F1 At 75: Speed, Style, And A Historic Night
A first-of-its-kind livery revelation, the 75th anniversary of Formula 1 was star-studded, let's recap
From booing for a mention of the governing body, the FIA to grand reveals, the F1 75 Live event at London's O2 Arena was nothing short of glitz, music, and pure car spectacles. Streamed globally, the 75th anniversary celebration even broke some viewership records on F1's official YouTube channel.
A first-of-its kind presentation, the grandeur of the event with a side of showbiz redefined what a motorsport launch could be- high-octane spectacle blending race cars, music, fashion, and A-list flair.
For the first time, all 10 teams with 20 drivers were under one roof, revealing their 2025 liveries in a never-before-seen televised launch event.
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The red-carpet moments were worthy of Hollywood. Fans were excited to see their favourite teams showing up all dazzled as drivers and team principals posed for the cameras before the 2-hour long broadcasting. The standout moments?
While the real cars were not seen, mock-ups were witnessed sliding down the stage on motorized platforms. With over 15,000 fans in the arena, the excitement to see all the teams revved throughout the night.
Bond. James Bond-Style Entry
To present the colours of continuous but elegant AMR25, Aston Martin race drivers Fernando Alonso and Stroll arrived on stage in the purest of James Bond style- it was a parody for Aston Martin truly!
Mixed Cheers and Jeers
The surprising soundtrack of the night for Red Bull was from the booing crowd. As Christian Horner walked on stage to unveil Red Bull livery for 2025 challenger, the RB21, he seemed to be caught off guard by the loud chorus of boos. Drivers Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson also received the same reception and none of the two took a moment to speak with the crowd.
The team presentation also included a comedy skit that played on Racing Bull's sponsor-heavy full name!
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In post event media session, Verstappen elaborated on the recent beef with George Russell, " I have no intention of continuing any type of beef in February. I am still enjoying my time away from F1. Honestly, I have nothing to say on that subject."
Hamilton, The Show- Stealer
Appearing in Ferrari red suit, the seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton made a public appearance for the first time outside Italy for the grand livery of F1 75 alongside Ferrari SF25 and Charles Leclerc. In contrast to Verstappen, the 40-year-old Briton, who will be driving the real car of the mock-up on Wednesday in Fiorano during a film day, received the loudest cheers of the night. He was showered with constant applause even during his spoke to the crowd.
Moreover, Hamilton taking the centre stage coincided with his Italian team's late founder Enzo's birthday!
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FIA - The Devil?
The F1 crowd has a clear message for the governing body, FIA -boos. When Laura Winters, F1 TV presenter the mention of the association's work over 75 years, fans were clear to demonstrate their displeasure with regards to newly announced code of conduct and penalties for misbehaviours.
FIA is seeking to regulate the use of "inappropriate language" in its racing classes and has recently introduced regulations with up to 120,000 euros fine, potential race bans and even point deductions.
The rest of the night musicians including the British band Take That trio minus Robbie Williams, American Rapper Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), and Country singer Kane Brown kept the excitement revving with guitar-heavy intro.
What's Next?
Next up for F1 fans is the preseason testing next week at the Bahrain International Circuit and the first race in the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16.