Andy Cowell is the new team principal of the Aston Martin Formula 1 team following a restructuring that sees Mike Krack take on a trackside role. Krack has been Aston Martin team principal since joining in 2022, but has been replaced by Cowell – who …
Andy Cowell is the new team principal of the Aston Martin Formula 1 team following a restructuring that sees Mike Krack take on a trackside role.
Krack has been Aston Martin team principal since joining in 2022, but has been replaced by Cowell — who was already group CEO — “for clarity of leadership and as part of a shift to a flatter structure.” Cowell only joined in October of last year, and was a highly rated signing following his previous achievements as managing director of Mercedes’ power unit company High Performance Powertrains (HPP).
Aston Martin says it is separating its aerodynamics, engineering and performance departments into trackside and factory-based teams, with both reporting into Cowell.
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The change in team principal sees Krack handed trackside responsibility as chief trackside officer, meaning his jurisdiction no longer extends to the factory personnel. That falls under the remit of new chief technical officer Enrico Cardile, with the former Ferrari technical director a new recruit this year, and overseeing “a team that can now focus 100% of its time on the competitive ingenuity challenge of creating a new race car.”
As part of the restructuring, experienced performance director Tom McCullough will move away from the trackside F1 team and take on a leadership positions within the wider group, focusing on the expansion of the team’s other racing categories.
“I have spent the last three months understanding and assessing our performance, and I’ve been incredibly impressed by the dedication, commitment and hard work of this team,” Cowell said. “With the completion of the AMR Technology Campus and our transition in 2026 to a full works team, alongside our strategic partners Honda and Aramco, we are on a journey to becoming a championship-winning team. These organizational changes are a natural evolution of the multi-year plans that we have scheduled to make and I’m incredibly excited about the future.”
Andy Cowell moves from Group Chief Executive Officer to team principal at Aston Martin. Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
The restructuring follows a change in the technical department late last season, with Dan Fallows leaving his position as technical director and moving into a group role.
At the time, McCullough suggested it was due to the lack of progress with the team’s in-season car development, as Aston Martin finished a distant fifth in the constructors’ championship and scored 94 points in 2024 compared to 280 the year before. On both occasions, Aston started the year with a more competitive car than it finished the season with.
The organizational changes are in advance of Adrian Newey’s arrival as managing technical partner at Aston Martin later this year.
Williams has revealed the launch plans for its 2025 car, as the team begins its association with Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard, who joined Williams from Ferrari, was allowed to drive for his new team in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi last month. …
Williams has revealed the launch plans for its 2025 car, as the team begins its association with Carlos Sainz.
The Spaniard, who joined Williams from Ferrari, was allowed to drive for his new team in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi last month. Williams will launch its new car — the FW47 — at Silverstone on Feb. 14, but is saving the race livery for the F1 75 event at the O2 Arena in London four days later. Sainz says he’s been encouraged by the early signs since beginning work with the team.
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“It’s an important time for the team and we are all going to push to bring Williams back to the front of the grid as soon as possible,” Sainz said. “I was very impressed with the team back in Abu Dhabi. After a long year, it was great to watch the motivation and effort that everyone put in at such an important test.
“Thanks to that, we’ve been able to put together a solid plan and we have already started working on it to make sure we are as prepared as possible ahead of the pre-season test and first race. We’re not far away from the Silverstone car launch and I can’t wait to see my new ride! 2025 will be an exciting year and we are fully committed to putting together a strong season. Vamos!”
Team principal James Vowles says the focus has been on the new car for a significant period, with teams likely to want to switch attentions to the new regulations in 2026 as early as possible.
“There is a tremendous amount to look forward to for Williams in 2025 — we have fantastic race drivers in Alex [Albon] and Carlos, top engineers joining from across the grid and new facilities becoming operational at our Grove HQ,” Vowles said.
