Green light, Sunday 16 March in Australia raises the curtain on the 76th edition of the Formula 1 championship. 2025 promises to be an exciting season, with the Ferrari that aims seriously to the world title thanks to a pair of pilots of the highest level: the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, finally ready to realize his childhood dream of racing with the Rossa, and the “predestined” Charles Leclerc. After years of waiting, the Scuderia from Maranello will try to Break Max Verstappen's dominance, who is aiming for his fifth consecutive title, a feat achieved only by Michael Schumacher. competition, however, will be more aggressive than ever, with McLaren, perhaps this year's favourite, ready to give Battle with Lando Norris.
The season will open with the Australian Grand Prix and will end on December 7, with 24 races scheduledExpectations are sky-high and the battle for the title promises to be more intense than ever.
Ferrari is banking on Hamilton and Leclerc to become champion again
THELewis Hamilton's entrance in Scuderia Ferrari represents a a real revolution. With his seven world titles (the only one together with the great Michael), the British driver brings a great deal of experience and the will to make history also with the Prancing Horse. Alongside him, Charles Leclerc, former team leader, has renewed his determination to fight for the title, aware that 2025 could be the decisive year.
Even the iLewis Hamilton's engagement is a dream, with a contract that reaches 50 million dollars per year, a figure that can further increase thanks to bonuses. Charles' salary is no less Leclerc, whose annual salary is approaching 35 million. Together, the two pilots represent an investment total of 116 million of dollars, a figure that reflects theMaranello's ambition to bring Ferrari back to victory.
The title fight: Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes at the forefront
La Red Bull, dominator of the last seasons thanks to Max Verstappen, presents itself with a new formation: the young Liam Lawson will replace Sergio Perez as the Dutchman's teammate. Despite the loss of an experienced driver, Red Bull remains one of the favorites for the title. McLaren, led by team principal Andrea Stella, has returned to winning the constructors' title and aims to reconfirm itself by also looking at the drivers' title with Lando Norris e Oscar piastri, while Mercedes, even without Hamilton, will continue to focus on George russelthe Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the young Italian talent who will make his Formula 1 debut with the Brackley team.
The challenges will not only concern the pilots, but even the buildersAston Martin, with the arrival of legendary designer Adrian Newey, and Alpine, with a new line-up, are ready to fight for the podium, while other teams such as Williams and Haas will try to emerge with new line-ups and young talent.
The F1 Business: A Big-Growing Business
The Formula 1 business is much more than a show on the track: it is a huge turnover who had a turning point since 2017, when Liberty Media has acquired the league for 8 billion dollars. Since then, F1 has experienced a real revival, thanks to targeted strategies that have raised the numbers of the entire sector and helped revive a sport that was going through a period of crisis.
In 2024, Formula 1 recorded a impressive turnover of 3,6 billion dollarsa operating profit who surpassed the 774 million: part of the credit also goes to initiatives such as the alliances with luxury brands like LVMH, and theaudience expansion through the “Drive to Survive” series on Netflix, which helped introduce the championship to a younger global audience. Also the total value of the ten stables has increased significantly, reaching $23,1 billionthe. There Scuderia Ferrari, with its 4,78 billion, confirmed its primacy, followed closely by Mercedes and Red Bull, both above 3 billion. The top five is completed by McLaren and Aston Martin.
The Grand Prix have become global economic events. An example is the Las Vegas GP, which in its second edition generated a Economic impact of $934 million, although this figure is lower than the 1,5 billion obtained during the inaugural edition. The Sponsorships continue to play a key role in funding the championship. Luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Heineken sponsor major events such as the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix, but they don't stop there. The arrival of new partners such as Lenovo, Aws and MSC Cruises ensures continued economic flows, further expanding the visibility of the championship.
