2025 Formula One World Championship
Ongoing 76th Formula One season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship is a motor racing championship for Formula One cars and the 76th running of the Formula One World Championship. It is recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body of international motorsport, as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. The championship is contested over twenty-four Grands Prix held around the world. It began in March and will end in December.
Oscar Piastri (left) and his team McLaren-Mercedes (right) are the World Drivers' and Constructors' Championship leaders, respectively.
Drivers and teams compete for the titles of World Drivers' Champion and World Constructors' Champion, respectively. Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT, is the reigning Drivers' Champion,[1] while McLaren-Mercedes are the reigning Constructors' Champions.[2]
The 2025 season is the last year to utilise the power unit configuration introduced in 2014. A revised configuration without the Motor Generator Unit-Heat (MGU-H), but with a higher power output from the Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K), will be introduced for 2026.[3] 2025 also marks the final year of the ground-effect generation of cars introduced in 2022, and the last year of the drag reduction system (DRS) introduced as an overtaking aid in 2011 as cars with active aerodynamics and moveable wings are being introduced in 2026.[4]
2025 is the final season for Renault as an active engine supplier for its team Alpine, as the manufacturer plans to discontinue engine production post-2025.[5]
Entries
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All teams compete with tyres supplied by Pirelli.[6] Each team is required to enter at least two drivers, one for each of the two mandatory cars.[7]
Free practice drivers
Throughout the season, each team has to field a driver in one of the first two free practice sessions who has not competed in more than two races, on four occasions, twice for each car.[7]
| Constructor | No. | Driver | Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine-Renault | 62 |  Ryō Hirakawa |
3 |
| Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes | 34 |  Felipe Drugovich |
4 |
| Ferrari | 38 |  Dino Beganovic |
4 |
| Haas-Ferrari | 50 | Ryō Hirakawa |
4 |
| Mercedes | 72 |  Frederik Vesti |
4 |
| Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT | 37 | Ayumu Iwasa |
4 |
| Williams-Mercedes | 46 |  Luke Browning |
4 |
| Source:[31] | |||
Team changes
RB discontinued its use of initialism and entered instead as Racing Bulls, thus changing their team and constructor name.[24]
Driver changes
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Oliver Bearman (top left), Andrea Kimi Antonelli (top centre), Jack Doohan (top right), Gabriel Bortoleto (bottom left), Liam Lawson (bottom centre) and Isack Hadjar (bottom right) made their debuts as full-time drivers with Haas, Mercedes, Alpine, Sauber, Red Bull Racing, and Racing Bulls, respectively.
Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes after twelve seasons to join Ferrari, ending his record-breaking streak of the most consecutive seasons driving for a single constructor, as well as competing in his first season without a Mercedes power unit.[39] He replaced Carlos Sainz Jr., who left Ferrari after four seasons to join Williams on a multi-year deal. Sainz was initially set to replace Logan Sargeant, but Sargeant was replaced by Franco Colapinto part way through the 2024 season.[40][41][42][43] Hamilton was replaced by Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who was promoted from Formula 2.[44][45] In January 2025, Colapinto left Williams to join Alpine as a reserve driver.[46]
Haas is fielding an all new line-up in 2025; Nico Hülkenberg departed the team after two seasons to drive for Sauber, with whom he last competed in 2013.[47][48] He was replaced by Haas's reserve driver Oliver Bearman, who stepped up from Formula 2, having previously raced in the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for Ferrari, and in the 2024 Azerbaijan and São Paulo Grands Prix for Haas.[49] Kevin Magnussen also departed the team after seven seasons across two stints.[50] He was replaced by Esteban Ocon, who split from Alpine before the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after five seasons with them.[51] Jack Doohan, who replaced Ocon for the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, obtained the seat at Alpine for 2025.[52][53]
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu both left Sauber after three years,[54] the former rejoining Mercedes as a reserve driver after having previously raced for the team from 2017 to 2021,[55] and the latter joining Ferrari as a reserve driver.[56] The vacant seat alongside Hülkenberg was filled by reigning Formula 2 Champion Gabriel Bortoleto.[57]
Despite a previously signed contract until 2026, Sergio Pérez left Red Bull Racing after the conclusion of the 2024 season.[58] He was replaced by Liam Lawson, who was promoted from Racing Bulls after five Grands Prix in 2023 under the AlphaTauri moniker, and six Grands Prix in 2024 under the use of the initialism RB.[59] Red Bull Racing reserve and 2024 Formula 2 runner-up Isack Hadjar was promoted to Racing Bulls in his place.[60]
In-season changes
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Yuki Tsunoda (left) switched from Racing Bulls to Red Bull Racing from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards, replacing Liam Lawson. Franco Colapinto (right) will replace Jack Doohan at Alpine from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to the Austrian Grand Prix.
