A Beginners Guide for the 2025 Formula 1 Season

F1 Drivers and Teams

For the 2025 season, only 2 teams (McLaren and Aston Martin) have stuck with their previous season's driver line-up, with many transfers and new additions to the grid being made.

One of the major and most unexpected transfers for this season, is the switch from Mercedes to Ferrari for the seven-time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, who replaces Carlos Sainz.

In addition to this, 6 rookies are set to make their Formula One debuts. With Oliver Bearman joining Haas after standing in for both Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari and Kevin Magnussen in the Haas last season.

Liam Lawson is to join Red Bull after making a total of 11 previous F1 races across the 2023 and 2024 season.

Gabriel Bortoleto will join Kick Sauber after winning the Formula 2 Championship, whilst Isack Hadjar who was the runner-up joins RB as Yuki Tsunoda's teammate.

Mercedes have replaced Lewis Hamilton with 18 year old Kimi Antonelli, whilst Alpine' seat is given to their reserve driver of 2 years, Jack Doohan, after his debut in the final race of the 2024 season.

2025 will be the last racing season that the grid will contain 10 teams, as of 2026 the grid will increase to 11 teams with the addition of Cadillac and 2 extra seats for divers.

The Full 2025 Line-Up:

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri - McLaren

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari

Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson - Red Bull

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll - Aston Martin

Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan - Alpine

Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman - Haas

Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls

Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon - Williams

Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto - Kick Sauber

F1 Race Calendar

There are 24 races across the season that are spread across 21 countries. The 2024 season, was the beginning of the extended races as was the first to witness 24 races, this should've been the case in 2023 but 2 races were cancelled that now make their return with no new locations being introduced.

The season will begin in Australia on March 16th, staging its first opening since 2019. Ramadan takes place through March and therefore both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will move to April, fulfilling the fourth and fifth rounds of the season.

Las Vegas will remain a Saturday race, with all sessions to be brought forward by 2 hours. The Grand Prix will begin at 20:00 local time on Saturday (04:00 GMT on the Sunday)

Throughout the season there will be 6 sprint races. Belgium will replace Austria as a venue hosting the additional race, alongside China, Miami, Austin, Brazil and Qatar.

The season will once again conclude in December at Abu Dhabi.

The Full F1 2025 Race Calendar:

Mar 14-16 - Australia - Melbourne

Mar 21-23 - China - Shanghai

Apr 04-06 - Japan - Suzuka

Apr 11-13 - Bahrain - Sakhir

Apr 18-20 - Saudi Arabia - Jeddah

May 02-04 - USA - Miami

May 16-18 - Italy - Imola

May 23-25 - Monaco - Monaco

May 30-Jun 01 - Spain - Barcelona

Jun 13-15 - Canada - Montreal

Jun 27-29 - Austria - Spielberg

Jul 04-06 - Great Britain - Silverstone

Jul 25-27 - Belgium - Spa Francorchamps

Aug 01-03 - Hungary - Budapest

Aug 29-31 - Netherlands - Zandvoort

Sep 05-07 - Italy - Monza

Sep 11-13 - Spain - Madrid

Sep 19-21 - Azerbaijan - Baku

Oct 03-05 - Singapore - Singapore

Oct 17-19 - USA - Austin

Oct 24-26 - Mexico - Mexico City

Nov 07-09 - Brazil - São Paulo

Nov 20-22 - USA - Las Vegas

Nov 28-30 - Qatar - Lusail

Dec 05-07 - Abu Dhabi - Yas Marina

F2 and F3 Calendar

Both Formula 2 and Formula 3 will support F1 races across multiple rounds throughout the season. F2 will have a total of 14 rounds beginning in Australia and ending in Abu Dhabi. Whereas F3 will have a total of 10 rounds kicking off their season in Australia but concluding it in Monza.

