Formula 1 season start at the Australian GP
The countdown is finally over, and the 2025 Formula 1 season has begun. All 10 teams have travelled Down Under to kick off the 24-race campaign, and are setting up at the Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia, for round 1.
While the teams and drivers are busy adjusting to the jet lag and gearing up for the first showdown of the year, we are facing our own challenge – setting up our alarms for the overnight shift.
Set your alarms!
- Sunday
Race: 4:00 am
5 things to keep an eye on
1. Lewis in Red
Our jaws collectively dropped early last year when the seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton announced his move to Ferrari. The 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi marked Hamilton’s last race for Mercedes, bringing an end to an era. The British driver joined the team in 2013 and secured six Drivers’ Championships, 84 race victories and 78 pole positions.
Hamilton’s tenure with the Silver Arrows will go down in history as one of – if not the most – iconic team-driver pairing of the sport. However, not even Lewis Hamilton could resist the allure of the Prancing Horse. Now dressed in red, his motivations go far beyond simply fulfilling a childhood dream of racing for the team from Maranello – it’s about chasing an eight championship.
2. New Regulations
Despite the major regulation changes set for 2026, the FIA has introduced a couple rule tweaks for the 2025 season that could have a noteworthy impact. Here are the ones to watch out for.
One of the most significant changes this year is the removal of the bonus point for the fastest lap. The FIA scrapped this rule after teams used it as a controversial strategy rather than a performance incentive. A major point of discussion last year was during the Singapore Grand Prix when Daniel Ricciardo, Racing Bulls, set the fastest lap and took the point away from Lando Norris, ultimately benefiting sister team Red Bull.
In races where temperatures are forecasted to exceed 31ºC, the FIA increased the weight limits of the cars to account for additional cooling measures. In order to manage the heat, drivers will now be allowed to wear a shirt connected by tubes to receive cooling fluids.
This year we will see more rookies on track as the FIA has doubled the mandatory rookie test sessions. Now each team is required to run two rookie sessions per car throughout the season. Only drivers who have no more than two Formula 1 races under their belt will be considered a rookie to the FP1 test.
3. Rookies
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar, Jack Doohan and Oliver Bearman are the five rookies lining up to start a season at the pinnacle of motorsport. This marks the first time since 2010 that Formula 1 fans see such a significant shake-up in the driver line up, with only two teams – McLaren and Aston Martin – retaining their previous pairings.
Antonelli has been handed a hard task: replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. The youngest rookie, at just 18 years old, will start the race in P16 and could be diamond in the rough, waiting to be polished throughout the season.
Hadjar was the last rookie to be announced after some changes in both Red Bull teams at the end of 2024. Now part of the Racing Bulls driver line up, he kicked off the season as the fastest rookie, having qualified in P11.
Bortoletto brings Brazil back to Formula 1. The 20-year-old, who was Formula 2 and Formula 3 champion, is racing for Kick Sauber. He has already made an impression after out-qualifying his teammate Nico Hülkenberg in Q2. The Brazilian will start from P15 in his Formula 1 debut.
Doohan joins Alpine and will make his first Formula 1 appearance on home soil in Australia, starting from P14.
Bearman, Haas’ newest recruit, faces the most challenges during his debut weekend. After causing the first crash of the year, he had a disappointing qualifying and will start his first race from the back of the grid in P20.
Liam Lawson, Red Bull’s second driver, is also being considered a rookie as this is his first full Formula 1 season. Last year, the New Zealander replaced Daniel Ricciardo in the Racing Bulls for six races. Now, he will start the season on a challenging note, having qualified in P18.
4. Laura Muller as Race Engineer
In 75 years of Formula 1, the sport finally has its first female race engineer. Haas has appointed Laura Muller to work with Esteban Ocon in his debut season with the American team.
Muller is an experienced engineer and has worked across various categories, such as WEC and GT3 before making her way into Formula 1.
Taking on one of the most important roles in a Formula 1 team, Laura will be responsible for Ocon’s performance and race strategies throughout the season. So yes, she will be the voice we hear when his radio comes through during the broadcast.
5. Wet race
A 91% chance of rain–that’s the weather forecast for the race this Sunday at Albert Park. For fans, the combination of rain + first race + five rookies = chaos, making the excitement (and nerves) for the first race even greater.
The two McLarens will start from the front row, marking the first time the papaya team has achieved that at the season opener since 2012. However, Max Verstappen starts from P3, and all fans will remember the Dutch driver’s impressive wet-weather performance in Brazil last season.
While a wet race brings unpredictability, excitement is the perfect word to describe the anticipation for the Australian Grand Prix.
