Lewis Hamilton prepares for his Ferrari debut as the 2025 Formula 1 season begins in Melbourne this week at the Australian Grand Prix, although he has been warned that there could be an initial period of adapting.
After making the blockbuster move from Mercedes to partner up with Charles Leclerc, the Scuderia will hope to dethrone Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with the Dutch driver bidding for a fifth successive F1 crown. However, former driver Ralf Schumacher has said on the Sky Germany podcast “I don’t think he [Verstappen] has a chance” after Red Bull’s late-season struggles last year.
After the official three-day pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit, excitement is building around McLaren, with Lando Norris and this week’s home favourite Oscar Piastri moving into title contention, with former McLaren star Mika Hakkinen stating that Norris is now ready to win the Drivers’ Championship after what happened towards the end of last season.
While George Russell now leads the Silver Arrows, they also have Kimi Antonelli who is among an exciting crop of rookie drivers in F1 this year, as is Briton Ollie Bearman, who spoke exclusively to The Independent this week about his title ambitions.
Follow all the latest F1 news with The Independent as we count down to the Grand Prix during race week.
Lando Norris ‘ready to win title’, says Mika Hakkinen
McLaren legend Mika Hakkinen has backed current driver Lando Norris, saying the Brit is “absolutely ready” to win the F1 Drivers’ Championship title this year.
The 25-year-old was Max Verstappen’s closest challenger in 2024 but made key mistakes at crucial times as the Red Bull star won a fourth title on the spin.
But former world champion Hakkinen was bullish when asked if Norris is now ready to win the title.
“Absolutely, yes,” Hakkinen told the Hindustan Times. “Why? Because I experienced many years of racing without success, but it was part of my development to become a good racing driver.
“You have to maintain your criticism about yourself. That way you keep developing and pushing. That means you are taking risks. Lando experienced all these elements in his career. He’s been taking risks. He’s been critical of himself. He’s been pushing flat out.
“When you’re not world champion, when you’re working towards that goal, it requires a lot of mistakes and stress. I believe Lando is ready. He is flat-out ready to achieve his goal.”
Luke Baker13 March 2025 00:35
James Vowles: ‘This is why Williams and Carlos Sainz will be F1 title contenders again’
Two years into the project of a lifetime, James Vowles is keeping his ultra-focused head above the parapet.
Hunched over a table in his team’s hospitality unit, the Williams team principal is reflecting on a 2024 season of underachievement. In 24 races, his team recorded more crashes than points: 20 to 17. To say it was an expensive, energy-sapping campaign would be an understatement.
Yet ultimately, it does not matter. Nor does the upcoming 2025 season, even with Ferrari race winner Carlos Sainz, a coup of an acquisition, joining the team to partner Alex Albon.
Nearly all of Vowles’ attention is geared towards 2026; a year of new engine and chassis regulations and, as such, fresh opportunity at the front.
Read Kieran Jackson’s exclusive interview with the Williams boss:
Luke Baker13 March 2025 00:15
Australian Grand Prix statistics
Statistics for Sunday’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Albert Park:
Lap distance: 5.278km. Total distance: 306.124km (58 laps)
2024 pole position: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) one minute 15.915 seconds.
2024 winner: Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
Race lap record: Sergio Perez (Red Bull), 1:20.235 – 2023.
NOTE: The circuit was shortened by 28 metres, with two turns taken out and seven corners modified, in 2022.
Start time: 0400 GMT (1500 local)
Luke Baker12 March 2025 18:43
On one hand, it was pure elation. A member of the McLaren family for eight years, this meant as much to Norris as anyone else. He described it as a “perfect” end to the season, beating Ferrari to the championship by 14 points. And he’d need no invitation; he was going to get “hammered” later that night over the border in Bahrain.
Yet in the same breath, even amid joyous papaya-clad celebrations on the pit-wall, the boy from Bristol could not help but sample that bittersweet taste. “It’s been a special year,” he said over team radio, before adding: “And next year is going to be my year, too.”
Luke Baker12 March 2025 18:00
A group of prominent Formula 1 figures showed their support for Michael Schumacher at the Race of Champions in Sydney as they urged the seven-time world champion to “keep fighting”.
Schumacher suffered a traumatic brain injury in a skiing accident in 2013 and has not since been seen in public, with few updates provided by his family about his health as he rehabilitates privately.
