The wait is almost over… the curtain comes up on the hugely anticipated 2025 FIA Formula 1 World Championship at The O2 arena in London.

For the first time ever, all 10 teams, their drivers and respective team principals will come together to unveil their 2025 liveries and mark the start of the sport’s 75th anniversary year.

That the unprecedented season launch is taking place here in the UK is entirely appropriate as it was 75 years ago in May 1950 when the very first points scoring F1 race was staged at Silverstone – a major milestone that will be celebrated throughout the coming months most notably, perhaps, at the Silverstone Festival in August. The UK is also home to the majority of the F1 teams and has the biggest representation in terms of driver nationality on the 2025 grid.

Kicking it all off, the sold-out F1 75 LIVE extravaganza will not only see all ten F1 teams revealing their racing colours for the 24 Grands Prix ahead but also see them presenting their new driver line-ups for the very first time in public.

The only ones starting the coming campaign with unchanged pairings are defending Constructors’ Champion McLaren with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and Aston Martin with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll – all the others will be fielding exciting new combinations.

The biggest change of course is Sir Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari after a dozen seasons – not to mention six titles – at Mercedes. He lines up alongside Charles Leclerc at the Prancing Horse with erstwhile incumbent Carlos Sainz switching to a berth alongside Alex Albon at Williams.

Fuelling further intrigue, Hamilton’s previous residency at Mercedes has been filled by 18-year-old starlet Kimi Antonelli who now lines up with George Russell for the two-pronged Silver Arrows attack. The Italian will be one of no fewer than six rookies preparing for their first full seasons at the highest level.

With Sergio Perez making way, Liam Lawson faces the daunting prospect of partnering the all-conquering Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2025, while the energy drink’s sister team – renamed Racing Bulls – sees 2024 F2 runner-up Isack Hadjar joining Yuki Tsunoda.

Gabriel Bortoleto, the man who beat Hadjar to last year’s F2 title, joins Nico Hülkenberg in a totally new-look Sauber squad in readiness for Audi’s takeover in 2026.

Another of those graduating from F2 is Ollie Bearman who makes it four British drivers on the Grand Prix grid in 2025. He is part of a totally refreshed Haas squad also featuring Esteban Ocon who, in turn, is replaced by Jack Doohan at Alpine.

At the 02, all 10 teams have been given creative licence to make their livery unveils unique with red carpet arrivals from drivers and team principals. We are also promised celebrities and entertainment from world-class acts within the two-hour show.

While the 15,000 fans packed into the arena will enjoy the incredible F1 75 LIVE spectacle up close, those at home won’t miss out either, with Formula 1 broadcasters from around the globe offering live coverage of the curtain-raising event. It will also be streamed for free on F1’s social media channels, including YouTube.

Photo credit: Silverstone/BRDC Archive