The the F1 drivers I'm no less when it comes to talk about earnings. Although Hamilton and Leclerc are the highest paid driving pairing, both are overtaken by world champion Max Verstappen, which collects well 60 million dollars, to which are added 15 million in bonuses. His new teammate, Liam Lawson, in his first season, earns “only” 5 million, a figure that could double with bonuses linked to results. McLaren, on the other hand, invests around 57 million for its driver pairing. Lando Norris earns 20 million, with a potential bonus of 15 million, while Oscar piastri receives 5 million, a figure that can rise to 17 million with bonuses. Mercedes, on the other hand, has reduced its salary after Hamilton's departure, investing approximately 28 million in George Russell, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli will have a base salary of $2 million, a figure that could increase to $5 million with bonuses.
A record-breaking championship: new format and changes
The 2025 Formula 1 season is shaping up to be the longest ever, with a record calendar of 24 races. Some Grands Prix have been repositioned to respect Ramadan and have been introduced new summer breaks, making the program even more intense. Added to this are the six Sprint races and important regulatory innovations that aim to make the competitions more balanced and spectacular.
Among the most significant changes stand out the abolition of the extra point for the fastest lap and new rules on pit stops in Monaco. On the technical front, the FIA has imposed stricter controls on front wings to limit extreme aerodynamic solutions, while on the disciplinary level it has introduced more severe sanctions for public statements by drivers.
Il scoring system remains unchanged, maintaining the same scheme used in previous years. At the end of each GP, only the top ten will receive points, with the winner taking home 25, followed by 18 points for second and 15 for third. As you go down the rankings, the score decreases progressively: 12 points for fourth, 10 for fifth, 8 for sixth, until you reach the last useful placement, tenth, which will guarantee only one point.
also the Sprint Race will continue to award points to the top eight finishers, with a reduced system that rewards the winner with 8 points, the second with 7, the third with 6 and so on up to the eighth, who will earn one point.
F1: Drivers and Teams on the Track
The 2025 Formula 1 season opens with a starting grid full of news, between revolutions in the top teams and the arrival of new talents. If the Ferrari, still led by Frédéric Vasseur, relies on the experience of Lewis Hamilton alongside Charles Leclerc, the other teams were no exception in renewing itself.
Mercedes opens a new chapter, marking the end of an era for Toto Wolff, who for the first time in twelve years will no longer have Hamilton at the wheel. Taking the place of the seven-time world champion will be Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the young Italian talent who brings the tricolour back to F1 (the last Italian was Antonio Giovinazzi with Sauber). The leadership of the team will be up to George Russell, called to confirm the progress of recent years and to guide the team's transition towards the future. In Red Bull, the big change concerns the second seat: Liam Lawson. is promoted to starter alongside the four-time world champion Max Verstappen, while Sergio Perez leaves the team after ups and downs. The team will focus on the Dutchman, hoping to maintain their technical supremacy. McLaren, fresh from winning the constructors' title in 2024 (the first since Hakkinen and Coulthard), confirms its golden duo: Lando Norris e Oscar piastriThe objective is clear: to defend the success and try to bring the drivers' title back to Woking. Also Aston Martin confirms his alignment with Fernando Alonso e Lance stroll, son of the team's owner, Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll. The Spanish driver, who will turn 44 in July, continues to demonstrate his competitiveness. But the real revolution comes behind the scenes: the entry of Adrian Newey, the brilliant designer (long sought by Maranello too) who, with a view to 2026, could be the key to bringing the team to the top with the new technical regulations.
Alpine finds new ambitions thanks on the return of Flavio Briatore as an executive consultant even though it is the last year with Renault engines. The French team changes an important player, replacing Esteban Ocon with the young jack doohan, (son of the legendary Mick Doohan, five times MotoGP champion) while Pierre Gasly is confirmed to give continuity to the project. The Haas bet on a young talent: Oliver Bearman, which it will support Esteban Ocon in the new season. For the Red Bull satellite team, Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT, Yuki tsunoda is promoted to lead driver, while the French rookie will make his debut alongside him Isaac Hadjar. In home Williams, a thick reinforcement arrives: Carlos Sainz, ex Ferrari, who will team up with Alexander albonThe team is aiming for a strong relaunch after difficult years.