The Full F2 2025 Race Calendar:

Mar 14-16 - Australia - Melbourne

Apr 11-13 - Bahrain - Sakhir

Apr 18-20 - Saudi Arabia - Jeddah

May 16-18 - Italy - Imola

May 23-25 - Monaco - Monaco

May 30-Jun 01 - Spain - Barcelona

Jun 27-29 - Austria - Spielberg

Jul 04-06 - Great Britain - Silverstone

Jul 25-27 - Belgium - Spa Francorchamps

Aug 01-03 - Hungary - Budapest

Sep 05-07 - Italy - Monza

Sep 19-21 - Azerbaijan - Baku

Nov 28-30 - Qatar - Lusail

Dec 05-07 - Abu Dhabi - Yas Marina

The Full F3 2025 Race Calendar:

Mar 14-16 - Australia - Melbourne

Apr 11-13 - Bahrain - Sakhir

May 16-18 - Italy - Imola

May 23-25 - Monaco - Monaco

May 30-Jun 01 - Spain - Barcelona

Jun 27-29 - Austria - Spielberg

Jul 04-06 - Great Britain - Silverstone

Jul 25-27 - Belgium - Spa Francorchamps

Aug 01-03 - Hungary - Budapest

Sep 05-07 - Italy - Monza

F1 Race Weekend Layout

A standard race weekend takes place over 3 days, usually Friday, Saturday and Sunday with practice sessions, qualifying and the feature race spanning across them. However, the race weekend layout can change if it is scheduled as a sprint race format.

Free Practice - Across the race weekend, there are 3 Free Practice sessions, abbreviated to FP1, FP2 and FP3. Friday, typically features 2 practice sessions lasting 60 minutes each, designed to help teams to prepare their cars and make any necessary changes to the car before the race. The third Free Practice session normally falls on the Saturday before Qualifying begins.

Qualifying - On Saturday after FP3, drivers participate in a Qualifying session that has 3 stages, abbreviated to Q1, Q2 and Q3. Each stage has a designated amount of time, where the drivers place assigns their positions on the grid.

The first qualifying session, Q1, lasts 18 minutes with the slowest 5 drivers being eliminated and occupying positions 20 to 16 on the grid. The second session, Q2, decides driver's positions from 16 to 11 after a 15 minute session.

Qualifying concludes with a final 12 minute segment that decides the top 10 grid slots. All these positions are prior to any penalties that a driver may receive.

Grand Prix Race - The Grand Prix is usually on a Sunday where drivers race across a specified number of laps to earn points and podiums, only the top 10 positions can score points.

Sprint Race - A sprint race is a short version of the feature race that covers 100km, usually lasting 30 minutes. Drivers are awarded points for finishing in the top 8 positions of a Sprint race.

In a typical F1 season there are 6 Sprint race weekends spanned across the season.

The Sprint weekend still spans across the 3 days with Sprint Qualifying replacing FP2 and the Sprint race replacing FP3. Qualifying and the Grand Prix run as normal.

Drivers' and Constructors' Championship

Drivers' Championship - Otherwise known by its full title FIA Formula One World Championship for Drivers, is a title that is claimed by the F1 driver with the most championship points at the end of the season. This Championship has existed since 1950 as before that each Grand Prix was a solo affair.

Points for the Drivers' Championship are available for the top 10 finishers at each Grand Prix with more available in Sprint races.

Constructors' Championship -Otherwise known by its full title FIA Formula One World Championship for Constructors, is the title claimed by the F1 team with the most championship points at the end of the season. This Championship was created in 1958, 8 years after the Driver Championship.

Its had many scoring systems since then but the current system has been in place since 1991 - whereby each team has 2 cars in each race with the point accumulated by each are added together to create the Constructor's total.

Championship Points for Grand Prix Race:

1st - 25 points

2nd - 18 points

3rd - 15 points

4th - 12 points

5th - 10 points

6th - 8 points

7th - 6 points

8th - 4 points

9th - 2 points

10th - 1 point

Championship Points for Sprint Race:

1st - 8 points

2nd - 7 points

3rd - 6 points

4th - 5 points

5th - 4 points

6th - 3 points

7th - 2 points

8th - 1 points

F1 Rule Changes

Removal of the Fastest Lap Point - The fastest lap point has been removed this season, a point that was previously awarded each race for the driver who set the fastest lap and occupied a position within the top 10 since 2019.

However this point was not always guaranteed as drivers below the first 10 positions could take the point away from those within the top positions even if they were not going to score points themselves.

Driver Cooling Systems - Teams are required to fit a mandated driver cooling system if a Heat Hazard has been declared, this is issued when the weather is forecasted to reach a temperature of 31C or above at some point during the Grand Prix weekend.

