Formula 1
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McLaren joins F1 in partnering with lottery operator Allwyn
McLaren has linked up with lottery operator Allwyn which will become a new partner to its Formula 1 team, esports outfit, and F1 academy in 2025.
F1 announced its own partnership with Allwyn on Tuesday, but McLaren has also secured a deal with the company's global operations, which holds brands that operate national lotteries across seven different nations in North America and Europe.
The...Keep reading -
Exclusive: Why Bearman thinks F1 2025’s big rookie class will boost his debut campaign
Oliver Bearman believes the unexpectedly large crop of rookie drivers joining him in Formula 1 2025 will provide a lift for his first full-time year with Haas.
The 19-year-old is one of six rookies on the F1 grid in 2025 after the 2024 season began with zero driver market transfers.
Things started changing last February when Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari for this year was announced...Keep reading -
JA on F1 Podcast: Will AI unleash greater human potential in F1?
Motor racing has a long tradition as an incubator of technology. AI is the latest example as tech companies flood into the sport as partners, helping teams harness AI to improve performance.
One example is that F1 increasingly uses AI in its TV and online coverage to provide insights and content tailored for fans.
The FIA is also getting in on the act; this week it announced that AI will now...Keep reading -
Why the Red Bull-Honda bond was beyond saving after F1 2025
From an inauspicious start in a Mercedes-dominated era, Red Bull's partnership with Honda propelled both teams back to the front, with Max Verstappen following in Sebastian Vettel's footsteps as a four-time world champion, amassing 63 wins by the end of 2024.
But it's a success story that is coming to an end, with Red Bull taking matters into its own hands with Red Bull Powertrains-Ford, while...Keep reading -
Why McLaren's contract extension of its aero chief matters against instability at F1 rivals
One word uttered by McLaren Formula 1 team principal Andrea Stella nearly two years ago matters when considering his team’s announcement of a contract extension for its aerodynamics chief, Peter Prodromou.
“We wanted to unleash a very strong resource that we had internally, and that, for some reasons was under-utilised,” Stella said back at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.
This was just...Keep reading -
Record title sponsorship for Williams F1 as Atlassian deal announced
Atlassian has signed a multi-year deal to become the title partner of Williams Racing, in the biggest deal in the team’s history.
It is now the first title sponsor of Williams since 2020 and the partnership also extends beyond branding, with Atlassian becoming the official technology partner and official collaboration software partner of the team.
The news comes ahead of the 2025 Williams...Keep reading -
McLaren extends F1 contract with aero director Prodromou
The McLaren Formula 1 team has extended the contract of its aerodynamics chief Peter Prodromou, who played a key part in its 2024 constructors' title.
The Woking outfit announced on Tuesday Prodromou would continue in his capacity of aerodynamics technical director on a long-term deal as the team intends to keep together the squad that returned it to the front of F1 over the past two...Keep reading -
Lotto operator Allwyn joins F1 as partner
Lottery operator Allwyn has signed a multi-year deal to become Formula 1’s latest official partner.
Allwyn, which owns the licence to operate the National Lottery in the United Kingdom, will join F1’s growing list of partners from the 2025 season.
The deal is aimed to be mutually beneficial, with the partnership seen as a growth opportunity in the respective markets while also promoting...Keep reading -
Ben Hunt: The lessons F1 can learn from MotoGP’s season launch
If MotoGP’s season launch is anything to go by, then Formula 1 could also be on to a winner.
When both series announced plans for a 2025 season kick-off event last year, it was met by some reservations, especially within the media and the teams, as to whether it would be worth it.
MotoGP had confirmed its plans first and that the event would be held in Bangkok ahead of the season opener in...Keep reading -
Great debate: How will Verstappen react to being close to a race ban?
Rivals could draw a foul – Jake Boxall-Legge
Max Verstappen is just four licence points short of a race ban, and none of his current accrual will disappear until 30 June. So he’ll have to go 11 grands prix without picking up too many points. That should be simple, as long as he keeps his nose clean. The less aggressive drivers usually manage it…
You’d dare say that Verstappen is less...Keep reading -
Cadillac-Ferrari F1 deal could extend to suspension
Cadillac is evaluating whether to source suspension parts from Ferrari after completing a deal for power units and gearboxes ahead of its Formula 1 debut in 2026.
