You would possibly suppose this column’s title pertains to Method 1 having an epic championship combat in retailer in 2025. It may, however extra on that later…
The ‘tremendous season’ I’m speaking about shouldn’t be truly about 2025. It’s greater than that, but it surely is about to begin.
I can’t declare to be the one who labored this out, both. It took a group member – a group coordinator, no much less – to spotlight it, such is their thought course of on the subject of planning, logistics, and the best way a race group goes to wish to function.
Assuming the 2026 calendar follows the identical tough schedule as the 2 years which have gone earlier than it and runs from March to December, then we’re only a few weeks away from present F1 vehicles probably operating each month for 23 months straight.
That’s as a result of 2025 testing will happen in February, the ultimate race might be held on December 7 (and the post-season take a look at follows it), after which the primary take a look at of 2026 is provisionally anticipated to be held in late January. That follows the identical timeline as 2014’s main technical regulation modifications, when the opening pre-season take a look at happened from January 28-31 in Jerez to permit preliminary energy unit assessments.
Even when that opening take a look at does find yourself happening in February, groups have been ready to make use of the 2021 automobile for testing of earlier automobile (TPC) operating in 2022 as a result of important change in rules. Given 2026 provides an identical scenario, this yr’s vehicles may effectively preserve operating subsequent January, too.
It highlights what a serious problem the entire groups are going through on the subject of the brand new vehicles, as they grapple with not solely a brand new set of aerodynamics but additionally contemporary energy unit guidelines. Though not fairly as complicated because the 2014 modifications, they nonetheless mark a big shift, as the primary new engines because the hybrids have been launched a decade in the past.
So they’re now confronted with juggling the supply of their new vehicles for this coming season, their ongoing upgrades all through 2025, growth of the 2026 designs – aerodynamic work solely being allowed to begin on January 1 of this yr – and TPC operating, in addition to testing of mule vehicles if the FIA requires it.
Whereas all of that may sounds comparatively just like what groups have been in a position to do with large testing packages up to now, they’re now restricted in lots of areas by the fee cap, and likewise going through one other 24-race season.
And it’s a season that appears set to be as aggressive as any in current historical past.
As I admitted in my ‘2025 Want Record’, the best way this coming yr is shaping up on the entrance of the sector is definitely a supply of hysteria for me. From the Miami Grand Prix onwards, it was a remarkably aggressive season final yr, throughout a number of completely different groups. The unprecedented variety of one-two finishes from 4 completely different constructors, and 7 winners who additionally all had a number of victories, was in some methods scuppered by Max Verstappen’s blistering begin that moved him out of attain of the chasing pack.
However there was a largest weak spot in that pack within the type of Mercedes. As a group it was a good distance off at first of the yr, and whereas there have been some extraordinarily aggressive weekends, there have been others that have been simply as poor as when the yr started. In contrast to McLaren, Ferrari and Crimson Bull, it couldn’t arrive at any given observe with any actual type of confidence that it will be preventing with the others, but it surely did at the least have the excessive factors to try to be taught from.
For groups like Aston Martin, a disappointing begin to 2025 would possibly imply a really quick pivot to preparations for 2026. Steven Tee/Motorsport Photos
So the added information, and a full low season to provide a brand new automobile that may make the most of that understanding, may put Mercedes within the body to affix the highest three on a extra common foundation.
It might be argued that Ferrari was probably the most persistently sturdy group by the top of the season – Charles Leclerc scored probably the most factors of any single driver from the summer season break onwards, and the group itself outscored McLaren by seven throughout that very same span. However the mid-season errors have been expensive, and signify the principle space that wants addressing this yr.
McLaren managed to take care of the higher kind from Miami onwards regardless of a title coming when it was clearly nonetheless in studying mode, so there’s positively room for enchancment there too, and we noticed Crimson Bull get better from probably the most alarming spell of its season round Monza and Baku to be aggressive once more within the closing rounds.
So Mercedes has the largest headroom, however all can do higher, and in an ideal world all 4 will accomplish that, resulting in a championship that might be gained by any one in every of 4 groups, and any one in every of seven drivers (given Crimson Bull’s admittance that Liam Lawson’s position is to play second fiddle to Max Verstappen).
The nervousness I spoke of earlier is about what if 2025 doesn’t ship – if a type of 4 groups does make the progress outlined above however not one of the others do and there’s a transparent chief early on, a lot as there was at first of final season.
In that case, the impression of the ‘tremendous season’ may actually take maintain. Groups might be much less prone to proceed creating their 2025 vehicles for lengthy in the event that they don’t begin the yr with a practical probability of preventing for a championship.
The identical could be mentioned of the midfield, the place groups are much more prone to write off the approaching yr when their potential returns are so restricted to try to make the most of 2026. Assuming the highest 4 stays the clear prime 4 – and that’s maybe being cautious when the small gaps throughout the sector may see a fifth be a part of the celebration – then at greatest the remainder are typically preventing for ninth and tenth every weekend.
However don’t fear, I’m not getting pessimistic. Nor am I essentially anticipating any of the above to occur, as a result of it’s so uncommon for the whole discipline to really feel that it was inside putting distance of an enormous end result.
On the closing spherical of 2024, eight of the ten groups have been inside 0.609s of pole place, and that included Stake Sauber that had made strides by means of the yr and was represented in Q3. Of the opposite two groups, one in every of them – RB – certified eleventh and twelfth, and just a little over 0.4s off the quickest Q2 time.
Wins and podiums would possibly stay unrealistic for almost all, however small features can transfer a group a good distance in such a aggressive discipline. That makes the approaching season all of the extra attractive for all 10 constructors’, realizing that important progress shouldn’t be out of attain.
It’s all set as much as be an epic yr by way of competitiveness, however much more in order the game transitions in the direction of the brand new rules, when Audi and Cadillac will be a part of the fray to try to upset the established order.
Prepare. The tremendous season goes to be some trip.