“As part of our comeback plan, we have been working on our 2025 car for some time and I can’t wait to see it at Silverstone on February 14. Everyone in the team is giving everything to get this team back where it belongs as we head towards the major rule changes for 2026. It’s going to be an exciting year.”
Williams follows Ferrari in confirming when it will unveil its actual race car for 2025, with Ferrari doing so on Feb. 19 in Maranello. The F1 75th season launch event in London on Feb, 18 will feature all 10 teams but they have only been mandated to unveil their race liveries at that time, and not the new cars themselves.
General Motors has established a new company that will develop and manufacture its future Formula 1 power unit for the Cadillac F1 team, and named Russ O’Blenes as its CEO. GM will enter F1 under the Cadillac name in 2026, utilizing Ferrari power …
General Motors has established a new company that will develop and manufacture its future Formula 1 power unit for the Cadillac F1 team, and named Russ O’Blenes as its CEO.
GM will enter F1 under the Cadillac name in 2026, utilizing Ferrari power units for its initial program until its own power unit is ready to race. A power unit facility is currently being built in Charlotte, North Carolina and is planned to open in 2026. GM has set a target of becoming a full works team by the end of the decade.
In establishing GM Performance Power Units LLC in partnership with TWG Motorsports – TWG Global’s racing division, which is part of the F1 project – GM has announced that O’Blenes will oversee the new company, moving from his current position of director of GM’s motorsports propulsion and performance team.
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“I am truly excited to have the opportunity to build and lead the team that will bring an American built F1 power unit to the grid,” O’Blenes said. “GM PPU is currently ramping up its team and is hiring in all areas of the business.”
The announcement of O’Blenes’ role is the second leadership role confirmed since the start of December, following on from Graeme Lowdon’s as team principal during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.
“We’re delighted to welcome Russ to this pivotal role,” TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss said. “His expertise and leadership will be instrumental as we lay the foundation for Cadillac’s Formula 1 journey. Together with team principal Graeme Lowdon, they will lead the team in setting new standards of performance and innovation in the sport.”
O’Blenes’ past experience includes having overseen development of engines in IMSA, and he is also credited with leading the development of the GM Performance and Racing Center in Pontiac, Michigan.
“Russ brings vast experience from many championship racing series, and has outstanding technical expertise, including spearheading our hybrid IMSA Cadillac and Corvette C8.R engines that are proven winners,” GM president Mark Reuss said. “In F1, we’re going to demonstrate GM’s engineering and technology capabilities on a global stage, and Russ is the right choice to lead the power unit team that will make it happen.”
GM also says the development and testing of the F1 power unit has already begun; the company stating it will help advance the wider group’s engineering knowledge.
Alpine has added Toyota-backed Ryo Hirakawa as a test and reserve driver, and will run him in FP1 at the Japanese Grand Prix in April. Hirakawa was most recently with McLaren as part of its driver development program, and was one of the team’s …
Alpine has added Toyota-backed Ryo Hirakawa as a test and reserve driver, and will run him in FP1 at the Japanese Grand Prix in April.
Hirakawa was most recently with McLaren as part of its driver development program, and was one of the team’s reserve drivers in 2024. The Japanese driver took part in FP1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year and then also drove for Haas during the young driver test that followed, thanks to his links with Toyota.
RACER understands the move for Hirakawa brings his time with McLaren to an end, while future plans with Haas — that has a Toyota partnership — are undefined. Haas is expected to run Ritomo Miyata at some stage when its TPC program kicks off later this month
While Alpine has been linked with a move for Franco Colapinto as a potential reserve option, it has now confirmed Hirakawa will join Paul Aron as carrying out simulator and testing of previous car (TPC) duties.
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“It is an honor to be joining BWT Alpine Formula 1 team as a test and reserve driver for the 2025 season,” Hirakawa said. “As always, the opportunity of track time in Formula 1 machinery is the pinnacle for race drivers and I am excited to drive in Free Practice 1 in front of my home crowd at the Japanese Grand Prix, as well as working with the team testing previous cars.
