F1 News
F1 Today | Verstappen races live, Hamilton enters crucial Ferrari phase
The 2025 season is slowly approaching, and this Saturday, GPblog can bring you more news from around the F1 world. Max Verstappen spends his weekend racing live and you can watch all the action on YouTube. We delve into why Lewis Hamilton is entering such a crucial phase of his Ferrari journey, and finally, look at how Audi continues to strengthen its F1 programme before its 2026 entry, making the key, full purchase of Sauber.
Verstappen in live action:
In just under two months, the 2025 season in F1 gets underway. Max Verstappen will already be sim racing this weekend at the (virtual) Daytona International Speedway. The Dutchman is competing in the 24h of Daytona sim race, driving for the usual Team Readline. The race got underway at 13:45 GMT, and you can keep up with all the action by clicking here.
Hamilton enters crucial phase at Ferrari:
Lewis Hamilton makes his much anticipated Ferrari debut later this month. This period is more crucial than you might think.
Excitement is reaching fever pitch among Ferrari fans, particularly in Italy, as seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton prepares to drive an F1 car for the iconic Italian team for the first time next week. With high expectations and immense pressure, Hamilton faces a steep challenge. The upcoming month will be critical for Hamilton as he begins this new journey, laying the groundwork for what both he and Ferrari hope will be a championship-winning campaign.
The coming weeks will show how quickly Hamilton can adapt to his new reality. If Leclerc, for example, has quite the upper hand over Hamilton after three Grands Prix, the current, positive sentiment will quickly turn amongst Italian fans and the media, making it all the more important for Hamilton to be right there in Australia at the first Grand Prix. This makes February a pivotal month for Lewis Hamilton, as it marks the most crucial phase of his brief Ferrari career. Read the full piece here.
Audi strengthens F1 programme:
Audi has reached a significant milestone in its acquisition of Sauber, completing the full purchase of Sauber Holding AG. This marks an important step toward establishing its own F1 team. The team confirmed this development to GPblog shortly after the turn of the year.
Audi, which previously held a minority stake in Sauber Holding AG, is now the sole owner of the Swiss racing team’s parent company. This paves the way for Audi to compete as a factory team in F1 from 2026. Additionally, at the end of 2024, Audi secured a significant partnership with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which took a major stake in the team. This investment will help accelerate the team’s growth and improve facilities at its Hinwil and Neuburg plants. Why will the team still be Swiss? Find out here.
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