Formula 1 2025 Season

It was almost exactly a year from Red Bull forgetting how to set up a race car, to figuring it out again. 

I'm sure not going to write Max off for the drivers...

NY Nick said:

Team papaya better get their E36 M3 together or they are going to be the new clowns when Max passes both of them for his fifth title. 

One of the problems with having two well-matched drivers fighting hard for the WDC is that they can take points off each other. If either of them were weaker, the other would have a more commanding lead over Max.

He's sure adding some interest to the end of the season, isn't he?

I remember McLaren refusing to get involved in its drivers fight in 2007 and the result was Kimi sneaking through to win it. Totally preventable, just like it is this season. I was excited for Lewis to go to Ferrari but it looks like that team has deep seated problems keeping it from winning Championships.

Excellent race for Norris. He is showing his resilience. Piastri will come back on pace I am sure. I was excited all race seeing if Norris would get LeClerc. 

RBR money and time spent on the few updated parts that most other teams aren't doing has brought both Vers and Tsunoda up the field. Very likely Ver can win the WDC. But Norris is my bet to take the championship.

If McLaren can get their guys in the front row out of Qualifying they will run away in races still. 

Hulk loves this track! 

With Sauber becoming Audi, Haas is now the Ferrari Jr team- and seeing how Bearman is getting so much out of that car, he's clearly the next driver in red.  He's really doing a great job.  I think the attempted move on Yuki was optimistic- way too optimistic, but I get how he complained that Yuki moved under braking.  Ocon, on the other hand, looks ready to be retired.

And as much hype people put on Sainz doing well over Hamilton- it's not exactly turning out in races.  That was a terrible move that took him out of the race.  And Albon got into a mess meaning that Williams had another forgettable weekend.

It's pretty amusing that there's conflict between Lawson and Tsunoda- not surprising at all, but they express it in a very funny way.  Still trying to figure out Hadjar- sometimes he looks really quick, others that he doesn't belong in F1.  Curious.  

The end with Colapinto passing his teammate after being told to not pass Gasley was interesting- I do think had he not done that, both of them would have been passed. 

In reply to alfadriver :

Sainz has the worst luck, some of which is his fault other times beyond his control, honestly Ollie seems to have a similar driving style.

Hamilton's brand is F1, I can't see him walking away from Ferrari, I bet there are other teams on the grid that will want Ollie, before the red car is open. If he goes to Ferrari the political term oil of Leclerc and Hamilton may start impacting car performance. Horner rumor being attached to Ferrari is insane. Honestly I would like to see Horner go to Alpine, but I think he got a lot of people fired towards the end of the engine supply with RB.

In reply to trigun7469 :

This is Ollie's first season in F1, right?  Charles was at Sauber for a few seasons before being promoted.  Outside of Verstappen moving to Ferrari, the next new driver sure seems that it will be Bearman.  At least right now.  Things can change, but in terms of Ferrari drivers that have come up through their system and have real potential today, Bearman is it.

In reply to alfadriver :

Fair point, I guess Russell was at Williams 19-21, however Leclerc was only at Sauber for 1 year. Ollie did drive last year just not for a full season.

So RBR is being investigated for going back onto the track after the formation lap started.  What were they doing?  They went out to move a reference tape that McLaren is using to help Lando line up on the grid.  

And this isn't the first time someone from RBR moved the tape that Lando used for lining up.  

That isn't the technical problem here, it's going back on the grid after the formation lap started. but what kind of people would do that?  Is RBR that bad of a team?

In reply to alfadriver :

Pulling out all the stops, and tape it appears. Just got a $50k fine for a crew member running back on track and tearing Lando's marking tape off the pavement in his start box. Seems like that should be hit with a bit higher consequences or just let it go like the away teams cheer leaders/band jumping up and down behind the basket during free throws. 

alfadriver said:

So RBR is being investigated for going back onto the track after the formation lap started.  What were they doing?  They went out to move a reference tape that McLaren is using to help Lando line up on the grid.  

And this isn't the first time someone from RBR moved the tape that Lando used for lining up.  

That isn't the technical problem here, it's going back on the grid after the formation lap started. but what kind of people would do that?  Is RBR that bad of a team?

I guess a lot of RBR are still scum even after Horner got rightfully, and hopefully permanently, out of F1. 

$50k as a fine is ok for now. But RBR has shown a tendency to keep pushing the boundaries of scumbag-ness unless punished severely. 

Horner set the culture at RBR. That doesn’t change immediately even with him gone. Removing the tape is a childish trick that could seriously affect a race. The article I read said that it’s not the first time, the reason they got caught this time is because McLaren switched to a stickier tape that proved to be harder to remove, and the minion ran out of time and got busted. 

In reply to johndej :

In racing, it's pretty rare that other teams go out of their way to make the race harder for other drivers.  Fan do what they do.  