“It is a great opportunity to be working with such a dedicated team that utilizes the breadth of experience of its driver pool and I look forward to playing a part in making 2025 a positive year together.”
Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes says Hirakawa’s additional experience in WEC, Super Formula and Super GT makes him a strong asset that the team can lean on.
“It is great to bring Ryo on board with the team for 2025 and have him step in to take over driving duties for FP1 in Japan in front of his home crowd,” Oakes said. “His addition brings a diverse range of racing experience to our current roster and expands the pool of talent available to call upon throughout the season.
“His role will be important in providing the team with support in various areas of development through our TPC program and simulator work, and we are looking forward to welcoming him to the team as we press ahead with preparations for the new season.”
Formula 1’s president and CEO Stefano Domenicali will report to a committee of the Liberty Media board following the confirmation of Derek Chang as Liberty’s new CEO. Chang replaces Greg Maffei who it was announced would be leaving as president and …
Formula 1’s president and CEO Stefano Domenicali will report to a committee of the Liberty Media board following the confirmation of Derek Chang as Liberty’s new CEO.
Chang replaces Greg Maffei who it was announced would be leaving as president and CEO of Liberty Media at the end of last year, with Liberty chairman John Malone carrying out interim duties until Chang takes up the responsibilities from February 1.
The choice of Chang is a form of internal promotion as he has served as a director of Liberty Media since March 2021, but also has executive experience at EverPass Media, the NBA, DIRECTV, Scripps, Charter and TCI.
Alongside his new role, Chang will join the Liberty Media board’s executive committee that also comprises Malone, new vice chairman Dob Bennett and Chase Carey. From those four, the trio of Chang, Bennett and Carey will also form a committee that Domenicali (pictured above) will report into, in a move that F1 sources suggest will give the Italian more freedom to run the sport’s business as he sees fit.
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“I am thrilled to welcome Derek as the CEO of Liberty Media,” Malone said. “His expertise in both operating and investment roles, extensive understanding of our industries and familiarity with Liberty make him the ideal leader for Liberty’s next chapter.
“Personally, I have worked with Derek for over 25 years and am consistently impressed by his leadership style, breadth of expertise and global perspective. I look forward to supporting him and the Liberty management team as they continue to drive shareholder value.”
Chang highlighted F1 as one of the key assets for Liberty to continue cultivating, following a number of years of strong growth for the sport.
“I have had the privilege of working with John Malone and the Liberty team for many years during my time at TCI and DIRECTV and later as a board member of Starz and Liberty, and I have long admired their track record of value creation for investors and partners,” Chang said. “Our current focus is clear: optimizing the portfolio structure with the split-off of Liberty Live and supporting the growth of our attractive operating assets, including F1 and MotoGP post-acquisition, to continue their momentum and invest for the future.
“Looking further, Liberty has always been long-term minded in its investment mandate yet nimble to move quickly on new opportunities. Both of these things will remain true in our strategy going forward.”
Formula 1 has confirmed it will be introducing rotational races in future calendars after signing a multi-year contract extension with the Belgian Grand Prix. The race at Spa-Francorchamps will host four races over a six-year period from 2026 …
Formula 1 has confirmed it will be introducing rotational races in future calendars after signing a multi-year contract extension with the Belgian Grand Prix.
The race at Spa-Francorchamps will host four races over a six-year period from 2026 onwards, with no race being held at the venue in 2028 and 2030. That opens up slots for other European races to be added to the calendar in Spa’s place during those seasons, with F1 saying it has increased demand from potential hosts at present and believing rotating European races will allow it to hit more markets.
The deal does secure the future of one of the most iconic tracks on the calendar, with the extension for Spa-Francorchamps running up to 2031 as the final year it will host an event on its new contract.
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“The Belgian Grand Prix was one of the races that made up our maiden championship in 1950, so as we kick off our 75th anniversary year it is fitting that we can share the news of this important extension,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said.
