The Grand Prix is one of the most anticipated events in the sports calendar, and now that the Formula One testing season is upon us, we’ve got our eyes peeled for every important detail.

From the 2025 car launches and recent changes to the teams, to when and where you can see the action, we’re here to answer all your questions, and tell you everything you need to know about the upcoming F1 Testing Season, 2025.

In this article:

F1 2025 Car and Livery Launches

With Formula One celebrating 75 years of high-octane racing, this year's pre-season looks quite different.

Instead of each team launching their liveries independently, we'll get to see all ten teams and twenty drivers showcasing them at one epic event: F1 75 Live at the O2.

Although every team will unveil their 2025 liveries at F1 75, car announcements will largely stick to the same staggered format. Just over half the teams haven't announced their car launches just yet, so unless there are any further announcements, we may have to wait until day one of testing to peek behind their new cars' curtains.

With the scheduled car launches and the F1 75 event offering a first insight into what to expect for the upcoming season, here’s what we know up to now:

F1 Car Launch Calendar 2025

The dates of the 2025 car launches are as follows:

Williams February 14
F1 75 Live at the O2* February 18
Ferrari February 19
Aston Martin February 23
Mercedes February 24
McLaren TBC
Red Bull TBC
Alpine TBC
Haas TBC
Racing Bulls TBC
Sauber TBC

 

*Team livery launches

Williams Racing: February 14

Williams is set to be the first F1 team to launch their car in a romantic affair at Silverstone on Valentine's Day. Of course, the launch of the new FW47 will be the main event, but we're also very excited to see Carlos Sainz' first media appearance for his new team and hear his thoughts on how he's settling into the Williams set up. We think he'll be a smooth operator in his new seat, for sure.

"We're not far away from the Silverstone car launch and I can't wait to see my new ride!" — Carlos Sainz

F1 75 Live at the O2

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As far as Formula One launch events go, F1 75 Live at the O2 is nearly as red hot as Max Verstappen himself — general tickets sold out within 60 minutes of going on sale.

It's the first blockbuster F1 event of the season and will see all ten teams unveiling their liveries for 2025 at the same time, in the same place. What's more, all twenty drivers will be in attendance with some showing off their flashy new colours for the first time in front of the media — we're all looking at you, Lewis!

Ferrari: February 19 

Scuderia Ferrari's hotly anticipated '2025 challenger' will be revealed on 19 February. Lewis Hamilton will of course be the main talk at Ferrari's car launch event, with the seven-time world champion joining from Mercedes at the end of last season. The launch comes after a series of tests for Hamilton in some older models in Barcelona, so Ferrari fans will be hoping the team can give him a car worthy of a World Championship this season.

Aston Martin: February 23

Ex-Chief Technology Officer at Red Bull and F1 design guru Adrian Newey has joined Aston Martin as Managing Technical Partner, so we should expect big improvements on last year's machine that failed to challenge at the top in the Constructors Championship. February 23 will be our first look at what Newey has been working on behind the scenes, and with former Mercedes Andy Cowell at the helm there's every chance Aston Martin will step up their game this season. 

Mercedes: 24 February

Mercedes will be launching their 2025 challenger a day before testing in Bahrain. With Hamilton moving to Ferrari and a new recruit in Italian prodigy Kimi Antonelli, Toto Wolf will be hoping the W16 will put them in good stead to improve their total of 4 race victories last season amid the driver shake up. 

Will there be any design changes to F1 cars in 2025?

Formula 1 is introducing some notable regulation changes that emphasize both safety and precision for the new season. Drivers will now be required to use cooling systems during "heat hazard" races (like the Bahrain and Qatar Grand Prixes) to help manage extreme conditions when temperatuires exceed 30.5°C, even if it adds an extra 5 kg to the car.

Aerodynamic regulations have also been refined — the slot gap on the rear wing has been reduced to 9.4 - 13mm for this season, and the rear wing is limited to just two preset positions that revert immediately when deactivated (open and closed), ensuring a more consistent performance on track. This has been brought in eliminate the grey area that McLaren exploited to engineer a slight curling of the rear wing, creating what was coined as a 'mini DRS', that helped Oscar Piastri win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. 

In addition, the bonus point for the fastest lap has been removed, so we should see teams focussing more on overall race performance. These updates not only improve driver safety and aerodynamic consistency but also lay the groundwork for a more extensive overhaul next season in 2026, when we can expect new chassis and power units to be introduced. 

 

When and Where is F1 Pre-Season Testing 2025?

The F1 winter testing race weekend will take place over three days at Bahrain International Circuit. You can catch the action between the 26th and 28th February 2025.

