
| 3 | George Russell | 232 | 1256 |
| 4 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | 226 | 1223 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | 220 | 1191 |
| 6 | Yuki Tsunoda | 211 | 1142 |
| 7 | Jack Doohan | 209 | 1131 |
| 8 | Alexander Albon | 200 | 1082 |
| 9 | Oliver Bearman | 197 | 1066 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | 196 | 1061 |
| 11 | Oscar Piastri | 195 | 1055 |
| 11 | Carlos Sainz | 195 | 1055 |
| 13 | Lando Norris | 186 | 1007 |
| 14 | Nico Hülkenberg | 180 | 974 |
| 15 | Gabriel Bortoleto | 174 | 942 |
| 16 | Fernando Alonso | 173 | 936 |
| 17 | Lewis Hamilton | 162 | 877 |
| 18 | Max Verstappen | 155 | 839 |
| 19 | Liam Lawson | 149 | 806 |
| 20 | Lance Stroll | 133 | 720 |
2025 F1 Pre-Season Testing Mileage Chart (Constructor)
| Team | Laps | KM | |
| 1 | Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team | 458 | 2479 |
| 2 | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 457 | 2473 |
| 3 | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula 1 Team | 454 | 2457 |
| 4 | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 405 | 2192 |
| 5 | Atlassian Williams Racing | 395 | 2138 |
| 6 | Scuderia Ferrari | 382 | 2067 |
| 7 | McLaren Formula 1 Team | 381 | 2062 |
| 8 | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | 354 | 1916 |
| 9 | Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team | 306 | 1656 |
| 10 | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 304 | 1645 |
2025 FIA Formula One World Championship Driver Line-Ups
McLaren Formula 1 Team – Lando Norris #4, Oscar Piastri #81:
The defending and reigning World Constructor’s Champions have retained their same driver pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri with both drivers on multi-year deals. The Woking based-outfit will be looking to go one step further by adding a World Driver’s Championship to the tally with one of their drivers for the first time since Sir Lewis Hamilton in 2008. McLaren won the Constructors’ Championship for the initial time since 1998 last year and will be on the charge to go back-to-back.
Scuderia Ferrari HP – Charles Leclerc #16, Sir Lewis Hamilton #44:
The Prancing Horse have an all-new driver line-up as seven-time world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton comes to the team in a blockbuster move after spending 12 years at Mercedes to partner Charles Leclerc who came off the back of a solid season scoring the most points in the second half of the year. Both drivers are expected to be McLaren’s closest challenger in the quest for both championships. Can the Scuderia finally end their World Driver’s and Constructor’s Championship this year?
Oracle Red Bull Racing – Max Verstappen #1, Liam Lawson #30:
Reigning F1 World Driver’s Champion Max Verstappen is looking for a fifth consecutive title crown, a feat only accomplished by Michael Schumacher. The Dutchman has a new team-mate in Liam Lawson who was promoted from RB to replace Sergio Perez.
Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team – Andrea Kimi Antonelli #12, George Russell #63:
Italian youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli moves up from Formula 2 and replaces Hamilton at the Silver Arrows to join George Russell.
Aramco Aston Martin F1 Team – Fernando Alonso #14, Lance Stroll #18:
Aston Martin like McLaren have kept stability in the team by keeping the same driver pairing of double world champion Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
BWT Alpine Formula 1 Team – Jack Doohan #7, Pierre Gasly #10:
Jack Doohan stepped in for Ocon before last season’s finale in Abu Dhabi, having already been confirmed as a driver for the Enstone based-outfit alongside Pierre Gasly.
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team – Esteban Ocon #31, Oliver Bearman #87:
Oliver Bearman will make his full-time Formula 1 season debut at Haas alongside Esteban Ocon who left Alpine before last season’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula 1 Team – Isack Hadjar #6, Yuki Tsunoda #22:
Last year’s Formula 2 runner-up Isack Hadjar comes to the newly-named Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula 1 Team alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Atlassian Williams Racing – Alexander Albon #23, Carlos Sainz #55:
The Grove based-team pulled off a big signing in Carlos Sainz who comes over from Ferrari to partner Alexander Albon in what will be an exciting driver line-up. After a promising pre-season test in Bahrain, rival teams in the paddock are watching Williams very closely.
Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber – Gabriel Bortoleto #5, Nico Hulkenberg #27:
Sauber have an all-new driver line-up for 2025 in their transitional year before becoming the Audi works team in 2026, Nico Hulkenberg returns to the outfit and partners rookie FIA Formula 2 World Champion Gabriel Bortoleto as both drivers replace Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
2025 Australian GP Preview – The 11th team, Cadillac F1 Team approved for 2026
On March 7 2025, Cadillac Formula 1 Team were given the green light by Formula 1 and sport’s governing body, the FIA to join the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship grid as the 11th team when the new raft of rules and regulations change up begins.
The American outfit met the sport’s requirements to join the existing ten starting teams next year.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem explained: “Today marks a transformative moment, and I am proud to lead the Federation in this progressive step for the championship. The FIA Formula One Championship’s expansion to an 11th team in 2026 is a milestone. GM/Cadillac brings fresh energy, aligning with the new FIA 2026 regulations and ushering in an exciting era for the sport. The Cadillac Formula 1 Team’s presence in the paddock will inspire future competitors and fans. Their entry strengthens our mission to push motorsport’s boundaries at the highest level.” Sulayem concluded. Credit to GM for the quote.
The integration between TWG Motorsports and General Motors created a distinctly American team with unique attributes. TWG Group’s resources and commitment to cutting-edge technology, excellence and collaboration across the motorsport world combined with GM’s performance DNA, engineering excellence and success in various motorsport categories provides a solid foundation for the team.
General Motors President Mark Reuss added: “We’re thrilled the Cadillac Formula 1 Team is official, as the team has been accelerating its work. We’re incredibly grateful for the support from the FIA and Formula One Management leadership for us and for our collaboration with TWG. The excitement only grows as we get closer to showcasing GM’s engineering expertise on the prestigious global stage of F1.” Reuss concluded, credit to General Motors for the quote.
The announcement followed after the confirmation of long-time Formula 1 Team Executive Graeme Lowdon as Team Principal of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team and Industry Legend Russ O’Blenes being announced as CEO of TWG GM Performance Power Units LLC, a new company, which will put Cadillac on the upwards trajectory of becoming a “full works team” – building their own Formula 1 chassis and power-trains.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the effort put in by the entire Cadillac Formula 1 Team,” commented Lowdon. “This announcement is the next step in getting on the grid and continues our efforts towards building a full-works team. Through the long and thorough application process, we have never lost pace in our planning or our belief in the mission. We can’t wait to go racing and give fans a new team to cheer for.” Lowdon concluded. Credit to GM for the quote.
Since the bid to join Formula 1 was made known in January 2023, TWG Motorsports has employed over 300 experienced people working on aerodynamics, chassis, component development, software and vehicle dynamics simulation.
Development work to join Formula 1’s grid continued at an accelerated pace with operational wind tunnels, parts production and performance testing all currently running. The team has operations in Indianapolis, Charlotte, Warren and Silverstone.
The Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix 2025 race weekend begins Friday March 14 with Free Practice 1 and 2, followed by Free Practice 3 and Qualifying Saturday March 15 and the 58 lap Race Saturday March 16.
@GeorgeRussell63 pips @Max33Verstappen in final #BahrainF1 test. #F1 #F12025Test
@Carlossainz55 quickest on second day of #BahrainF1 Test. #F1 #F1Testing
@LandoNorris sets pace on day one of Bahrain test. #F1 #F1IsBack