“Spa-Francorchamps is rightly lauded by drivers and fans alike as one of the finest racetracks in the world and it has played host to some incredible moments over its many seasons in Formula 1. In recent years it has undergone significant work to improve the facility and overall fan experience, and I would like to pay tribute to the promoter and the Government of Wallonia for their dedication and passionate support for Formula 1 in Belgium.”
Although it won’t host a race every year, the deal allows Spa to commit to its own future investments with more certainty, according to Pierre-Yves Jeholet, who is vice president of the Walloon Government.
“I am delighted that the Belgian Grand Prix – a must-attend event for Wallonia – has been confirmed on the F1 calendar for several years,” Jeholet said. “The circuit provides the region with high-quality sports infrastructure capable of hosting exceptional events, and thanks to the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, Spa-Francorchamps, and through it, Wallonia, is placed at the centre of global attention.
“In addition to this international showcase, the event generates significant economic benefits for Wallonia, as well as for Belgium. The extension of this relationship over several years will also allow the circuit teams to plan for the future, which is hugely positive.”
At this stage, F1 says the rotational races to be held in 2028 and 2030 are yet to be confirmed. Zandvoort was understood to be one option to host a grand prix on rotation but recently announced it would end its event after the 2026 season.
Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. We love hearing your comments and opinions, but letters that include a question are more likely to be published. Questions received after 3pm ET …
Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. We love hearing your comments and opinions, but letters that include a question are more likely to be published. Questions received after 3pm ET each Monday will be saved for the following week.
Q: Will we ever see an IndyCar series race on the Chicago Street Course at Grant Park? The same street course that NASCAR races on in the summer?
Chris Fiegler, Latham, NY
MARSHALL PRUETT: No, not unless the city ditches NASCAR or vice versa, and the city chooses to engage IndyCar.
Q: I love the low, sleek, missile-like look of the Lolas and Reynards from the late 1990s and early 2000s. They just looked fast, even when standing still. The current DW12 lacks some of that look, as its side profile looks taller in the center. The tall center visually shortens the car and takes away much of the sleekness.
Part of that is due to the aeroscreen, which I would never dream of suggesting eliminating. However, for me, the biggest part of the tall center appearance is due to the camera pod atop the roll hoop. From the side profile, it looks a little like a snorkel and takes away any low, long, sleek car presence. The camera in the pod is great for the TV product and provides excellent shots of both the side-by-side racing action and cockpit activity, however, I would love to see that camera pod removed in favor of cameras integrated into the car’s lines. Maybe in the center of the roll hoop and/or within the top ring of the aeroscreen halo.
Have you heard any discussion or suggestion about integrated camera placement in the new car design?
Tim Hubbel, Gypsy, OK
MP: I haven’t, but I’ll ask.
Q: I read the Mailbag every week and it seems I am not the only one disappointed about the lack of IndyCar’s presence in video game form. I, like many of your readers, are casual gamers (been playing some sort of console racing game since I was 6, playing the Al Unser Jr racing game on the original NES). Through the years I have played many games, most currently Forza Motorsport on Xbox X.
Currently, IndyCar is not part of the Forza platform (or any other) but it used to be, along with the Long Beach street circuit. Bi-monthly, Forza issues a new track to go with its current selection of tracks. How great would it be if we could get IndyCar and Forza Motorsport to get together and get back into the gaming world? LBGP could be released just prior to the April race with the crapwagon DW12 gen-whatever-we’re-on-now, but it would be a great start. It would be a great way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the race and seems almost too smart an idea to pass up.
They could even have a ‘beat the lap’-type challenge where gamers try to best a current drivers lap. Additionally, Forza already has a lot of the current tracks (IMS, Road America, Laguna, Mid-Ohio) so you could have an IndyCar mini-series.
Tom, Blue Bell, PA
MP: Yep, all kinds of things they could do. As Penske’s Mark Miles told me towards the end of the season, there’s nothing imminent. Hopefully that changes.