Finally, the Kick Sauber-Ferrari, which will transform into Audi from 2026, presents a new line-up with Gabriel Bortoleto alongside Nico Hulkenberg. Worth noting here is a return to the paddock for Mattia Binotto, after his unfortunate experience as Ferrari boss, who takes on the role of Chief Technical Officer to lead the team's transition to the new project.
Hamilton: “Racing for Ferrari is an honor”, Leclerc: “Exciting challenge”
Lewis Hamilton is ready to start his new adventure with Ferrari and does not hide his enthusiasm for this challenge: “Racing for Ferrari is an honor. My goal is clear: win the title and write a new page in history together of this legendary team.” A direct message, which suggests all the determination with which he faces this season. On the other side of the box, Charles Leclerc welcomes Hamilton's arrival as an extra incentive to give his best: “It will be an exciting challenge, but together we can bring Ferrari back to the top.” The Monegasque knows that the media attention will be largely focused on the seven-time world champion, but this does not bother him. Leclerc is focused only on the track and the common goal of the team: “The our focus is the world title. If we are not at the front in Australia, we will keep calm and continue working as we did in 2024.” A pragmatic attitude, matured after a season in which Ferrari showed significant growth in the second half of the year.
But in the meantime, a young Italian talent is also preparing to live his dream. Kimi Antonelli, ready to debut in Formula 1 with Mercedes, talks about all his excitement for this new adventure: “Making your F1 debut with Mercedes is a dream come true. I will give my best to repay the trust.”
F1 2025: the race calendar
The 2025 Formula 1 season promises to be long and exciting, with a total of 24 Grand Prix and six Sprint Races. The championship will kick off on March 16 with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne and will end on December 7 in Abu Dhabi. For Italian fans, there remain Imola events confirmed, with the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix scheduled for May 18, and the traditional Italian GP in Monza, which will be held on September 7. Here is the complete calendar.
- Australian Grand Prix - 16 March
- Chinese Grand Prix - 23 March
- Japanese Grand Prix - 6 April
- Bahrain Grand Prix - 13 April
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - 20 April
- Miami Grand Prix – 4 May
- Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix – 18 May
- Monaco Grand Prix – 25 May
- Spanish Grand Prix – June 1rd
- Canadian Grand Prix – June 15rd
- Austrian Grand Prix – June 29rd
- British Grand Prix - July 6
- Belgian Grand Prix - July 27
- Hungarian Grand Prix - August 3
- Dutch Grand Prix - August 31
- Italian Grand Prix - September 7th
- Azerbaijan Grand Prix - September 21th
- Singapore Grand Prix - October 5th
- United States Grand Prix - October 19th
- Mexican Grand Prix - October 26th
- Brazilian Grand Prix - November 9
- Las Vegas Grand Prix - November 22
- Qatar Grand Prix - November 30
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – December 7st
Even in 2025, therefore, they will be six Sprint Races, which maintain the format already adopted in recent seasons. The races, lasting about 100 km, will be held on Saturday. The stages that will host the Sprint Race will be: China, Miami, Belgium, United States (Texas), Brazil and Qatar.
Where to watch F1 on TV
For fans who want to follow every moment of the championship, the only option to watch all the matches live will be sky sports f1. The dedicated channel will broadcast all the sessions, including free practice, qualifying, Sprint Race and official races. Those who prefer streaming will be able to access the content via Now, Sky's on-demand service, which will allow you to follow the World Cup at any time and from any device connected to the internet.
It will be some free-to-air races. As in other years, also in 2025, TV8 will guarantee Italian spectators the possibility of watching some races in free-to-air. The matches will be broadcast live Qualifying and races of the two Italian Grand Prix:
- Italian Grand Prix (Monza)
- Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix (Imola)
In addition to the two Italian GPs, TV8 will also broadcast all six Sprint Races on free-to-air TV of the season.