Should the American team expand its collaboration with the Maranello operation to include the supply of suspension, it would use a similar concept to fellow US squad Haas, which has been following this path since it joined the grid in...Keep reading -
How Red Bull's next big F1 hope cleared a crucial 2026 hurdle
While Europe's motorsport scene is still hibernating, Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad has taken an important next step on his path towards a Formula 1 career.
With Red Bull moving on from veterans Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez in 2025, the brand's junior programme has recently delivered its latest batch of F1 graduates.
Liam Lawson did enough over two short Racing Bulls stints to earn a...Keep reading -
Villeneuve joins Button, Chadwick as Williams F1 ambassador
Williams has signed 1997 Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve as an ambassador for the 2025 season.
Villeneuve, who remains the most recent driver to win a title for Williams, will join Jenson Button and Jamie Chadwick in helping “strengthen the connection between the team’s celebrated history and its ambitious future”.
The British team didn’t provide any details about...Keep reading -
Gulf Air continues as title sponsor of F1 Bahrain Grand Prix
Gulf Air has extended its record-setting title partnership of the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of the new season.
The airline has signed a new deal until 2027, continuing its run of sponsoring the race since its first running in 2004.
No other partner has been attached as to a race for as long a period of time, with the fresh agreement announced just over two weeks before F1 testing...Keep reading -
Threat or big break? What Sainz's Williams arrival means for Albon
In one very small way, pairing Alex Albon with Carlos Sainz is a gift from Williams team principal James Vowles to the designers of his squad’s 2025 Formula 1 car.
Both appendix-less these days, that’s a rough 9g saving per car no other team can make. Handy, given car weight problem was what really held Williams back last year.
The team now has something else more subjective, but...Keep reading -
Red Bull’s F1 juniors: Where are they now?
While it’s easy to be cynical about the up-or-out nature of Red Bull’s young driver programme and the scars its abruptness has often left, no other enterprise has done more to promote young talent in motorsport.
To assemble an exhaustive where-are-they now on paper of everyone who has been through the system would require something akin to the size of a telephone directory – if such...Keep reading -
Could Netflix’s involvement in F1 change how it is broadcast?
News that Netflix could be entering the race to bid for Formula 1 rights in the US is not unexpected, however, it could have massive repercussions on how the series is broadcast in the UK and elsewhere.
The current platform sees F1’s rights holder, Liberty Media, sell TV contracts across the globe. It was a business model established by Bernie Ecclestone during the 1980s where a broadcaster...Keep reading -
Does F1's 2026 silly season have silliness in store?
Lewis Hamilton's move from Mercedes to Ferrari wouldn't be described as "shocking" or "historic" if such transfers happened every year, and F1 is unlikely to see anything like it anytime soon. Not only has the most successful driver in history joined the most iconic team in the championship, but the official announcement also kicked off one of the most extensive games of musical chairs in the...Keep reading -
Haas to clarify Ocon and Bearman “rules of engagement” before 2025 F1 season
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu will clarify “rules of engagement” for new drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman to follow in the 2025 Formula 1 season.
The American squad has a history of flashpoints between team-mates – with former drivers Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean colliding several times in 2019, while Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin regularly tried to occupy the same...Keep reading -
Netflix set to enter race for F1 broadcast rights in the United States
Netflix is emerging as the potential new home for Formula 1 in the US as a bidding process for the live broadcast rights from the 2026 season onwards is due to begin.
The streaming service already plays a key role in growing the championship, with its seventh series of the Drive to Survive documentary series airing from 7 March.
But Autosport understands Netflix is now strongly considering...Keep reading -
How Pirelli is testing 2026 F1 tyres without 2026 cars
Pirelli has entered the next stage of preparing its smaller tyres for the 2026 Formula 1 season, with Ferrari and McLaren testing its harder compounds in Barcelona this week.
