F1 2025 – What do the names of the single-seaters mean?

Red Bull RB21

We start with one of the simplest names to understand with Red Bull and the RB21. You don't have to have done Harvard to understand: “RB” is obviously the acronym for Red Bull, and the “21” corresponds to the 21st season (or the 21st single-seater, it's up to you) of the Austrian team in F1. Only once, in almost 20 years, has Red Bull deviated from this logical sequence: it was in 2021 with the Red Bull RB16B, since the chassis of the 2020 RB16 had been reused, albeit with some slight changes. However, the RB17 does exist… in a road version, with a Hypercar produced by Red Bull and designed by the brilliant Adrian Newey.

Mercedes W16

At Mercedes, the logic is more or less the same for the number, less for the letter: if the “16” refers to Mercedes' 16th season in F1 since its return to the discipline in 2010, you need to have some knowledge of German to understand the meaning of the “W”. This W is the first letter of the word “Wagen”, which translates into French as… car, quite simply! A very common name in the production models of the Mercedes-Benz range until the 2000s.

Ferrari ??? (to be confirmed)

SF90 in 2019, SF1000 in 2020, SF21 in 2021, F1-75 in 2022 and finally SF-24 in 2024: don't look for a logical continuation in the latest Ferrari single-seaters, there isn't one! Every year, the suspense is complete to know what the name of the new car designed in Maranello will be… and this will still be the case in 2025. If the name of the Italian single-seater does not refer to the year of its commitment, as this was the case in 2023 and 2024, it pays tribute to an event or an anniversary! Recent examples include: the SF90 celebrated the 90th anniversary of Scuderia Ferrari, the SF1000 in the year of Ferrari's 1000th F1 Grand Prix, and F1-75 the 75th anniversary of the release of the factory's first production car from Maranello. In 2025, with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton, will the Scuderia dare to adopt a new name?

McLaren MCL39

At McLaren, a change was made in 2017 in the name of its single-seaters. Until then, all the F1 cars that left the factories in Woking had the name MP4/xx: MP4 then stood for “Marlboro Project 4”, a barely concealed sponsorship that had been in place since 1981! However, in 2017, Zak Brown – then the new CEO of McLaren Racing – decided to break with the past and go back to basics by using the initials MCL (for McLaren, obviously) followed by the car number.

In order not to break the logical sequence started in 1981 with the MP4/1, we went from the MP4/31 in 2016 to the MCL32 in 2017, to finally arrive at the MCL38 in 2024 and therefore, the MCL39 in 2025. Like Red Bull and Ferrari just above, McLaren allowed itself a small departure from this logic in 2023 with the MCL60, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the team.

Aston Martin AMR25

For Aston Martin, the explanation will go very quickly since there is really no hidden message to look for! AMR simply means “Aston Martin Racing”, while the 25 refers to the year in which the single-seater is entered, namely 2025. Why make it complicated, after all?

Alpine A525

For Alpine, you need to have some historical references to understand the meaning of the name A525. Indeed, why 525? When the Alpine name took over from the Renault team in 2021, the French clan decided to use the name A521 in homage to the first prototype created in 1975, the Alpine A500, which was the first to test the famous turbocharged engine finally used on the Renault RS01 for its F1 debut in 1977.

The Alpine A500 has never been entered in an F1 Grand Prix © DR

Moreover, when the Alpine A521 was presented for the first time, it wore a black dress, again a nod to the Alpine A500 prototype developed in 1975 before the Diamond took over. In 2025, Alpine will therefore move to the A525 for the year 2025, quite simply.

Williams FW47

The very first Williams in the history of the team were not even called Williams, but Politoys then Iso-Marlboro with the FX3, between 1972 and 1974. However, Frank Williams – founder of the eponymous team – lost the support of Iso Rivolta and Marlboro in 1974, and renamed its single-seater Iso-Marlboro FW before it was renamed Williams FW in 1975.

The FW therefore refers to Sir Frank Williams, who left us in 2021. In 2025, it will be the turn of the FW47 to represent the Grove team on the grid, the number 47 refers to the 47th F1 model developed by the British team – not counting the “B” or “C” models also designed in the history of the English team.

Racing Bulls VCARB 02

A “new” team not so new in Formula 1: the Faenza team (Italy) adopted a new identity in 2024, the third since the takeover of Minardi by the Red Bull clan in 2006. After Toro Rosso ( 2006-2019) and AlphaTauri (2020-2023), here is Racing Bulls, or rather Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, the full name of the Italian team this season. Last year, for its first season under this new name, Racing Bulls simply decided to keep the initials of the full name of the team to name its car, namely the VCARB 01. For originality, we will return… In 2025, we will logically move to VCARB 02, and so on… until the next name change!

Sauber C45

If Sauber changed its name in 2024 to be called Stake F1 Team, the name of the single-seater has always remained the same (and that's good!). Since 1993 and the arrival of Sauber in F1, all the single-seaters that have left the factory in Hinwil (except during the BMW period between 2006 and 2009) all bear the same letter: C. Why? It is simply the first letter of the first name of Peter Sauber's wife, Christiane Sauber. A very beautiful tribute that will remain engraved in the history books!

Be careful, however, because the number 45 of the C45 which will be used this season by Stake F1 Team – or Sauber, to make it more understandable – does not correspond to Sauber's 45th campaign in F1! Indeed, the very first Swiss single-seater was the Sauber C12, because before F1, Sauber wrote its first chapters in Endurance and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in a sports prototype. The very first Sauber, the C1, was a prototype built in 1970 for the Swiss Sports Car Championship. With the acquisition of Audi and the new identity which is being prepared in 2026, perhaps the Sauber C45 of 2025 will be the last to use this name for the Swiss team, soon under the German flag.

The Sauber C12, the very first F1 from the Swiss team © DPPI

Haste VF-25

We finish with the youngest team on the grid in 2025: Haas. The American team arrived in F1 in 2016, and chose to name its first car the VF-16. There are two reasons for this name: the first is in reference to the first CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine manufactured by Haas Automation, the VF-1, launched in 1988 by Gene Haas. The V then stands for “vertical,” which is an industry standard designation for a vertical crusher.

For the second, it's still Gene Haas who is at the helm: the founder of Haas Automation added “F1” to the name of the 2016 car to unofficially designate it as the “Very First One” , in French) of the stable. This is how the VF-16 was born, and this name has remained until today with the VF-25 in 2025.

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