This then leads to an increase in weight limit for the cars with two different limits - one with an additional 2kg for Practice and Qualifying (including Sprint Qualifying) and a total of +5kg for a Sprint of Grand Prix race.

More Practice for Rookies - Each season teams have a mandatory amount of sessions that a rookie has to take part in FP1 sessions across the season. Teams are allowed to choose the races that these sessions happen and the drivers as long as they have completed no more than two Formula One races in their career.

Previously, teams had to have a rookie take part at least once in each of their cars but this year the number has increased to twice per car. So a total of 4 rookie sessions throughout the season.

Tyres

Pirelli is Formula One's exclusive supplier for tyres with their contract running out at the end of the 2027 campaign.

Tyre Compounds - Pirelli's range of 18-inch tyres for the 2025 season includes 6 'slick' compounds (hardest to softest - C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 and C6) along with 'intermediates' and 'full wets' to prepare for weather conditions.

In the 'slick' tyre range (C1 is the hardest to C6 the softest), Pirelli will choose 3 tyre compounds to be used at each Grand Prix depending on the track characteristics and climates. This creates the colour coordination of the tyres throughout each race weekend.

The highest-numbered slick tyre is marked with red and referred to as the soft tyre, the middle number is marked with yellow for the medium tyre and the lowest number is marked with white for the hard tyre. Alongside these will be the greens for intermediates and the blues for full wet tyres.

The soft tyre is normally set to have the most grip but a much shorter time period before degradation begins - a perfect use for qualifying or short stints throughout a race, the hardest tyre has the least amount of grip but lasts for a longer amount of time making it perfect for long race stints. However, the medium tyre is a mixture of the two offering grip and longer time frames.

Tyre Allowance - Each Grand Prix weekend, drivers are given 13 sets of dry weather tyre, 4 sets of intermediates and 3 sets of full wet tyres. An extra set of softs is reserved for those who reach Q3 in Qualifying.

Drivers must also use 2 different sets of slicks during a race providing that the weather conditions remain dry.

However, the allocation of tyres at Sprint races drops from 13 to 12 sets, where drivers get 2 sets of designated hards, 4 sets of mediums and 6 sets of soft tyres. In addition to this, drivers are given 5 sets of intermediates and 2 sets of full wet tyres.

Flags

Green Flag - A green flag is used to indicate that the track is clear whether that be at the start of a session or immediately after an incident has occurred that needed one or more yellow flags.

Single Waved Yellow Flag - A single yellow flag signals to drivers that they need to reduce their speed, can't overtake any driver and must be prepared to change direction due to a hazard beside or partly on the track.

Double Waved Yellow Flag - A double yellow flag signals that drivers need to reduce their speed significantly, can't overtake any driver and must be prepared to stop or change direction due to a hazard blocking the whole track or marshals working on or beside the track.

Red Flag - A red flag is waved at the start line and at each marshal post around the circuit when officials have decided to stop a race session due to a serious incident or weather conditions.

During Practice and Qualifying, all drivers are required to reduce their speed and proceed back to their pit garages whereas during the race all drivers are required to reduce their speed and return to the pit lane, lining up at the exit and await instructions.

Yellow Flag with Red Stripes - A motionless yellow flag with red stripes is shown to inform drivers that there is a deterioration in grip levels on the track ahead because of oil or water on the surface.

White Flag - A white flag informs drivers that there is a slower vehicle ahead and is occasionally seen at the end of practice sessions whilst drivers perform practice starts

Blue Flag - A blue flag indicates to the drivers that they are about to be overtaken, this meaning translates differently across the different weekends race sessions.

At all times, if a blue flag is waved as a driver is exiting the pit lane it indicates that there is traffic behind them so should be cautious about rejoining the track.

During Practice or Qualifying, a blue flag indicates to drivers that a faster car is behind them and about to overtake. This is particularly used in Qualifying, especially if one driver is on a 'cool-down' lap whilst the other car is on a fast lap. This flag helps to prevent other cars from impeding opposing teams laps.

During the Grand Prix, a blue flag indicates that drivers are about to be lapped by the faster cars, so are falling a lap behind. When this is shown in the race, the driver must allow the faster cars to pass through at the earliest opportunity - if 3 warnings are ignored then the driver will be penalised.