A lot of attention has gone to Lewis Hamilton continuing his preparations with his new Italian employer alongside team-mate Charles Leclerc and McLaren's Lando Norris, but it cannot be stressed enough that lap times from...Keep reading -
First Mercedes apparel created by adidas launched ahead of F1 testing
The first Mercedes team wear designed by adidas has been unveiled, while fans of the squad can now also get hold of the latest merchandise.
It is the first time adidas has entered F1 and the company has claimed its involvement will “break new ground” by designing each piece of team kit for the individual requirements of the person wearing it.
More details have now emerged on the...Keep reading -
Is Renault meddling too much with Alpine’s F1 team? Oakes refutes that theory
Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes has responded to comments from Otmar Szafnauer hitting out at the Renault leadership, asserting his Formula 1 team is “very lucky to have that support”.
Szafnauer was Alpine’s team principal from February 2022 to July 2023. They subsequently parted ways due to the American and Renault CEO Luca de Meo disagreeing on the team’s timeline for success, as...Keep reading -
Aston Martin reveals launch plan for 2025 F1 challenger
Aston Martin will unveil its AMR25 car on 23 February in an online launch, a day before it gets its first on-track run at Bahrain.
This will follow the team's livery reveal at F1's 75th anniversary launch event at London’s O2 Arena on 18 February, and imagery will be released across Aston Martin's media profiles.
Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will then drive the 2025 car in a...Keep reading -
Hamilton back in action as Ferrari and McLaren complete Pirelli F1 test
Lewis Hamilton was back on track with Ferrari for the Pirelli Formula 1 tyre test that took place this week at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Charles Leclerc fastest overall.
As the new technical regulations for 2026 make F1 cars smaller and lighter, the tyres will also be narrower – by 25mm at the front and 30mm at the rear – and have a slightly smaller diameter, though wheel size is...Keep reading -
Zhou joins Ferrari as reserve driver after losing Sauber seat
Zhou Guanyu will join Ferrari as one of its reserve drivers for the 2025 Formula 1 season, taking the role alongside current incumbent Antonio Giovinazzi.
Zhou recently ended a three-year stint as a race driver in F1 with Sauber (previously Alfa Romeo), having become the first Chinese race driver in the F1 history.
He scored his first championship point on his debut in Bahrain in 2022, and...Keep reading -
On the bubble – Moet & Chandon returns as F1 champagne provider
Moet & Chandon has become the latest LVMH brand to partner with Formula 1 as the luxury champagne makes its return to the podium this season - while also becoming title partner of the Belgian Grand Prix.
F1 and LVMH signed a 10-year global partnership last year, worth around $1billion, which has seen a number of ‘maisons’ enter the series as part of the agreement.
Last week, it was...Keep reading -
JA on F1 Podcast: How Brown turned McLaren into a title-winning outfit
When Zak Brown joined McLaren as its CEO in 2018, it was a completely different operation to it is now having won the 2024 Formula 1 constructors’ championship.
It was McLaren’s first teams’ crown since 1998 and came after several management and structural changes from the moment Brown first walked through the door.
The American has developed into a strong leader and on the podcast, he...Keep reading -
Analysis: How Sauber’s UK engineering hub might solve a big problem for Audi’s F1 growth troubles
Sauber opening a technical centre for Audi’s coming Formula 1 entry appears to solve one big headache for the nascent project, while also drawing new parallels with rival squad, Haas.
The news that Sauber is now searching for premises on which to open its ‘Sauber Motorsport Technology Centre UK’ means it is primarily hoping to attract F1 staff based in the United Kingdom, while also...Keep reading -
Sauber launches UK engineering hub ahead of Audi F1 takeover in 2026
Sauber is set to establish a United Kingdom base as it prepares to morph into the Audi Formula 1 factory team in 2026.
The team’s headquarters will remain in the Swiss municipality of Hinwil, while running its power unit operation in Neuburg, Germany.
But it will now open a third location in the UK’s ‘motorsport valley’, which covers England’s South East and Midlands regions where...Keep reading -
Why Haas F1 won’t use Toyota’s wind tunnel despite technical partnership
Haas will continue to work in Ferrari’s Formula 1 wind tunnel despite signing a high-profile technical partnership with Toyota last year.
