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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/gar...n-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/294...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/fer...-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-mansel.../?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/nig...egends-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/12...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-w...rship-cutbacks
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1 Attachment(s)
The Gilles Villeneuve circuit at Montreal with snow in the last days
Attachment 2619
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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/32872...he-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/32874...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-...-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/32876...y-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-domina...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/a...XtDYZ5ULXNJ3Qa
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/...es-in-f1-2025/
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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/r...ical-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/m...ical-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/a...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-1/9...erson-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/g...5-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/w...erson-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/g...1-car-verdict/
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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/32938...-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/mer...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/ted...-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/e...ict-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/fo...n-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/32917...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/32941...erstappen.html
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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/...d-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-...pment-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-i...lf-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/i...rrari-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/a...?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/32955...oved-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/dav...factory-visit/
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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/...ay-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/a...QDymUfEoJ4XR1s
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/wha...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-tes...k-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-...-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-...y-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/jol...-bahrain-test/
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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-ma...-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/f...nd-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/form...-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/wha...-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-...eason-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/...n-2025/659356/
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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/f1.../?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/re...rrari-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/red...claren-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-...ent-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/32988...d-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-...our-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/33011...nt-speech.html
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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/33012...tappen-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/...-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...ective-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/a...tone/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/...r-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/n...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/who...ing-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-w...-be-says-Newey
