Lewis Hamilton officially becomes Ferrari driver

As 2025 begins, one of Formula 1’s biggest stories has become official—Lewis Hamilton is now a Ferrari driver.  

The seven-time world champion, who ended his long partnership with Mercedes on December 31, 2024, starts a new chapter with the legendary Italian team. He joins Charles Leclerc, wearing Ferrari’s iconic red suit for the first time.  

Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes, announced in February 2024, shocked fans and the team. After more than a decade of success, including six world titles and rewriting the record books, Mercedes now looks to rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell to carry their legacy forward.  

For Hamilton, Ferrari is a fresh challenge and an opportunity to expand his incredible career. It’s also the first time he will race a car without a Mercedes engine. On top of that, the move reunites him with team principal Fred Vasseur, who guided him to a GP2 title in 2006.

Valtteri Bottas evaluates IndyCar options

Valtteri Bottas, currently a reserve and test driver for Mercedes, is exploring his future in motorsport. If he doesn’t secure a Formula 1 seat for 2026, Bottas is considering a switch to IndyCar, expressing interest in testing or racing in the series. He is also eyeing a potential opportunity with Cadillac, which joins F1 in 2026 and is reportedly seeking an experienced driver.  

In the meantime, Bottas remains active in other motorsport events. He will compete in the Race of Champions in Sydney in March alongside Mika Hakkinen and hopes to return to rallying, a sport he enjoys. Additionally, he has expressed interest in trying Australian Supercars.  

Bottas is focused on making the right decisions to secure his racing future, whether in F1, IndyCar, or another series, as he looks to continue competing at a high level.

Red Bull ahead of schedule in new wind tunnel build

Red Bull is upgrading its aerodynamic testing capabilities by building a state-of-the-art wind tunnel at its Milton Keynes campus.

The new facility, set to be ready in 2026, will replace their aging Bedford tunnel, which team boss Christian Horner described as "a Cold War relic." Despite upgrades, the old tunnel's limitations have become a challenge compared to rivals like McLaren and Aston Martin, who recently invested in modern wind tunnels.  

Construction on Red Bull’s new tunnel is three months ahead of schedule, but technical director Pierre Wache cautioned that delays could still occur due to the project's complexity. He highlighted that while the current tunnel has been updated, it struggles to achieve the small but crucial performance gains Red Bull needs to stay ahead.  

The new wind tunnel is expected to significantly improve development for Red Bull's 2027 car, with potential benefits starting as early as 2026.

Ricciardo Adami to become Lewis Hamilton's race engineer

Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari includes a major change in his engineering team. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Hamilton will work with Riccardo Adami, a seasoned race engineer who previously collaborated with Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz at Ferrari.  

This ends Hamilton's long-standing partnership with Peter Bonnington, his race engineer at Mercedes, who played a key role in their historic success. On the other hand, Adami’s experience with top drivers makes him well-suited to help Hamilton adapt and succeed with the Maranello-based team.  

While Ferrari has not officially confirmed Adami’s role, reports form Italy strongly suggest he will take on this responsibility. Hamilton will also maintain his relationship with manager Marc Hynes and bring along his trusted support team as part of the transition.

Red Bull provides update on 2025 car development

Red Bull’s 2024 season had its highs and lows. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship, but the team dropped to third in the Constructors' standings, a significant decline from previous years.

The season started strong with Verstappen winning four of the first five races, but mid-season development mistakes caused balance issues with the RB20, making it harder to drive. This led to a close battle for the title with McLaren’s Lando Norris.

One of the key problems was the RB20’s inconsistency, performing well only under certain conditions, while McLaren’s MCL38 showed better reliability across different tracks. This contributed to McLaren surpassing Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship.

Although late-season updates helped Verstappen secure the Drivers’ title, Red Bull couldn’t fully address the car’s issues due to budget cap limitations.

Team advisor Helmut Marko has now confirmed that the 2025 car is nearly finished, with improvements aimed at resolving these weaknesses. The new car is designed to be more predictable and versatile, especially in handling kerbs, a problem that hampered their performance in 2024. The true test of these updates will come during the Bahrain pre-season testing.