Following the Chinese Grand Prix, Liam Lawson was demoted back to Racing Bulls, with Yuki Tsunoda making his debut for Red Bull Racing at the subsequent Japanese Grand Prix.[61]
Following the Miami Grand Prix, Jack Doohan was relegated to a reserve driver role for Alpine. His seat was given to former reserve driver Franco Colapinto on a "rotating seat" basis, with the latter scheduled to debut at the subsequent Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and race for the team until the Austrian Grand Prix. Colapinto previously raced for Williams in nine Grands Prix in 2024.[62]
Calendar
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The 2025 calendar comprises the same twenty-four Grands Prix as the previous season.[63][64] The Chinese, Miami, Belgian, United States, São Paulo and Qatar Grands Prix feature the sprint format.[65][66]
Calendar changes
The Australian Grand Prix hosted the opening race of the 2025 season for the first time since 2019. It was the third round in the past three seasons, after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, respectively, with those events being pushed back in 2025 to avoid a conflict with Ramadan.[67][68] The Russian Grand Prix was under contract to feature on the 2025 calendar.[69] However, the contract was terminated in 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[70]
Regulation changes
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Technical regulations
Minimum weight changes
The minimum driver weight allowance has been increased from 80 kilograms (176.4 lb) to 82 kilograms (180.8 lb). As a result, the overall minimum weight limit of the car without fuel also increased from 798 kilograms (1,759 lb) to 800 kilograms (1,764 lb). The change was made in the interest of the well-being of the drivers, especially those either taller or heavier.[71][72][73]
Driver cooling
A driver cooling kit has been introduced for 2025. The system will only be mandated by the FIA in extreme heat conditions, with the minimum weight of the cars increased correspondingly when applicable. This is to avoid a repeat of overheating of the drivers witnessed at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.[74] When the FIA predicts a temperature of over 30.5 °C (86.9 °F), a "heat hazard" will be declared. This will require teams to equip the drivers with their cooling systems, and the minimum weight will be raised by 5 kilograms (11 lb) to compensate for the equipment.[75]
Drag Reduction System parameters
The slot gaps for the rear wing between the two modes of the DRS have been changed, with the minimum gap reduced. It has been shrunk from 10–15 millimetres (0.39–0.59 in) to 9.4–13 millimetres (0.37–0.51 in); the upper boundary remains at 85 millimetres (3.3 in) with DRS open. The FIA has also tightened up the rules on the DRS modes, stating that there must only be two positions, and that ending the application of DRS must return the wing exactly as defined to the initial mode.[75]
New and more stringent deflection tests on the rear wing were carried out from the opening round, while other tests on the front wing will be introduced from the Spanish Grand Prix onwards.[76] Following the opening round, the FIA further restricted the acceptable slot gap variation from 2 millimetres (0.079 in) to 0.5 millimetres (0.020 in) immediately, with an additional tolerance of 0.25 millimetres (0.0098 in) for the Chinese Grand Prix only in recognition of the short notice.[77]
Number of gearboxes
There is no longer a limit on the number of gearboxes used by teams, as the reliability of current designs renders this restriction obsolete.[76]
Sporting regulations
Fastest lap point
The point awarded to drivers finishing in the top ten positions for setting the fastest lap in the race, which was reintroduced in 2019, has been abolished.[7][78][79]
Young driver free practice requirements
The requirements for fielding a young driver during free practice has been increased from once per season per car to twice per season per car.[80]
Testing of previous cars
The sporting regulations has tightened the restrictions on the testing of previous cars (TPC). This sees a twenty-day limit imposed on TPC, and drivers competing in the championship are allowed to cover a maximum of 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) over four days of testing. Testing will only be permitted at circuits that have featured on the calendar in the current or previous year. However, testing is not permitted on tracks which will host a race within sixty days of a test, nor “if the circuit is deemed, at the sole discretion of the FIA, to have undergone significant modification” since the last race.[81]
Qualifying contingencies
The sporting regulations now include specifically prescribed provisions for how the starting grids for sprints and Grands Prix should be set in the event that qualifying for these sessions is cancelled. The starting grid will be set according to the drivers' championship standings. Previously it was left solely to the discretion of the stewards to determine the starting grid order if a qualifying session could not take place. If the Drivers' Championship standings cannot be applied to determine the starting grid order, it remains at the racing stewards discretion.[7][82]
Starting grid formation