I get trying to eek out every single advantage you can for your driver.  But to go out of your way to mess with other drivers?  Seriously?

IMHO, the rest of the teams should just get out of the way *enough* to meet the rules for RBR cars, but try to mess with the lap anyway if RBR is going to resort to childish things like this.  Kind of like how Lawson has gotten into Yuki's head.

I would think that it would be way more effective to *add* more strips of tape rather than take one away....

Colton Herta’s F2 team confirmed as Cadillac test driver aims to put himself in ‘best possible position’ for F1 chance the rumors a couple weeks ago was hitech, so no surprise. However they are not the best team on the grid. Should be interesting, I was hoping he would get out there this year to do some testing or run a race since ICS has been over for a while.

The Race has a pretty optimistic view of AppleTV's F1 deal- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaYS3R96Lv4

And they cover F1TV very much.

Growing up in an era of "free" tv, I was around when the first cable deals hit - $20/month and no commercials.....which only lasted a few years till the price started climbing and commercials found their way onto the screens. 

So I look at this the same way, streaming services that "only" cost $13/month right now, but the more popular they become I can see the price doing nothing but going up. And I can't imagine watching F1 races with my phone, even if it does have haptic feedback. Same with movies. So the "extra features" they talk about so breathlessly make me shrug my shoulders and raise an eyebrow!

Right now we pay for Google fiber, so we can access the internet at all, then we pay for "YouTube TV", for a TV feed, and of course Netflix because I wanted to watch "Drive to Survive", and Prime since we already have it (but there's a cost for that as well) and now I get to add another access just so I can watch F1 (and yes, I realize there are other things to watch on Apple TV as well, but I don't know if I want to - yet)

So, I wonder - where does it end? What can I justify spending every month just for TV entertainment? So much of it is just dreck.....We got to watch the Tulsa man series with old Sly for one season, then it became a Paramount only deal, so to watch that would have been another.....oh I don't know.....$15/month? It just never ends.......

In reply to MiniDave :

The idea of using the phone as a primary way to watch an F1 race is absurd to me.  I'll watch it that way if we are out camping, and it's the only way to watch a race, but that's only a few races a year.  Live timing and scoring is nice, but I really don't see that as all that entertaining- that's kind of off the table for a true benefit.  So the only way I can see myself using the phone is for notifications that I need to turn the TV on.

As for all of the streaming channels, I totally agree.  We will have the ones we can get cheap or free based on whatever system we have (cc's or phone plans, etc).  But I'm going to really think about picking and choosing what service I will get.  Right now, prices are not horrible, but it's not hard to envision a day where the services add up to just having cable.

There are some things that I would suggest to Apple to cover races- like having split or multiple screens I can watch- like one main feed and some in car views.  I don't want to constantly go back and forth in the app to just change what I want to watch.  And one way that I can see using my phone is to partner it with my TV to change the views- that would be cool.

I'm wondering how long DTS will be on competitor Netflix.  Then again, I've not consumed that for quite a few seasons now.  But still, with Apple doing the F1 movie, I can see them trying to do their own show.

It's interesting how optimistic The Race was for getting new viewers when it's coming out here that current F1 watchers will hesitate adding Apple TV just to watch F1.

Is DTS a Netflix product? It certainly doesn't get the push on the official F1 site that the movie did. If it belongs to Netflix, it's not leaving that platform. I haven't watched it for a few years myself, I couldn't watch smug Horner in the 2021 series.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

As far as I know it is a Netflix product.  Given the growth of F1 because of it, it's interesting that it's not really one of the key parts to F1's management.

But it does make me wonder if they will be able to continue it or will Apple do one of their own.

The funny thing is that DTS makes watching F1 more interesting, since the racing isn't exactly super interesting.  I've not watched it since 2021 either, but that doesn't mean it's not entertaining.  But it kind of gives Apple a nice format to get more people watching....

It will be interesting to go forward as a fan.

A not qualified thought- of the streaming services, I can think of just Apple and Amazon who have the extra billions to throw around for something like F1.  I think Amazon is going for American football instead, though.  Disney is clearly struggling with how they have been milking ESPN for so long- and it's coming back to bite them.  And the rest just don't have the corporate backing like Apple and Amazon.

In reply to alfadriver :

The comments section is interesting in the youtube. No surprise people are mystified and upset.

This is a interesting development because almost all American covered race series show coverage on brodcast tv. ICS has all the races available on fox, Nascab has 28 race, IMSA has a mix with peacock. So if this works I wonder if the next contracts for Autoracing will go this direction (Highly doubt this plan is going to work).

Demographics Apple TV+ viewers are most often between the ages of 35 and 54 (GenX and Millennials)  by majority are female and only 1% of U.S. teens being regular viewers. I just wonder what their bold strategy is to net more viewers. F1 is big enough where they can absorb losses, I just don't understand this strategy. The teen market is on youtube watching free videos, wouldn't be best to leverage that platform?

