2024-25 Off-Season and Testing ThreadFormula 1

[Jimlaad43]

The 2024 Formula 1 season has come to a close, and we head into the Winter Break before next season. Verstappen heads into the break as a 4-time Champion, while McLaren have picked up their first Constructors Championship since 1998. The top 4 teams were extremely close through the year, and stable regulations means we should be in for a really close season again. Many drivers are swapping teams this year, so who knows what the pecking order will be like. But yeah, please use this thread for any discussions or news related to Formula 1 that doesn't quite fit in any other thread, as linked to down below.

Drivers
Constructors
Calendar
Caption Game

 

[Fezzik]

 

[RACECAR]

Gotta say, that 55 looks nice adorning the car.


Also:

• 2010-2013: Sebastian Vettel wins the title 4 times in a row while his older teammate leaves the sport.
• 2014: Gets absolutely trashed by far younger teammate and comes nowhere close to winning the title.

• 2021-2024: Max Verstappen wins the title 4 times in a row while his older teammate leaves the sport.
• 2025: ???

 

[MagpieRacer]

Morning session complete.

 

[Liquid]

 

[Dennisch]

That sad to hear. I enjoy watching his show with Coulthard.

 

[toastet]

 

[Jimlaad43]

Hilariously , despite that Spain and Japan were snoozefests and Australia was a pretty decent race.

 

[toastet]

First "victim" for 10k fine

 

[Fezzik]

Monaco Grand Prix: F1 reveals plans to enforce extra pit stops for 'better racing' in Monte Carlo

The Monaco Grand Prix could see a significant rule change as F1 looks to improve the racing at its most famous event; watch F1 pre-season testing live on Sky Sports F1 from February 26-28 in Bahrain

www.skysports.com

Ferrari test 2025 F1 car for first time with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in Fiorano shakedown

Charles Leclerc gives new SF-25 its track bow with Lewis Hamilton also due in the car on Wednesday ahead of speaking to the media for first time as Ferrari driver; Watch F1 pre-season testing live on Sky Sports F1 from February 26-28

www.skysports.com

Ferrari have made one significant change to their car by switching from push to pull-road front suspension in order to open up more avenues for aerodynamic development.

Explaining the notable change to the front of the car, Ferrari said in a statement: "The thinking behind this change in architecture was to clean up the airflow around the car, while also giving greater scope for further aero development, which had pretty much been exhausted with the previous iteration.

 

[Fezzik]

Piastri should learn to park better. Just dumped his car outside the shops.

You really don’t realise just how long these things are until you stand next to one.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Monaco Grand Prix: F1 reveals plans to enforce extra pit stops for 'better racing' in Monte Carlo

The Monaco Grand Prix could see a significant rule change as F1 looks to improve the racing at its most famous event; watch F1 pre-season testing live on Sky Sports F1 from February 26-28 in Bahrain

www.skysports.com

I can't see that it would induce better racing as the track is fundamentally flawed for these cars to race on. It will however become a more interesting race from a strategy perspective.

 

[Liquid]

Adding more pitstops to make Monaco more exciting is "arm the teachers with guns" levels of brain worms. Heads completely in the sand, unwilling to acknowledge the obvious issue just to protect a precious pedestal.

 

[Veinz]

They might as well add a joker lap section to the layout while they’re at it. You have to do 10 joker laps in the race.

Throw some sprinklers in random areas to spice it up a bit because why not

 

[toastet]

The Formula E shortcourse could be possible as joker.

 

[MagpieRacer]

The Formula E shortcourse could be possible as joker.

Don't give them ideas.

 

[Dennisch]

Or, now hear me out, they don't parade at Monaco anymore. It's not suitable anymore. Period.

 

[RACECAR]

Or, now hear me out, they don't parade at Monaco anymore. It's not suitable anymore. Period.

That would require a bunch of grumpy old people at the top to acknowledge actual change and we all know how that always works out...

 

[EngieDiesel]

As long as Monaco remains the place for teams to flaunt their opulence and court big-dollar sponsorship deals, it won't go away. But most of F1's top management seems to really be pushing for Las Vegas to take over that spot in the next couple of years, so we'll see if they're willing to trade in their yachts for penthouse hotel suites anytime soon.

 

[Liquid]

As long as Monaco remains the place for teams to flaunt their opulence and court big-dollar sponsorship deals

They can still do that with a non-championship race or a post-season spec car race that doesn't clog up the championship calendar. It wasn't on the calendar from 1951-1954 so it's not unprecedented even if the idea of Formula One without Monaco is no longer in living memory and it's got this untouchable inertia.

 

[Roo]

@Liquid No Monaco GP in 2020, but like many grand prix it probably gets a free pass for that one.

 

[toastet]

As long as Vegas will be that in the middle of the night in November at freezing temps race with Europe in bed that will never come close the flair of Monaco.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Maybe they can push Madrid in that direction.

 

[Saidur_Ali]

I think Monaco is one of the highlights of the season. One of them circuits where F1 drivers can show their worth. Too much tyre management in the races has ruined the grand prix especially now that cars have become huge, anything that will push drivers to drive closer to the limit will make it more thrilling to watch like we saw in Qatar and on a circuit like Monaco, increases the risk of jeopardy as it becomes much easier to make a mistake if you are now having to push to create a safe gap to pit multiple times in a race instead of just one. A lot of the interesting races here have been when the weather has forced changes. As long as they make an effort to make it more safe, it should remain on the calendar.

 

[toastet]

Maybe they can push Madrid in that direction.

From what I saw yet too ugly. It's far away from beeing as beautiful as the old PS3 era Gran Turismo Madrid in the city center. Probably even uglier than Formula E Rome. Same for Miami which could have all the Monaco flair downtown with skyscrapers, beach, bridges and celebs in the sun but not around that stadium which still way outshines Vegas from my personal view).
Like Valencia - one of the most beautiful citys in Europe with stunning architecture - building the track into an industrial zone far off it and now doing the same in Madrid again.
I understand the problems racing in the touristic centres but if these ugly places are the solution just don't do the races in the city and use more beautiful normal race tracks. St. Pete, Long Beach, Monaco, Macao, good examples, not sure why Singapore and Jeddah hide completely in the dark since those sun setting FPs are also quiet nice to watch.

 

[Jimlaad43]

The Test begins on Wednesday in Bahrain. A few teams will be doing Shakedown/filming days with there cars on Monday and Tuesday at Bahrain too, so expect to see some photos appear from them.