NASCAR’s going to be the only series that races past bars that serve Malort for the foreseeable future. Motorsport Images
Q: What is the status of Honda’s future in IndyCar? With Nissan and Honda joining together, will Honda leave Indy and have Nissan take its place?
David Tucker
MP: Honda’s supply contract runs through 2026. It will decide on whether it wants to stay within the next year. A planned merger with Nissan has been announced, which is different from an actual merger having taken place. It’s got to happen before they can make decisions on such things, if it’s even a consideration.
Q: In the previous Mailbag, you suggested allowing manufacturers to create styling options so that the cars were visually distinct.
How would what you’re proposing be different from the aero kits from the mid 2010s? Those brought visual differentiation between manufacturers. They were supposed to attract Boeing and other aerospace companies, but failed to do so.
I think the pitch sounds good now, but I also thought it sounded good then. No one seemed to like the aero kits then, and no one was sad when they went away.
Kyle
MP: That’s not true. I was sad when they went away. The 2015-2017 aero kits did offer some visual differentiation, but the rules were written to allow great freedom with downforce, which led to crazy explosions of wings upon wings, and in speedway form, super tiny wings. What didn’t happen was the creation of aero rules that were focused on styling variety, as I don’t think of crazy numbers of wings as being about styling.
Right now, there are two manufacturers, not five or 10, so it’s not an overly complex thing to create. Come up with between three-four styling options for manufacturers to choose from, but make those options a set package with items that are unique.
For example, if adding a shark fin to the engine cover is allowed, it can only be used by one manufacturer. And if they all want it, flip cons, or arm wrestle for it. But don’t let all of them use a shark fin because then we’re back to the same problem of all the cars looking alike.
The nose of an open-wheel car sets the tone for the rest of its looks. Create three or four options. Sidepods do the same from the side. Do the same there. And so on. This isn’t about performance. It’s about making a Chevy stand out from a Honda and a ??????? to stand out from a Chevy and Honda.
And like IMSA does with its GTP cars, take them to a wind tunnel, benchmark their downforce and drag and center of pressure and ride height figures and sensitivities, and make adjustments to make them as equal as possible.
You might think this column’s title relates to Formula 1 having an epic championship fight in store in 2025. It could, but more on that later… The ‘super season’ I’m talking about is not actually about 2025. It’s bigger than that, but it is about to …
You might think this column’s title relates to Formula 1 having an epic championship fight in store in 2025. It could, but more on that later…
The ‘super season’ I’m talking about is not actually about 2025. It’s bigger than that, but it is about to start.
I can’t claim to be the person who worked this out, either. It took a team member – a team coordinator, no less – to highlight it, such is their thought process when it comes to planning, logistics, and the way a race team is going to need to operate.
Assuming the 2026 calendar follows the same rough schedule as the two years that have gone before it and runs from March to December, then we are just a few weeks away from current F1 cars likely running every month for 23 months straight.
That’s because 2025 testing will take place in February, the final race will be held on December 7 (and the post-season test follows it), and then the first test of 2026 is provisionally expected to be held in late January. That follows the same timeline as 2014’s major technical regulation changes, when the opening pre-season test took place from January 28-31 in Jerez to allow initial power unit assessments.
Even if that opening test does end up taking place in February, teams were able to use the 2021 car for testing of previous car (TPC) running in 2022 due to the significant change in regulations. Given 2026 offers a similar situation, this year’s cars could well keep running next January, too.
It highlights what a major challenge all of the teams are facing when it comes to the new cars, as they grapple with not only a new set of aerodynamics but also fresh power unit rules. Although not quite as complex as the 2014 changes, they still mark a significant shift, as the first new engines since the hybrids were introduced a decade ago.
So they are now faced with juggling the delivery of their new cars for this coming season, their ongoing upgrades throughout 2025, development of the 2026 designs – aerodynamic work only being allowed to start on January 1 of this year – and TPC running, as well as testing of mule cars if the FIA requires it.