The protocol for closing up the grid when some cars do not make it to the start of a race was amended following the starting grid formation for cars withdrawn before the start of the 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix. The final grid will now be determined one hour before the start of the race. Cars that are withdrawn up to 75 minutes before the start will not be included in the final grid, and the following cars will all move up the relevant positions.[74]
Regulation of public comments
Drivers comments are due to be subject to more stringent regulation, and stricter punishment. The issue had first come to light when Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said in an interview that he wanted to see less bad language in Formula One.[83] This was closely followed by Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc both being investigated and punished for swearing in Formula One interviews.[84][85] The penalties for "driver misconduct" covers "language, [...], gesture[s] and/or sign[s] that is offensive, insulting, coarse, rude or abusive and might reasonably be expected or be perceived to be coarse or rude or to cause offense, humiliation or to be inappropriate", as well as assault and "incitement to do any of the above".[83] A first offense would incur a €40,000 fine, a second offense would see a €80,000 fine and a suspended suspension, with a third offense resulting in a €120,000 fine, a one-month suspension, and a point deduction. The same penalty scale is set to apply to any "moral injury or loss" to the "FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers" or its values. The making of "political, religious and personal statements or comments" which contravenes the FIA's neutrality will also be subject to the same penalties, with the added caveat that drivers will be required to make a full apology and retract their statement.[83]
Monaco Grand Prix
With the aim of promoting better racing, there will be an increase in the number of mandatory pit stops for the Monaco Grand Prix.[76] The Grand Prix will see the implementation of a minimum two-stop strategy, in both wet and dry conditions. The teams will also be mandated to use at least three sets of tyres in the race, with a minimum of two different tyre compounds if it is a dry race.[86]
Protocol for damaged cars
Following concerns raised during the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, where Sergio Pérez controversially returned to the pits to avoid a safety car deployment, helping teammate Max Verstappen win the race, the FIA has now introduced a new regulation to prevent severely damaged cars from attempting to return to the pits. Previously, drivers could navigate back to the garage even if their cars were damaged and posed a safety risk to others on track. The updated rule now allows the race director to instruct teams to retire a car if it has substantial structural damage or a critical failure that could endanger others or hinder competition. In such cases, the driver must pull over at the nearest safe location rather than continue towards the pit lane.[87]
Formation lap for pit lane starts
Drivers starting from the pit lane are now required to participate in the formation lap, a change from previous seasons where they could remain in the garage until the race start. Under the new regulation, once all cars on track have passed the pit exit, pit lane starters must leave in the established order unless a delay occurs. They must then re-enter the pit lane at the end of the formation lap before the race begins. This adjustment aims to streamline race starts and ensure a more consistent pre-race procedure.[87]
Season summary
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Season launch
As part of the series' celebration of the sport's 75th anniversary, all ten teams took part in a collective season launch event called F1 75 Live at The O2 Arena in London on 18 February 2025. Each team unveiled their car liveries for the season while their drivers and team principals were interviewed in front of a live audience, with other live entertainment and previews of the Formula One film mixed in. The event was broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and ESPN in the United States, as well as Formula One's social media accounts.[88][89] On YouTube, the event surpassed Formula One's previous live event viewership records, with 1.1 million concurrent viewers.[90][91]
Pre-season
A single pre-season test was held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on 26–28 February.[92] Carlos Sainz Jr., driving for Williams, set the fastest time in the three-day test.[93]
Opening rounds
McLaren's Lando Norris took pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, which was held under changing, intermediate conditions. Norris led a majority of the race. He briefly lost the lead when he and teammate Oscar Piastri lost control in intermediate conditions. Because of this, Piastri was beached for a short time before he freed himself, dropping to thirteenth and later recovering to ninth. Max Verstappen, in the Red Bull, was trailing Norris as the race reached its closing stages. Norris kept Verstappen behind to win the Grand Prix, bringing McLaren its first win in Australia since 2012. In doing so, Norris also broke Verstappen's reign of consecutive days leading the Drivers' Championship, which the Red Bull driver had held since the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix. Andrea Kimi Antonelli recovered twelve places from his sixteenth-place start to finish in fourth. Six retirements were observed: Isack Hadjar in the Racing Bulls, Jack Doohan for Alpine, Carlos Sainz Jr. for Williams, Fernando Alonso for Aston Martin, Gabriel Bortoleto for Sauber, and Verstappen's teammate Liam Lawson.[94]
