Formula 1 teams: where are they before the season kicks off?

The 2025 season of F1 is fast approaching, and the drivers and teams are actively preparing for the pre-season tests which will take place at the end of February in Bahrain.

Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton

Ferrari recently welcomed Lewis Hamilton at its factory in Maranello, where work on the custom cockpit and the type of steering wheel it will use has been started. The British driver carried out simulator tests on a version of the car called Project 677, which is close to the final version we will see in racing. Hamilton is also planning a private test before the TPC (testing of cars from previous seasons) which will take place at the end of January.

On February 19, one day after the presentation of the single-seaters in London, Hamilton will take part in the first Filming Day of the year at Fiorano with this season's SF25, marking its first public appearance in Ferrari colours. On February 26, he will join his teammates for pre-season testing in Bahrain, followed by his first Grand Prix with the prestigious team in Melbourne, Australia.

Hamiltonwho celebrated his 40th birthday in January, said he had always dreamed of running for Ferrari. The English driver aspires to win an eighth world title before retiring, convinced that Ferrari can help him do so. Currently, he has become the highest paid driver in F1, with a salary approaching $100 million, ahead of Max Verstappen (Red Bull), which earned 75 million in 2024, to which are added promotional and sponsorship income, as well as an annual bonus linked to its performances.

McLaren F1 and IndyCar

McLaren F1 recently won the 2024 Manufacturers' Championship as a Mercedes customer team, using power units supplied by Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, a collaboration which will continue until 2030.

Furthermore, another successful association was that between McLaren and Schmidt-Peterson Motorsports, when McLaren Racing acquired 75% of the IndyCar team in 2021, renaming it Arrow-McLaren.

In December, McLaren Racingbelonging to the Bahrain Sovereign Fund, announced the acquisition of the remaining 25% from Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson. This operation, carried out by Mumtalakat, the investment entity representing the Sovereign Fund, now allows McLaren to own two of the most emblematic teams, namely Arrow-McLaren in IndyCar and McLaren F1 Team.

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, expressed that this acquisition will increase the brand's visibility and strengthen its exposure to the American market, while confirming the presence of Patrick “Pato” O'Ward in the team, who is also a reserve driver for McLaren F1.

GM Cadillac et Andretti

The American team which will enter F1 in 2026 is already working at the Andretti facility in Silverstone, UK, under the direction of Mario Andretti.

This operational structure is made up of high-level engineers: Rob White (formerly of Renault) as operations director, Nick Chester as technical director, Jon Tomlinson (ex-Williams) in aerodynamics and John McQuillian (ex-Jordan and Manor) to the design. Pat Symonds (formerly of Renault), friend of Flavio Briatorewho was involved in the infamous 2008 'Crashgate' in Singapore, joined the team on January 1 after leaving his role at FOM (Formula One Management) in May.

Cadillac engaged Marcus Ericssonformer F1 driver and current Chip Ganassi Racing driver in IndyCar, to work on the simulator. In response to media inquiries, Andretti reaffirmed that at least one of the team's drivers will be American, mentioning Colton Herta (Andretti team) and Pato O'Ward (Arrow-McLaren), both in IndyCar, adding that the second driver could be chosen from among the drivers on the current F1 grid, with many contracts ending in 2025, including for Checo Pérez, who finds himself without a wheel at Red Bull.

Original article written by: CZ

Good to know

• The pre-season testing in Bahrain is crucial for teams to assess their performance before the start of the season.
• Hamilton has always had a strong connection with Ferrari, a team with a rich history in Formula 1.
• McLaren continues to evolve in several motorsport categories, highlighting its collaboration strategy.
• With the arrival of Cadillac in F1, the competition landscape could see significant changes.