Welcome Back, Formula 1.

Plus: Surviving “Drive to Survive,” the FIA threatened with legal action and teasing F1's 2024 sustainability report

Mar 14, 2025

Welcome to The Undercut, a weekly newsletter round-up of the top storylines in racing brought to you by your favorite motorsport and enviro journo, Olivia Hicks. If you’re wondering “What the f*** is Formula 1?” Ask away! Leave a comment or send me a message with your burning questions.

After some trial and error, The Undercut will be shifting to later in the week due to an upcoming season full of Sunday and Monday deadlines. Expect a newsletter every Friday with a recap of the previous week and a preview of the race weekend ahead.

Lights Out and Away We Go

The 2025 Formula 1 season is officially underway. After the lights go out and engines come to life on Sunday in Melbourne, we’ll get a taste of what is to come as the sport’s 20 drivers break speed limits in 21 countries across 10 months.

But first, here are a few predictions and storylines to watch out for ahead of what many are deeming the closest Formula 1 season in recent history.

Lewis Hamilton’s Debut
All eyes seem to be fixed on one man ahead of the 2025 season: Lewis Hamilton. The 40-year-old will make his official race debut with Ferrari and teammate Charles Leclerc on Sunday. His confidence in turning seven championship titles into eight will be tested.
Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon’s Strong Driver Pairing
Fans and analysts alike are calling Ferrari’s 2025 lineup the strongest of the season — which is hard to disagree with. However, I predict the Williams pairing will rise from the ashes (or the crumbled car remains of last year’s 20-race crash record) and become the favorite underdogs. Both Carlos Sainz, joining the team from Ferrari, and Alex Albon have reputations for consistency and outperforming the car and poor team strategy.
Red Bull’s Declining Form
The last time Max Verstappen’s Red Bull lapped Albert Park in Melbourne, his right rear brake blew. The Dutch driver’s early retirement to the garages instilled a whole lot of hope in the fans of other teams. Despite Verstappen clinching the World Drivers’ Championship in 2024, his form never fully recovered. Last season, the team was plagued with on- and off-track drama. And if Verstappen’s comments ahead of Sunday are anything to go off of, this year won’t be much better. However, it is still difficult to discount the four-time consecutive champ.
Keep an Eye on McLaren
More specifically, keep a constant eye on McLaren’s driver relationship. Oscar Piastri extended his contract with McLaren and, if you were to solely go off of the “Drive to Survive” consensus, he looks to be a paddock favorite for the team’s long-term success. Piastri’s ability to reach world champion status is more a question of when rather than if. However, the same could be said about his teammate Lando Norris, whose chances of trumping Verstappen slipped through his fingers last season. The 2024 season was defined by sticky team orders in the McLaren garage, often favoring Norris and his championship chances. This year could offer a new internal team battle.
Rookies Bring a Fresh Energy to 2025
New drivers make up 30 percent of the 2025 Formula 1 grid. Their inexperience paired with a high chance of a rain-soaked race on Sunday nearly ensures a combination of chaos and entertainment. My prediction is that Oliver Bearman will continue his strong performance record and that Kimi Antonelli will live up to the hype as he replaces Hamilton at Mercedes. Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda — a small yet mighty duo — make for an energetic pair, but one that I think will outperform expectations. Jack Doohan and Gabriel Bortoleto remain wild cards, but both have skilled mentors steering them in the right direction.
Formula 1 Without a Fastest Lap Point
The 2025 Formula 1 season welcomes a handful of rule changes. The point for the fastest lap will no longer be up for grabs. The single point was first introduced in 2019 and has allowed drivers further down the field to join the leaderboard. While one point may not mean much to the likes of Verstappen, it can be the difference between a larger or smaller slice of the prize pot for mid-to-low field teams.

Surviving “Drive to Survive”

If you’re looking for an amusing way to prep for the upcoming Formula 1 season, “Drive to Survive” is likely your best bet. The seventh season came out last Friday and, in classic Netflix fashion, was filled with dramatic pauses, stitched clips that wove their own storylines and a whole lot of plot holes. However, it did offer a “behind-the-scenes” peek into the 2024 F1 season and replicated exactly what made the sport so popular during the first DTS season: highlighting Formula 1’s personalities.

Motorsport UK Threatens to Sue Formula 1’s Ruling Body

Motorsport UK, a motorsports governing body, threatened the FIA, Formula 1’s ruling body, with legal action last week. David Richards, Motorsport UK’s chairman, told the organization’s members “For some time now, I’ve had concerns about the erosion of accountability and good governance within the FIA” under the control of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Richards was recently excluded from the World Motorsport Council conference after refusing to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).

The FIA has recently come under fire for tightening swearing sanctions and a failure to disclose where penalty money is allocated.

Two Key F1 Figures Extend Contracts

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri extended his contract with the World Constructor Championship-winning team on Tuesday. The 23-year-old Australian Formula 1 driver will race for the team until at least 2028 with a contract worth reportedly £20 million per year, according to Autosport. On Wednesday, Formula 1 announced the sport’s CEO Stefano Domenicali will continue in his current role until 2029.

Las Vegas GP Cuts Ticket Prices

The Las Vegas Grand Prix broke the city’s economic impact record when it debuted in 2023. Its second run in 2024, however, missed revenue goals. As a result, the event has now expanded ticket options with a wide range stretching from $50 to $25,000. The cheapest ticket option opens up free practice accessibility while other single-day admission prices are slashed.

Formula 1’s New U.S. Venture: An 11th Team

Formula 1 officially announced an 11th addition to the grid in 2026: Cadillac F1 Team. The sport’s ruling body released a joint statement with Formula 1 last Friday confirming that General Motors and TWG Motorsports’ application to join the field had been approved. The team’s home base will be split between Michigan, Indiana and North Carolina with a team operating in the UK.

The news came after Andretti Global, partnering with General Motors and Cadillac, made a bid to join the Formula 1 grid that was rejected. Prompted by Andretti and several members of Congress, the Department of Justice opened an investigation in August into Liberty Media, Formula 1’s U.S. owner, for allegedly violating antitrust laws.

The new team will open Formula 1 to the U.S. driver market, with IndyCar’s Colton Herta a favorite for one of the two seats.

F1’s 2024 Sustainability Report

Formula 1 published its 2024 Impact Report on Wednesday. I plan to publish a deep dive later this month, but here are a few highlights: 80 percent of promoters fueled races with alternative energy sources, including solar, renewable energy tariffs and biofuels and 90 percent of promoters expanded green transportation options for fans. Formula 1’s increased investment in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and biofuels reduced total travel-related emissions by 19 percent. This season, an estimated 90 percent of emissions from the paddock, pit lane and technical centers will be reduced across all European grands prix through a combination of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), biofuel, solar panels and battery power. Formula 1 aims to reach its net zero goals by 2030.