While all of that might sounds relatively similar to what teams were able to do with massive testing programs in the past, they are now limited in many areas by the cost cap, and also facing another 24-race season.
And it’s a season that looks set to be as competitive as any in recent history.
As I admitted in my ‘2025 Wish List’, the way this coming year is shaping up at the front of the field is actually a source of anxiety for me. From the Miami Grand Prix onwards, it was a remarkably competitive season last year, across multiple different teams. The unprecedented number of one-two finishes from four different constructors, and seven winners who also all had multiple victories, was in some ways scuppered by Max Verstappen’s blistering start that moved him out of reach of the chasing pack.
But there was a biggest weakness in that pack in the form of Mercedes. As a team it was a long way off at the start of the year, and while there were some extremely competitive weekends, there were others that were just as poor as when the year began. Unlike McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull, it couldn’t arrive at any given track with any real form of confidence that it would be fighting with the others, but it did at least have the high points to try and learn from.
For teams like Aston Martin, a disappointing start to 2025 might mean a very fast pivot to preparations for 2026. Steven Tee/Motorsport Images
So the added knowledge, and a full off-season to produce a new car that might take advantage of that understanding, could put Mercedes in the frame to join the top three on a more regular basis.
It could be argued that Ferrari was the most consistently strong team by the end of the season – Charles Leclerc scored the most points of any single driver from the summer break onwards, and the team itself outscored McLaren by seven during that same span. But the mid-season errors were costly, and represent the main area that needs addressing this year.
McLaren managed to maintain the better form from Miami onwards despite a title coming when it was clearly still in learning mode, so there’s definitely room for improvement there too, and we saw Red Bull recover from the most alarming spell of its season around Monza and Baku to be competitive again in the final rounds.
So Mercedes has the biggest headroom, but all can do better, and in a perfect world all four will do so, leading to a championship that could be won by any one of four teams, and any one of seven drivers (given Red Bull’s admittance that Liam Lawson’s role is to play second fiddle to Max Verstappen).
The anxiety I spoke of earlier is about what if 2025 doesn’t deliver – if one of those four teams does make the progress outlined above but none of the others do and there’s a clear leader early on, much as there was at the start of last season.
In that case, the impact of the ‘super season’ could really take hold. Teams will be less likely to continue developing their 2025 cars for long if they don’t start the year with a realistic chance of fighting for a championship.
The same can be said of the midfield, where teams are even more likely to write off the coming year when their potential returns are so limited to try and take advantage of 2026. Assuming the top four remains the clear top four – and that’s perhaps being cautious when the small gaps across the field could see a fifth join the party – then at best the rest are generally fighting for ninth and 10th each weekend.
But don’t worry, I’m not getting pessimistic. Nor am I necessarily expecting any of the above to happen, because it’s so rare for the entire field to feel that it was within striking distance of a big result.
At the final round of 2024, eight of the 10 teams were within 0.609s of pole position, and that included Stake Sauber that had made strides through the year and was represented in Q3. Of the other two teams, one of them – RB – qualified 11th and 12th, and a little over 0.4s off the fastest Q2 time.
Wins and podiums might remain unrealistic for the majority, but small gains can move a team a long way in such a competitive field. That makes the coming season all the more enticing for all 10 constructors’, knowing that significant progress is not out of reach.
It’s all set up to be an epic year in terms of competitiveness, but even more so as the sport transitions towards the new regulations, when Audi and Cadillac will join the fray to try and upset the status quo.
Get ready. The super season is going to be some ride.
Cadillac’s planned entry into Formula 1 adds further value to Audi’s own project that begins in full in 2026, according to its CEO Gernot Döllner. Audi is taking over the Sauber team currently competing as Stake to have its own works set-up from the …
Cadillac’s planned entry into Formula 1 adds further value to Audi’s own project that begins in full in 2026, according to its CEO Gernot Döllner.
