🏎️We're Racing Again!🏎️

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Good morning. I can hardly contain my excitement for the upcoming race. We are racing in Melbourne this weekend! And by “we” I mean 20 drivers who aren’t me.

We have waited many long months and endured the endless rumor mill to come to this moment. The moment we get to see the drivers put their money where their mouths are. Will we see a new champion crowned? Will Aston reap the rewards of hiring Newey? Or, will Verstappen make a move to a new team?

All of these questions will be answered in what will prove to be an absolute brawl for the top spot over the next 24 races.

Let’s review some top headlines and dive into the most important bits below.

-Jake

🌎 McLaren NO Longer Celabrating Podiums

McLaren's recent Formula 1 championship victory has brought some unexpected perks, according to team boss Andrea Stella. After clinching their first Constructors' title since 1998, McLaren now enjoys the prestigious first garage in the pitlane—something Stella admitted the team hadn't fully appreciated until pre-season testing began. This position, at the top of the pitlane, offers both practical and psychological advantages, including easier pit entry and a significant morale boost.

For fans watching casually, this means McLaren will start the 2025 season with added confidence and visibility, enhancing the excitement around their races. However, Stella emphasizes that the thrill of this newfound status quickly gives way to reality: every team starts fresh each season, and McLaren must continue pushing to stay ahead.

McLaren is also reassessing how they celebrate podium finishes, ensuring team celebrations reflect their new standards. Essentially, what was once considered extraordinary is now not good enough. McLaren wants to continue their excellent track record by celebrating wins not just podium finishes.

The question is how will this change the team fundamentally? Will they become just another ruthless team on a mission for F1 dominance like Mercedes or Red Bull? or will they pursue this new standard with the same fan friendly, casual vibe?

One thing to consider is Lando Norris’s ability to stand up to the added pressure of pursuing race wins and world championships. McLaren is starting on the front foot, but leading the charge is a high pressure place to be.

🚀Headline Sprint

🪽Flexi wings: The FIA, already cracking down on flexi-wings, will now closely monitor rear wing movement with cameras and markers during free practice sessions. This should reduce the drama around flexible rear wing sections. However, teams like McLaren seem to be circumventing the new regs with slightly harder to spot flexion on the rear wing. This new flexion at the outer tips of the rear wing flaps is not explicitly covered by the new regs and will be a point of contention in the coming races.

🎰Odds Makers For Lando: The biggest news ahead of the season opener is that current champion Verstappen isn't the bookie's favorite for this season's Drivers' Championship. The Dutchman is at odds of 3/1 to take home his fifth title in five years. Norris is the bookie's favorite this time around, with odds at 7/4. Following his historic move to Ferrari, Hamilton is at odds of 5/1 to win a record eighth world championship, while his teammate Charles Leclerc has slightly better odds of 9/2.

💸Piastri Sticks With McLaren: Oscar Piastri has signed a multi-year contract extension with McLaren, reportedly worth nearly $26 million annually, following his pivotal role in the team's 2024 Constructors' Championship win. This new agreement replaces his previous contract, which was valued at over $7 million per year and was set to last until 2026. This new contract shows two things: Piastri’s management is made of a bunch of badass negotiators and McLaren see the Australian as a future world champ and they don’t want to let him go too soon.

More and more racing drivers are cropping up all over the world with the rising global popularity of the sport. Thanks to Drive to Survive and the exponential viewer growth of Formula 1, racing is back in the spotlight.

People of all ages are now wondering if they could make a go of it on the track and the first stop for many is either the local track or regional karting leagues. But to get to the next level takes huge money and an immense effort.

For those wanting to take their racing career to the next level or just become a better sim racer, GP Lab is there to provide a comprehensive driver training curriculum.

They only accept a few drivers per month so head over and sign up for their waitlist and one of their founders will reach out.

🛞 Cadillac Approved

Cadillac is officially joining Formula 1 as the sport’s 11th team, and getting to this point has been quite a rollercoaster! After months of speculation, drama, and a very public split from their original partner, Andretti Global, Cadillac has finally received FIA approval. The news first broke in early 2023, with fans excited to see Cadillac team up with Andretti and bring American muscle back to F1. But disagreements over branding and management quickly led to a breakup.

Determined to make it on their own, Cadillac stayed focused—and now they’ve secured their spot on the grid. In the short term, they’ll partner with Ferrari for engines, providing a proven and competitive power unit as Cadillac develops its own hybrid engine technology. This partnership ensures Cadillac will hit the ground running and be instantly competitive.

Having an iconic American brand join the grid adds fresh excitement to Formula 1, broadening the sport’s global appeal and energizing American fans. Now comes the next challenge: building a competitive team, prepping for their first race, and eventually debuting Cadillac’s own engine. With Ferrari power under the hood initially, Cadillac is set to make a serious statement from day one.

🏎 Monaco Rule Change - You May Have missed

​To make the Monaco Grand Prix more exciting, Formula 1 has introduced a new rule requiring drivers to make at least two pit stops during the race. This change aims to add strategic variety and increase overtaking opportunities on Monaco's narrow streets, where passing is notoriously difficult. Drivers must now use at least three sets of tires, with a minimum of two different compounds if the race remains dry.

This adjustment comes at the perfect time. Formula 1 has been slicing and dicing their calendar as more cities and countries put in their bids to become the home of a shiny new Grand Prix. With the increased interest and dollar signs in the eyes of F1 management, someone had to change Monaco to keep it spicy. This rule change may turn this from a glorified party to a genuinely exciting race.

It would be immensely helpful if you could go over to our Youtube channel and subscribe. We are making all sorts of racing and car content to fill a much needed gap in the world that we are so passionate about. From my racing in Europe to road trips in old cars, we will be doing it all!

💨 Hot Laps

Stephano Domenicali signs on with the Formula 1 as President and CEO through 2029.

Helmut Marko is at it again with spicy takes. He claims Jack Doohan won’t make it the whole year with Alpine.

Jamie Chadwick joins the Sky Sports team as an F1 pundit to provide a unique perspective to the line up.

🛞Marbles

Random links from the authors not always car related

✅Photography: Check out the underwater photography winners for 2025.

✅Playlist: King Charles released his go-to playlist, and it surprisingly includes Beyonce.

✅Supplements: Are vitamins actually good or bad for you?

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