Lewis Hamilton took sprint pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix, which he converted into a sprint victory ahead of Piastri and Verstappen. Norris qualified in sixth for the sprint, and finished in eighth.[95] Oscar Piastri took pole for the main race, achieving his maiden career pole position.[96] Piastri would control the race from start to finish, leading a 1–2 with teammate Lando Norris – who was fighting an imminent brake failure – behind, followed by George Russell in third for Mercedes. This race marked McLaren's 50th 1–2 finish since joining the sport.[97] Following the race, Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly were disqualified due to their cars being underweight,[98] while Lewis Hamilton was disqualified for excessive skid wear.[99]
Max Verstappen took his first pole position of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix, marking the first time he started on pole since the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. He would go on to finish the race with a commanding victory, ahead of the two McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes became both the youngest driver to lead a race and to set a fastest lap in Formula One history. The race featured no retirements.[100]
Oscar Piastri took his second pole position of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix and controlled the race to win ahead of George Russell, whose car was suffering from numerous electrical issues, and Piastri's teammate Lando Norris. Williams' Carlos Sainz Jr. was the sole retiree during the race, having suffered a collision with Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull Racing,[101] with Nico Hülkenberg being disqualified after the race due to excessive skid wear.[102]
Verstappen took his second pole position of the season at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, while Norris crashed out in Q3, leaving him tenth; he recovered to fourth during the race. His teammate Oscar Piastri, who started second, won the race ahead of Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, who took Ferrari's first Grand Prix podium of the season. The result meant that Piastri took the lead of the World Drivers' Championship for the first time in his career, also making him the first Australian to lead the championship since his manager Mark Webber at the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix. The race featured the retirements of Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly.[103]
Andrea Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the sprint at the Miami Grand Prix, but dropped to seventh following an unsafe release with Max Verstappen, who dropped to last – the first pointless finish for him in any race format since the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix – after a penalty was applied. After a late safety car period was called out for a heavy crash involving Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris was shuffled, and won the race, ahead of Oscar Piastri. Lewis Hamilton was in third after a well-timed strategy,[104] while Charles Leclerc crashed during a reconnaissance lap and did not take part in the sprint.[105] For the main race, Verstappen took pole ahead of Norris and Antonelli, but Piastri won ahead of Norris and George Russell. Four retirements were observed, those being Jack Doohan, Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Liam Lawson.[106]
Results and standings
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Grands Prix
Scoring system
Points are awarded to the top ten classified drivers, and the top eight of the sprint.[110][d] In the case of a tie on points, a countback system is used where the driver with the most Grand Prix wins is ranked higher. If the number of wins is identical, then the number of second places is considered, and so on.[110] Points are awarded using the following system:
World Drivers' Championship standings
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Notes:
- † – Driver did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.
World Constructors' Championship standings
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Notes:
- † – Driver did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.
- Rows are not related to the drivers: within each constructor, individual Grand Prix standings are sorted purely based on the final classification in the race (not by total points scored in the event, which includes points awarded for the sprint).
Notes
- Lewis Hamilton originally set the fastest lap, but was later disqualified as the thickness of the plank assembly was below the minimum thickness required.[107] Lando Norris, initially having the second-fastest lap, was recognised for setting the fastest lap of the race.[108]
- In the event of a race or sprint ending prematurely, the number of points paying positions can be reduced, depending on how much of the race or sprint had been completed.[111]
References
External links
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