Well, that was a load of something, wasn’t it? Ninety-eight days since the end of last season, and that’s the race we get.  

First, a “Happy Women’s History Month” is in order as we celebrate Laura Mueller. Mueller made history as the first female race engineer in Formula One, or F1, partnering with Haas’ Esteban Ocon. One small step for woman, one giant leap for womankind. 

Like most F1 fans, I had great expectations coming into the 2025 season. Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari, McLaren building a spaceship, five rookies and a new teammate for Max Verstappen to beat. So far, race number one lived up to my expectations, but that doesn’t mean I enjoyed myself. 

Let’s start with the actual viewing experience. Who is doing these graphics and why? First of all, the opening sequence is in constructor order… and then Verstappen. Either stick to the driver’s championship order or go full-out Constructors’ Championship. But that’s not my main gripe with the opening sequence — it’s the fonts. Why are the driver’s first names in thin cursive, and then their last names are in a very bold sans serif font? The surname font is fine, but the thin white cursive on the color-changing background is not only hard to read but out of place. 

Then, the random gap before the slash and driver number in yet another font is strange. Wherever the brand guide is, rip it up. This indecision with fonts is not fun for the viewer. And it’s not just the opening, it’s the top three graphics as well. I like the layout, but it looks like the fastest driver has an angel and devil on his shoulders. And the font issue persists. 

The actual race graphics could just have been a glitch in the stream, but there was a particularly long time during the race where the gaps between drivers did not appear. It’s not all bad, though — the “under investigation” and “penalty” graphics are a fantastic addition. I liked that I could keep track of who was penalized so I wouldn’t have to read the technical jargon of official Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, meaning the International Automobile Federation documents. 

Now to the actual race. 

I looked at the weather forecast with glee because rain always makes races exciting, or so I thought. I’m a Ferrari and Hamilton fan, so I was hoping for a masterclass in the rain a la Silverstone 2024 and 2008, but what I got was more akin to Brazil 2024. 

Let’s be objective: It was a boring race until it wasn’t. There wasn’t a barrage of overtaking, but when you combine rookies and rain, you’re bound to get spins, red flags and safety cars. My heart broke for Isack Hadjar when he spun  out before the race start, but seeing Anthony Hamilton, Lewis Hamiton’s dad, comforting Hadjar was heartwarming. Not sure we needed to see Hadjar cry all the way back to the garage, though — it felt excessive and invasive.

But he wasn’t the only rookie to crash out of the race; in fact, only two of the six rookies (including Liam Lawson) finished the race. Eighteen-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished in fourth; not a bad showing in his first race trying to fill the gaping hole left by Hamilton’s Ferrari exit. It wasn’t just the rookies though; Carlos Sainz Jr. also lost it in his Williams debut. Fernando Alonso, who has been racing since before seven drivers on the grid were born, also did not finish. 

Lando Norris won the race, and it should have been a one-two finish for McLaren. But despite being the reigning constructor’s astounding car development, the car manufacturer still carries its “shoulda, coulda, woulda” gene from last year. But hey, the car looks mighty fast. McLaren’s dominance could bore fans. Rolls eyes. 

It would seem that Norris has finally found the “mental strength” that Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and the “Formula 1: Drive To Survive” producers insist he needs to beat Verstappen. But even with his masterful drive, he made errors that could have cost him the win. He’s been in F1 for six seasons (this is his seventh) and these little mistakes ought to have been polished off by now. I hope he has what it takes to fight Verstappen for the driver’s title. And I mean a real fight, not whatever that manufactured drama was last season. I also hope he now realizes that all the championships Hamilton won aren’t just because he “only had to beat two drivers.” Norris has the fastest car by a country mile, and he better use it.  

Oh Oscar Piastri, dear Piastri. I wanted him to do well at his home race and was practically goading him to overtake Norris for first place. But life is cruel, and an ambitious move on a damp, already unforgiving track is all it takes to push you from a secure podium to the bottom of the heap.

Verstappen placed second and Lawson did not finish. Is the second Red Bull seat cursed? Who knows, but I hope Checo Pérez is living his best life giggling at his television. On a more serious note, I would like to see someone take the fight to Verstappen in the same car, but I doubt that will happen when he’s the face of the brand. Red Bull can’t afford to push him out of the door more than they already have. 

Ferrari. Will the horse ever prance again? Time will tell. But I’m happy to see the interesting strategy calls are alive and well (I’m not happy about the strategy. The disaster-class of a strategy almost sent me to Mars). What is going on with the communication? Why tell one driver that the rain will be light and only in one part of the track and tell the other that the rain will be heavy and all over and then somehow make the wrong strategy call for both? Are they not using the same weather radar? But that’s just one of the mishaps the Ferrari drivers and their engineers faced during the race. First, you had Charles Leclerc, the comedic genius.

Leclerc: Is there a leakage? 

Bryan Bozzi (his engineer): Leakage of what? 

Leclerc: I have the seat full of water. Like full of water.

Bozzi: Must be the … water.

Leclerc: Let’s add that to the words of wisdom.  

And then Hamilton tried so hard to gentle-parent Riccardo Adami, his engineer. It was truly a painful listen. Hamilton must have said, “Leave me to it, please” so many times the words turned to mush in his mouth. And would Adami leave him alone? No. He repeated the message about “overriding [drag reduction system] failure” so many times, even I know how to do it. To be fair, it’s their first race together, and Hamilton did spend 12 years with the same engineer beforehand, so it’ll take some time to adjust. But if Ferrari wants to win either of the championships, it needs to shape up quickly. 

Alexander Albon placed fifth in a Williams car that was held together by hopes, dreams and tape from last season. It was an impressive drive after a fantastic qualifying. James Vowles, what are you cooking? I’m happy that Williams has progressed beyond the very recent days of using an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of its car parts. 

Overall, not a bad race, but there are many questions yet to be answered. What is Ferrari’s true pace? Is Williams’ pace genuine? Will Nico Hülkenberg finally get that podium? He’s driven in 231 races without one. Will someone beat Verstappen to the driver’s title? How many laps will Bernd Mayländer, the safety car driver, lead? He’s at 20 so far. Whatever the case, we’re in for an exciting season, and I’ll be sat for the whole thing. 

China is up next — see you there.