Luke Baker12 March 2025 17:15
Oscar Piastri signs long-term extension with McLaren: ‘It’s a no-brainer’
Oscar Piastri has signed a multi-year deal with McLaren on the eve of the opening race of the new Formula One season.
Piastri, 23, who was already under contract until 2026, has now secured his long-term future with the British team.
The Australian driver finished fourth in the championship last year. He opened his winning account in Hungary before claiming a second victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
With McLaren expected to carry over their constructors’-winning form into the new season, Piastri is set to battle with team-mate Lando Norris for the world title.
Speaking after his contract extension was announced, Piastri, gearing up for his third season on the F1 grid, said: “It’s a great feeling knowing that I’m part of McLaren’s long-term vision.”
Luke Baker12 March 2025 16:39
Lewis Hamilton warned over Ferrari honeymoon
Lewis Hamilton has been warned that getting used to how things are done at Ferrari after 11 years with Mercedes may take a little time, even though he has made a promising start to life in Maranello.
Writing in his season preview for Sky Sports, F1 pundit and commentator Martin Brundle gave his thoughts on Hamilton’s switch.
“The Ferrari move does seem to be working for Lewis. I’ve never seen him smile so much,” wrote Brundle.
“He seems really energised and invigorated by this new opportunity. Lewis has been very smart too. Obviously, he knows team boss Fred Vasseur very well from times of old, but he’s had an advance party at Ferrari to integrate as quickly as he can into the team. Angela Cullen has returned, while Marc Hynes has been back in the fold for a year or two now already.
“He’s got a new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, and has got to understand how Ferrari works, which will be diametrically opposed to how Mercedes works in terms of culture I suspect, in terms of procedures. Lewis is going to have to find out where all the green buttons are and I expect it will take him a little bit of time to get used to that, along with speaking some Italian.”
Luke Baker12 March 2025 16:13
Lando Norris ‘ready to win title’, says Mika Hakkinen
McLaren legend Mika Hakkinen has backed current driver Lando Norris, saying the Brit is “absolutely ready” to win the F1 Drivers’ Championship title this year.
The 25-year-old was Max Verstappen’s closest challenger in 2024 but made key mistakes at crucial times as the Red Bull star won a fourth title on the spin.
But former world champion Hakkinen was bullish when asked if Norris is now ready to win the title.
“Absolutely, yes,” Hakkinen told the Hindustan Times. “Why? Because I experienced many years of racing without success, but it was part of my development to become a good racing driver.
“You have to maintain your criticism about yourself. That way you keep developing and pushing. That means you are taking risks. Lando experienced all these elements in his career. He’s been taking risks. He’s been critical of himself. He’s been pushing flat out.
“When you’re not world champion, when you’re working towards that goal, it requires a lot of mistakes and stress. I believe Lando is ready. He is flat-out ready to achieve his goal.”
Luke Baker12 March 2025 15:41
Max Verstappen told ‘he doesn’t have a chance’ of F1 title this year
Max Verstappen does not have “a chance” of a fifth straight F1 Drivers’ Championship win in 2025 according to former driver Ralf Schumacher.
Schumacher believes Verstappen delivered a “rescue” effort in a struggling Red Bull car last year but he won’t be able to do the same again.
McLaren’s Lando Norris is the favourite to win the title this season and Schumacher is adamant Verstappen will be powerless to stop the Brit and others at the front of the grid.
Speaking on the Sky Germany podcast, Schumacher said: “Last year it was clear. Red Bull was very strong at the start of the season, but then they couldn’t handle the car. Verstappen was the rescue.
“However, he will have to get used to everything coming to an end. I don’t think he has a chance.”
Luke Baker12 March 2025 15:12
Toto Wolff makes shock Max Verstappen F1 revelation after breaking ‘promise’ to Lewis Hamilton
Toto Wolff promised Lewis Hamilton he wouldn’t pursue a move for Max Verstappen while the Brit was at Mercedes, as revealed in the new season of Drive to Survive.
The Mercedes team principal, who worked with Hamilton for 12 years, spent the first half of the 2024 season looking for a replacement for the Ferrari-bound driver.
Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso were among the contenders, with Wolff eventually opting to promote teenage prodigy Kimi Antonelli to partner George Russell this year.
Yet Wolff made no secret of his desire to sign Hamilton’s 2021 foe Verstappen – especially amid unrest at Red Bull at the start of last season – and details as such in season seven of Drive to Survive, released on Friday.
Luke Baker12 March 2025 14:43
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