Although Toyota's F1 team came and went expensively during the 2000s without securing a single victory, its wind tunnel in Cologne was once considered so cutting edge that other F1 outfits used it in preference to their own.
However, Haas has decided...Keep reading -
Why the FIA's F1 flexi wing U-turn might backfire
The FIA has changed its stance by imposing stricter tests on F1's controversial flexing wings to avoid the topic causing more drama over the 2025 Formula 1 season, but by delaying their introduction it is guaranteed to remain a talking point.
Until late last season the FIA's single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said the FIA was satisfied with the current - if admittedly imperfect - static...Keep reading -
Las Vegas GP brought forward by two hours as F1 2025 race times revealed
The start time of the Las Vegas Grand Prix has been brought forwards by two hours to an 8pm slot for the 2025 edition - meaning the Formula 1 race will now start at 4am in the United Kingdom.
This is different from the first two races held on the city’s Strip Circuit street track, with Vegas returning to the F1 calendar following a 41-year absence in 2023 and that grand prix plus the 2024...Keep reading -
Lawson gets new race engineer for 2025 F1 season
Red Bull has named Sergio Perez's former performance engineer Richard Wood as the new race engineer for incoming Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson in 2025.
Wood garnered experience on the Red Bull pit wall several times during 2024 when Perez's regular race engineer Hugh Bird was on paternity leave.
A long-term Red Bull employee, Wood joined the team as a strategist before moving into race...Keep reading -
The Russell vs Verstappen spat isn't over and that’s good for F1 2025
It was rather unexpected.
George Russell, atop the sun-soaked Mercedes hospitality/engineering building in the Abu Dhabi paddock ahead of the 2024 season finale, about to unleash 15 minutes just savaging Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Russell’s agitation even shone through his dark-tinted sunglasses. This clearly wasn’t a path he found comfortable, and there were awkward missteps in his...Keep reading -
The “subservient” role Lambiase used to aid Verstappen’s Brazil brilliance
Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has explained how using a “subservient” approach with the Red Bull driver aided his Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix victory charge last season.
The pair’s relationship has often grabbed attention since Verstappen’s arrival at Red Bull in 2016, with Lambiase not shy in being firm with the Dutchman even in fractious moments.
But...Keep reading -
Gasly gives Alpine ambitious top-five goal for 2025 F1 season
Pierre Gasly has set a bold target of a top-five finish for Alpine in the 2025 Formula 1 constructors' championship.
Alpine endured a difficult campaign last year, partly down to its A524 car being overweight at the start of the season. The team languished in ninth place until its position in the standings was substantially boosted by a double podium finish in Brazil, which vaulted it to...Keep reading -
Sainz's ideas already bring "real momentum" to Williams – Vowles
Carlos Sainz's impact is already being felt within the Williams Formula 1 squad, team principal James Vowles has stated.
Sainz has moved to Williams alongside Alex Albon this year after racing for Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren and Ferrari during his first 10 seasons in F1, having been replaced by Lewis Hamilton at the Maranello-based outfit for the 2025 season.
The veteran actually made his...Keep reading -
Horner: Removing Herbert as FIA F1 steward "the right decision"
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner believes Formula 1's governing body the FIA was right to part ways with steward Johnny Herbert.
On Wednesday the FIA stated that Herbert, a long-time driver steward as the veteran of 160 grand prix starts, would no longer act as a steward at race weekends.
The FIA felt Herbert's media activities, especially those as a pundit for gambling websites, were...Keep reading -
Australian GP track tweaked after heavy 2024 crashes
The FIA and local organisers have made safety changes to Melbourne's Albert Park circuit following heavy crashes in last year's Australian Grand Prix.
In the 2024 race, Russell was caught out by Fernando Alonso braking earlier than expected for Turn 6, leading to the Mercedes car going off and suffering a heavy crash before his car was spat back onto the racing surface.