Audi is taking over the Sauber team currently competing as Stake to have its own works set-up from the start of the new regulations in 12 months time. There is set to be another new team joining at the same stage with General Motors becoming the 11th constructor on the grid – subject to receiving its official entry from the FIA – and Döllner says it’s an arrival that reinforces Audi’s own position.
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“Yeah, a new OEM is coming to join Formula 1,” Döllner said. “It shows the strengths of Formula 1 and that platform, and it’s a strong signal to have another OEM in the lineup. And I think competition is what we need, and it’s just adding value to our project.”
Audi announced additional resources for its F1 project though an investment from the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) in November, with the deal coming into effect this month, and Döllner says there were a number of interested parties wanting to be involved.
“We were approached by a lot of investors, so we didn’t really have to start a search. But one year ago, Qatar … they visited our Hinwil facility, [and] the powertrain unit, and from what they’ve seen there – professionalism, the strategic vision, the setup – they were convinced. From there on, we have been in constructive discussions and built that partnership.”
Döllner also believes the additional funding brought to the table by QIA reinforces Audi’s commitment to its F1 project, and like the Cadillac project – that includes investment from billionaire Mark Walter – shows it has the resource to eventually challenge at the front.
“Bringing in this strong partner is a model a lot of other teams have. And it’s, from our perspective, a necessary step to become one of the top teams in the future.
“At Audi, the project is seen positively anyhow, and I think it just strengthens the message that we are really into a long-term investment in Formula 1. And it’s a capital injection to the project, so it doesn’t reduce Audi’s commitment, it adds money to the project. So, it’s a strong signal.”
Red Bull is focusing on widening the operating window of its 2025 Formula 1 car over adding ultimate performance during the off-season, following a loss of form last year. Max Verstappen won seven of the first 10 races in 2024, and went on to win a …
Red Bull is focusing on widening the operating window of its 2025 Formula 1 car over adding ultimate performance during the off-season, following a loss of form last year.
Max Verstappen won seven of the first 10 races in 2024, and went on to win a fourth consecutive drivers’ championship despite only picking up two further wins all season. The drop-off in performance came from an update that team principal Christian Horner says still made the car quicker overall, but made it particularly difficult to extract that pace consistently.
“I think we’ve got a good understanding of development-wise where things weren’t [working],” Horner said. “I would say around Imola we introduced an upgrade that made the car far more peaky in its performance, and it had a very narrow operating window.
“When you got it into that window — the four straight laps in Austria, for example, that were all good enough for pole — it was very much in that window. If you stepped a millimeter either side of it, it became much more of a problematic car to drive, which Max was able to mask and drive around, and I think that’s what hurt Checo [Perez] particularly — it’s that window was so narrow.
“And so I think what the engineers have been very much focused on over the winter is how you broaden that window. Not necessarily adding ultimate performance but just broadening the window so that you’ve got, across the different challenges and circuits that we visit, a much wider operating window.”
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Although Perez continued to struggle and eventually lost his seat, the last two victories for Verstappen came in the final four rounds of the season, and Horner says that shows progress was being made with last year’s car that bodes well for 2025.
“In some of the [final] races, I think that we brought some performance to the car,” he said. “Austin [Circuit of The Americas], we managed to get the Sprint pole and win the Sprint race, we should’ve arguably had the pole [for the Grand Prix]. Funnily enough, it was another George Russell incident that cost us the pole in Austin!
“Obviously, the win in Brazil — but also encouraging in Brazil was the performance in the dry, in the Sprint race. And a day like the Sunday in Brazil, Max shone above all others and still produced 14 laps that were good enough for the fastest lap.
“The turnaround that we had in Qatar and the pole and the victory, again showing that, I think, we’re on the right trajectory. But none of the competitors will be standing still, and you can’t take anything for granted. But I think we’ve started to understand some of the issues with the car.”