'Code 60' Flag - A Code 60 flag is a purple flag with a white circle containing the number 60 in the middle, this sets a 60km/h speed limit around the track

Black Flag - A black flag is used to disqualify drivers and orders them to their pit garage at once. The decision for the flag rests solely with the stewards but is a rare occurrence.

Black Flag with an Orange Disc - A black flag with an orange disc is used to inform a driver that their car has mechanical problem which may be likely to pose a threat to themselves or other cars, meaning they must stop in the pits as soon as possible.

If and when the mechanical issues have been rectified to the satisfaction of the Chief Scrutineer, the car can rejoin the race otherwise it must remain in the pits.

Black and White Flag - A black and white flag that is diagonally divided is shown as a warning to a driver after being reported for unsportsmanlike behaviour, indicating that if this continued it would result in punishment. It is usually accompanied by the driver's race number.

Chequered Flag - A black and white chequered flag is waved from above the pit wall and marks the end of any racing session whether that be Practice, Qualifying or the Race. It is waved until all the competing cars have reached it.

Penalties

Formula One is a motorsport that relies heavily on the rules and regulations created by the FIA each season, if any of these rules or regulations are breached by a driver or team then they will be penalised. Penalties are often given after breaches on the track although they can still be given for behaviour off the track.

The penalties given can vary on the offence committed and its severity.

Warnings - FIA stewards will sometimes give drivers or teams warnings before issuing a penalty, this is often seen with exceeding track limits during a race (all 4 tyres across the white lines). Drivers are often warned about this, if the offence is committed a further 3 times then it may result in a penalty.

Reprimands - A reprimand is a step up from a warning, where if a driver receives more than 4 in a singular season they will be handed a 10 place grid penalty.

They are issues for sporting and non-sporting offences, with the grid penalty only applied if all 4 previous reprimands were issued for driving offences.

Fines - Drivers can be fined for sporting and non-sporting offences, these can be issued on their own or may be given alongside another penalty.

Time Penalties - Time penalties are issued as either a 5 or a 10 second penalty. These are generally served during pit stops where the car will remain stationary and untouched by the mechanics for the length of the penalty.

However, if a driver does not pit again after receiving the time penalty, then the time will be added onto their finishing time, potentially dropping them down the order of positions.

Drive-through/Stop-go Penalties - A drive-through penalty requires a driver to drive through the pit lane maintaining its speed limit before returning to the track.

A stop-go penalty is one of the most costly penalties as it requires drivers to stop in the pit lane for the majority of the penalty before rejoining the race, without the mechanics being allowed to work on the car at any point during the stop.

When a driver is given one of these two penalties, they have 2 laps to serve the penalties from when the team were notified - the exception of this is when a Virtual Safety Car or a Safety Car is deployed

Grid Penalties - A grid penalty will result in a driver dropping a number of grid positions at the next race they participate in. These penalties are usually a result of changing engine components more than allocation.

Disqualification - Some serious cases may result in disqualification from the results of a race session, typically given for a technical infringement.

Suspension - Suspension is a step up from a disqualification penalty and results in the driver being suspended from the next event. This is a rare occurrence but can occur if a driver reaches over 12 penalty points or if the stewards deem it as an extremely serious breach of the regulations.

Penalty Points - The FIA has the ability to issue penalty points to a driver's Super Licence as part of a punishment. These remain on a driver's licence for 12 months, if a driver accumulates for than 12 points within a 12 month period then they will receive a 1 race ban.

F1 Terminology

Double and Triple Headers - Historically, F1 race schedules were designed to have a weekend on and a weekend off approach, but the increasing popularity has led to the creation of double and triple headers across the season. This allows for more races in a 52 week year.

A double-header is 2 back to back Grand Prixs on successive weekends. Similarly, a triple-header is 3 successive race weekends. They are normally grouped together by location, making transportation of equipment easy between closer races.

DRS - DRS stands for Drag Reduction System and is a tool used by drivers to increase the top speed of the car, making overtaking easier. It can only be activated at specific detection points when within one second of the car in front. DRS works by opening an adjustable flap on the rear wing of the car.

Flyaway Race - Since F1 is a global event, equipment and resources need to be transported between each race. European races allow all teams to transport all equipment, including the cars, by truck. However, events in different continents or across seas need to transport them in other ways such as flying or shipping.

This is what generates the term flyaway races. For some races, supplementary equipment is sent by sea months in advance.