Turns 6 and 7, which...Keep reading -
FIA to clamp down on F1 wing flexing in 2025 after U-turn
The FIA will clamp down on the manner in which Formula 1 teams can bend their wings after introducing new load tests for both the front and rear wings throughout 2025.
From the start of the new F1 season in Australia, the FIA will expand the static deflection tests measuring the rear wings, and it will also be introducing additional front wing tests from the Spanish GP at the start of...Keep reading -
Red Bull to debut RB21 car at Bahrain filming day
Red Bull has set a date for the debut of its RB21 Formula 1 car, with Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson pressed into action at a filming day in Bahrain on Tuesday 25 February.
Autosport understands Red Bull will shake down its 2025 challenger one day before the new season properly gets underway with three days of official testing at the Sakhir circuit.
World champion Verstappen will log his...Keep reading -
Red Bull "open-minded" over addressing Verstappen's rear wing concerns
Red Bull says it will keep an open mind about developing low-drag rear wings for 2025 after Max Verstappen voiced his frustration over not having a bespoke design.
In 2024 Red Bull did not develop a bespoke low-drag rear wing and instead trimmed its existing design for low downforce circuits like Monza and Las Vegas.
That left it on the back foot at those venues, as there was only so much...Keep reading -
Newey: "I felt I wouldn't be true to myself if I stayed at Red Bull"
Aston Martin's incoming managing technical partner Adrian Newey has delved into the reasons why he left Red Bull and took up a new challenge in Formula 1.
After an 18-year stint in Milton Keynes, which yielded eight drivers' titles and six constructors' crowns, Newey decided last April to call time on his successful partnership with the team, just one year on from signing a new contract.
The...Keep reading -
Formula 1 drivers with the most converted pole positions to race wins
Lando Norris became the latest driver to have achieved the accomplishment, taking pole at the Dutch, Singapore and Abu Dhabi GPs before taking the race wins. Norris took a lights-to-flag victory in both Singapore and Abu Dhabi, and was on target for a Grand Slam before the fastest lap was taken by Daniel Ricciardo, raising concerns from McLaren about RB’s relationship with Red Bull.
Mercedes...Keep reading -
The class of 2025 - What to expect from F1's huge rookie intake
The new Formula 1 season will see the largest rookie intake in years, with five youngsters slotting in up and down the grid from Mercedes to Sauber. Here's what to expect from the class of '25.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes' long-term protege handed an early start
Leading the 2025 rookie intake in terms of fan and media attention is Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who after an intense preparation...Keep reading -
That’s Edutainment – F1 aiming to connect with all levels of fandom on a daily basis
The Formula 1 fanbase has boomed in recent years but alongside the many new supporters of the series, there has also been a huge increase in the ways of consuming content.
With an ever-younger demographic, F1 can no longer solely rely on providing two hours of entertainment on a Sunday, once a fortnight, to satisfy the thirst its audience has for engagement.
As F1’s director of marketing...Keep reading -
Wolff: F1 Academy is not a “feminist crusade” as female participation in motorsport is rising
Susie Wolff believes it is wrong to suggest she is on “a feminist crusade” with F1 Academy saying the championship is helping motorsport appeal to female fans of Formula 1.
The managing director of the single-seater, all-female series revealed the goal of F1 Academy is to have women competing equally against their male counterparts.
F1 Academy began in 2023 following the demise of W...Keep reading -
Louis Vuitton becomes Australian GP's title sponsor
Formula 1 has announced luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton will become the Australian Grand Prix's title sponsor from this year.
Louis Vuitton is part of the LVMH group with which F1 signed a 10-year global partnership deal last year that could be worth up to $1 billion.
The deal with Louis Vuitton means the company will have prominent trackside signage at the Albert Park circuit in...Keep reading -
Analysis: How Haas arrived at an F1 budget milestone in 2025
As it enters the 2025 Formula 1 season, the Haas team has achieved a milestone moment regarding its budget and overall funding sources.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu said in a recent roundtable interview attended by Autosport that squad owner Gene Haas for the “first time…doesn’t have to put his money in – it’s great.”
While a noteworthy statement alone, a certain amount of...Keep reading