Practice 1: 26 February, 08:00 – 17:00 (GMT)

Practice 2: 27 February, 08:00 – 17:00 (GMT)

Practice 3: 28 February, 08:00 – 17:00 (GMT)

 

The pre-season tests will be the only running that the new cars will get, making it important to clock up as many miles as possible. This allows them to analyse the data and use it improve their performance and identify any reliability issues which need to be addressed before the first race of the official F1 calendar begins.

How to Watch F1 Testing on TV

Don’t miss a single minute of action — tune into the Sky Sports F1 channel for coverage of the full three days of testing.

Normally, there’ll also be a Sky Sports news roundup each evening, along with a half hour notebook with Ted Kravitz. This is a chance to see a small behind-the-scenes look at how things are going for each team, any news stories, and a tech round-up that shows the main changes to the cars from each team for 2025.

What to Look Out for in F1 Testing 2025

With just three days of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit from February 26-28, teams have limited time to fine-tune their cars before the season kicks off in Australia. While this year’s regulations remain stable, testing will still reveal valuable insights into team performance, reliability, and potential surprises for the season ahead.

Since 2025 marks the final year of the current regulations, expect teams to bring optimized versions of their existing cars rather than radical redesigns. Every aerodynamic tweak and mechanical upgrade will be aimed at squeezing out every last bit of performance before the major 2026 regulation reset.

One team to look out for in Bahrain is Mercedes. They have been very vocal about making big changes this season after struggling with their car concept in recent years. Testing will be the first real indicator of whether they’ve made progress in the off-season, or if they’re still chasing Red Bull’s dominant form. It'll be interesting to see their data, high-speed stability and feedback from George Russell and new signing Kimi Antonelli.

Speaking of Red Bull, the RB 21 is expected to bring an evolution of their already superior design, which will be music to the ears of Max Verstappen as he chases a fifth straight Drivers Championship this season — find out how we ranked his top five career moments!

Bahrain's long straights make it the ideal track to test the new DRS regulation tweaks, so we'll likely see teams run overtaking simulations to see how the dynamics have changed. We expect overtaking to be slightly trickier, so we might see adjustments in setup choices to compensate.

Testing is often where weaknesses emerge — whether it's overheating issues, mechanical failures, or unexpected aerodynamic inconsistencies. Teams that rack up the most mileage with minimal problems typically start the season strong, while those stuck in the garage might be in for a rough opening few races.

But there's normally a lot of smoke and mirrors in testing — expect some teams to sandbag and play their hands close to their chest, hiding their true pace to get the edge on the competition once the season starts in Australia in March.

"I think this year has the potential to go down as one of the greats. We have Lewis in a Ferrari, a new constructors champion in Mclaren and proof that Red Bull aren't unbeatable. It will also be the last chance for us as fans to see the cars take to the famous twists and turns of the Circuit de Catalunya as the race heads to Madrid in 2026" — Simon Gee, Spectate Product Manager. 

When Does the New F1 Season Start?

The first race of the F1 calendar will take place two weeks later than last season, starting on 14th March. Unlike previous seasons where the first race is hosted at the same track as the testing (usually Bahrain), we'll be starting the season in Melbourne Australia this year. This means that each team will be face the unique challenge of testing in Bahrain and then optimising their machines for opening day in Melbourne. In any case, the testing in Bahrain should give us a good idea of what each team is currently capable of.

F1's opening weekend should be an absolute cracker Down Under. Witness it all first-hand with our exceptional Australian Grand Prix packages in 2025.

What Spectate Offers You

The testing is just the beginning, and Spectate will be following every second from the Australian Grand Prix to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, so why not join us? We have numerous F1 holiday packages that you can enjoy, that include unforgettable extensions to the likes of the Maldives, Dubai and even Niagara Falls. Just pick the race you want to attend, and we can sort the rest.

We have all bases covered, from unrivalled seating and luxurious accommodation to superb hospitality, including our very own Spectate Platinum Hospitality Suite at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – you won’t want to miss that one!

 

Hungry for more Formula One?

Witness one of sport’s most exciting events: a Formula One Grand Prix. Let our Travel Expert, Simon, take you on a journey from the luxurious super-yachts of Monaco to the spectacular F1 finale in Abu Dhabi below.

Book your F1 holiday package today if you want to be in the heart of nail-biting action and passion.

Make your next trip to the Formula 1 Grand Prix with Spectate in 2025. With expert, first-hand knowledge, our team can tailor-make your stay beyond the races. Bask in luxury hotels and dine on superb cuisine and much more to make your Grand Prix weekend an exceptional experience.