Max Verstappen's 2025 F1 season is being celebrated as a historic driving performance despite ending in a two-point championship loss to Lando Norris. After being over 100 points behind mid-season, Verstappen won six of the last nine races in a stunning comeback that team boss Laurent Mekies believes belongs "in a few history books."
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has cast doubt on whether the team's development targets for the 2026 regulation overhaul are sufficiently ambitious, highlighting a more competitive grid compared to the last major rules reset in 2014.
Colton Herta completed his first official FIA Formula 2 test with Hitech TGR in Abu Dhabi, focusing on acclimatization and long-run simulations. The Cadillac F1 reserve driver logged 172 laps over two days, showing steady progress as he builds experience for his 2026 F2 campaign.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff praised Kimi Antonelli's maturity in handling F1 pressure at 19, admitting he himself was "a bit of an idiot" at that age. Wolff emphasized the need to remember Antonelli is still a kid despite professional expectations, highlighting the unique psychological challenges faced by the rookie after a season of highs and lows.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies states that Max Verstappen's future with the team depends entirely on having a competitive car, dismissing external speculation. He emphasizes that delivering performance is the core of their partnership and the key to retaining the four-time champion, especially with the 2026 regulation changes on the horizon.
Former Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene has labeled Max Verstappen as the true successor to Michael Schumacher, calling him a 'phenomenon'. He praised Verstappen's ability to maximize car performance and highlighted his Schumacher-like leadership qualities and strength.
Lewis Hamilton's podium-less first season at Ferrari, where he finished 86 points behind teammate Charles Leclerc, has sparked serious debate about his future in Formula 1. With the 2026 regulation change offering a potential reset, the coming year will be decisive in determining whether he continues his quest for an eighth title or considers retirement.
In a candid interview, Helmut Marko details the bitter Red Bull power struggle, alleging Christian Horner tried to seize control after Dietrich Mateschitz's death. Marko claims "dirty games" and fabricated stories marred Horner's final years, and that delayed action on performance issues cost Max Verstappen a 2025 title.
Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli spent his winter break incognito, racing under the alias 'Henry Shovlin' at a UK karting track. The rookie dominated in the wet, setting a lap time three seconds faster than the competition and over five seconds quicker than Williams' Alex Albon, echoing a similar undercover outing by Max Verstappen earlier in the year.
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur says he ignores Lewis Hamilton's emotional post-session comments about "unbearable" rage, focusing instead on constructive work. This follows Hamilton's worst F1 season, marked by no podiums and public frustration, while Vasseur highlights Charles Leclerc's critical but positive team dynamic as the model.
Despite a podium and a promotion to Red Bull Racing for 2026, Isack Hadjar was not named FIA Rookie of the Year. The award went to 2025 Formula 3 champion Rafael Camara, continuing a trend of honoring feeder series title winners over F1 debutants.
Max Verstappen is being celebrated as the 'true champion' of the 2025 F1 season by Dutch driver Tom Coronel, despite losing the title to Lando Norris by two points. Coronel praised Verstappen's 'killer mentality' and his role in rallying Red Bull from a 104-point deficit to force a nail-biting finale in Abu Dhabi.