Youtube has alot of content covering F1 that I am fine with just watching the highlights/commentary, I will pass on the AppleTV and F1TV. 

Some news about brakes:

The twentieth round of the Formula 1 season is the Mexico City GP, where last season a total of 400,639 spectators attended, including 152,668 on race day alone. To provide a better experience for spectators, the grandstand known as “Estadio GNP” has undergone a complete renovation. The track layout, however, has remained unchanged since the circuit returned to the calendar.

The GP data

According to Brembo technicians, the 4,304-meter Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is classified as a highly demanding circuit for the braking system. On a scale from 1 to 5, the track has a difficulty index of 4, as the low air density caused by the circuit’s record altitude reduces the cooling efficiency of discs, pads, and calipers.

Drivers use the brakes in 9 of the 17 corners, relying on the system for all corners from 4 to 7. Among these, three braking zones are classified as Hard and two as Medium.

• Brembo Identity Card, in PDF: https://www.brembogroup.com/en/media/media-library

• Video Hardest Braking Point, in .mp4: https://www.swisstransfer.com/d/999c0274-59f8-4c46-849a-c5ddec7c5922

• Link YT Hardest Braking Point: Brembo Hardest Braking Point: 2025 Formula 1 Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez

• Link web news: 5 facts about the Mexico Formula 1 GP | Brembo EN

The toughest corner

The most demanding corner for the braking system at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is Turn 1: the F1 cars approach at 342 km/h and slow down to 112 km/h in 2.68 seconds, covering 141 meters. During this braking, drivers experience a deceleration of 4.1 g and must apply a 126 kg force on the brake pedal. The braking power generated reaches 2,209 kW.

The “Anti-Drag” System

In Formula 1 cars, every component must be optimized to avoid behaviors that reduce overall performance. Attention is usually focused on wings and the chassis, but other components can also negatively affect performance. A significant example involves traditional brake calipers, which can cause drag even when the brakes are not being applied. Brembo addressed this issue with the development of the “anti-drag” system: a mechanism consisting of a pin operated by a torsion spring that reduces residual torque, preventing unwanted contact between the disc and pads when the brakes are not in use. When the driver releases the pedal, eliminating system pressure, the spring immediately returns the pads to a non-contact position, ensuring maximum efficiency under all conditions.

The Double “First”

In 1986, Formula 1 returned to Mexico after a sixteen-year absence: Nigel Mansell led the championship with a 10-point advantage over Nelson Piquet and 11 over Alain Prost, while Williams had already secured the Constructors’ title. Benetton, on the other hand, was in sixth place with just 10 points. Yet it was Gerhard Berger in the Benetton who won the Mexico GP, achieving victory without a single pit stop. It was a double first: both the team and the driver celebrated their maiden win. The Mexico City race became an iconic moment, a major success made possible in part by the reliability of Brembo brakes.

The Eighth Mexican

Pato O’Ward will take part in the first practice session of the Mexico City GP, driving a McLaren. The homegrown driver competes in IndyCar, where he has achieved 7 victories and numerous notable finishes: 3rd in 2021, 4th in 2020 and 2023, 5th this year, and 7th in 2022. Pato becomes the 8th Mexican to drive in Formula 1, although not all have officially participated in a Grand Prix, as Alfonso Celis only took part in practice sessions and tests with Force India.

In reply to trigun7469 :

They are- far more like this board and what I expected.  It was really curious when The Race first announced the news, and it was overwhelmingly positive for Apple and F1- which was pretty out of touch of the American consumer, let alone the F1 viewer.  

I'll watch just because we already have apple tv to watch.  Might help the value just a little.  But I'm not adding a streaming service just to watch live sports.

I will say, that I have noticed a distinct difficulty in finding formula 1 in the ESPN app or TV based apps or even on regular cable. Initially it was pretty easy to find F1 and not run into spoilers or or having difficulty playing the actual show or race I wanted to watch. But after some app changes on phones and the websites and on TV apps it just has been a constant pain. Sometimes I try to watch a show that is indicated to be available and just won't play. And other times when I try to get to the on-demand replay of a race I'm confronted with bold one minute video thumbnails of who the winner was before I can get to the replays. So ESPN buried F1 as far as I can see even when I said it as my single interest in the ESPN menu it's still buries all the f1 videos behind the other American team sports. 

I will say that I don't watch anything on ESPN except for formula 1 so if it wasn't included as part of the "included free" Verizon streaming package a few years ago that came with my new phones I would still be using the F1 TV app. 

Good start for Ferrari of the Mexican GP weekend as Charles Leclerc recorded the fastest time in FP1, a session that had 9 rookies in it.