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      ‘I’m about to cry’ – Fans praise Lewis Hamilton’s dad for classy gesture as he consoles F1 rookie after debut crash

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      FANS fell in love with Lewis Hamilton’s dad Anthony after spotting his classy gesture during the Australia Grand Prix.The Formula One season opener was hit by chaos as six cars crashed out in the changeable conditions.Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar crashed out of the formation lap of the Australian Grand PrixCredit: ReutersBut Anthony Hamilton was there to comfort the tearful 20-year-old after the incidentCredit: X @SkySportsF1Fans said they were going to cry at the heartfelt gestureCredit: X @SkySportsF1Hadjar blasted his own ’embarrassing’ error but said he appreciated the gestureCredit: GettyThis included Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar, who after impressing with P11 in qualifying ended up crashing out on the formation lap.The 20-year-old was visibly distraught after the crash and burst into tears trackside.But when he made it back to the paddock Anthony Hamilton was there to console him. Hamilton Snr could be seen giving the youngster, two years younger than Lewis was when he made his debut, a hug as they then carried on walking.READ MORE IN F1Spotting the interaction on social media, one fan said: “No way… Honestly I’m about to cry… sorry for him..Anthony Hamilton speaking to Hadjar.”A second said: “Papa Hamilton comforting Hadjar, I’m going to cry.”A third added: “Man that made me cry… Mr. Anthony Hamilton, what a kind soul you have.”Another said: “Seeing Isack cry while Anthony Hamilton comforts him is making me wanna bawl my eyes out.”Most read in MotorsportJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSHadjar is known to be a huge fan of Hamilton, and revealed he appreciated the gesture. He revealed the words of wisdom Hamilton delivered to him, saying: “Just keep your head high. I think he knows what tough times are and I think he sees a rookie putting it in the wall on not even lap one, he knows how tough it feels.”He came to comfort me, I think it was a really nice gesture from him. But nevertheless it feels really hard and I feel really sorry for the team.”Lewis Hamilton blasts ‘big opportunity missed’ after Ferrari strategy blunder at F1 Australia Grand PrixHamilton Snr was reported as saying: “When I saw what happened to Isack my heart fell. I went to him and treated him like a father.”Despite the brilliant gesture, Hadjar was bitterly disappointed with his own performance, blasting the mistake as “embarrassing”.“I just lost the rear-end of the car, these cars in these conditions, they snap so fast, and it’s unsavable, couldn’t get the grip back.“I knew it was going to be tricky, on the laps to the grid I knew it’d be tricky. I’m sorry for the team right now, my close ones watching the race… it’s just embarrassing.”The chaotic race Down Under was eventually won by Lando Norris, whose drive was described as one of his “all-time greats” by Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle.Norris had lost the lead after going off track but managed to salvage his race to edge out Max Verstappen.Meanwhile, Ferrari suffered a disaster as they pitted their two drivers late on and dropped from a double podium to P8 and P10.READ MORE SUN STORIESHamilton was particularly critical of the move, swearing on the radio after saying the team had “missed a big opportunity”.The stars will go again in a week at the Chinese Grand Prix. More

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      ‘Just leave me to it’ – Lewis Hamilton in X-rated blast at engineer after Ferrari gaffe blows Australian GP chances

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      FUMING Lewis Hamilton swore down his team radio after a Ferrari strategy blunder blew his chances of Australian Grand Prix glory.Hamilton had scored P8 in qualifying on his debut for the Scuderia.Lewis Hamilton swore down the radio after Ferrari’s colossal strategy blunder during a rain showerCredit: GettyHamilton had been leading the race before he had to come in to change to wet tyresCredit: Getty More

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      ‘All-time greats’ – Lando Norris pips Max Verstappen in epic Australian GP after SIX drivers KO’d and Hamilton blunder

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      LANDO NORRIS won a thrilling season opener in Melbourne after SIX drivers were KO’d and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton gamble went horribly wrong.The McLaren driver held onto the lead by the skin of his teeth as Max Verstappen pulled it out the bag to finish a whisker behind him in second. Lando Norris won a chaotic Australian Grand PrixCredit: GettyNorris celebrated the win with his mumCredit: AFPNorris celebrates following his thrilling winCredit: EPANorris finished just ahead of VerstappenCredit: EPAThe wet conditions saw six cars crash outCredit: GettyLewis Hamilton had a Ferrari debut to forget as he finished P10Credit: AFPHamilton was fuming with his race engineerCredit: GettyThe other McLaren, Oscar Piastri, suffered a nightmare ending having been hot on team-mate Norris’ heels throughout before spinning off the track and onto the grass with 11 laps to go. It meant Verstappen overtook him and Piastri finished in ninth after starting the race in second after a front row lock-out for reigning Constructors’ champs McLaren.After the Piastri chaos, Lewis Hamilton was leading the race on his debut for Ferrari as the Italian team gambled by not pitting him and his team-mate Charles Leclerc.  But it did not pay off as Verstappen pitted and hunted them down on fresh tyres, forcing them into the pits for a changeover. READ MORE IN F1The fuming seven-time world champion gave his race engineer Riccardo Adami a tongue lashing, swearing on his radio after Ferrari dropped down the positions and he finished in ninth while Leclerc settled for eighth. At one point Adami was trying to give Hamilton information about DRS but he says on his team radio: “Leave it guys, leave it. I’m learning the car as I go mate, just leave me to it with the DRS. It’s not an issue.”Earlier on in the race, Hamilton asked: “Tell me where I’m slow I’m having a hard time.”British Mercedes driver George Russell made it onto the podium in third and Alex Albon came in fourth in his Williams. Most read in MotorsportJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSTo rub salt in the wounds for Hamilton, Lance Stroll also finished ahead of him in sixth for Aston Martin. SIX drivers did not finish the drama-filled race, including Isack Hadjar, Jack Doohan, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Gabriel Bortoleto and Liam Lawson. ‘Shock to the system’ – Lewis Hamilton makes surprise admission about progress in Ferrari car ahead of wet Australian GPRB rookie Hadjar crashed on the formation lap before he even started and was left crying with his head in his hands before Lewis Hamilton’s dad comforted him. “Ooof, little bit of pressure! Well done boys, beautifully handled.”Executed to the second. One second later and we were done. Well done everyone, congrats, amazing way to start the year.”Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle called it one of Norris’ “all-time great” drives.After his disappointing debut, Hamilton said: “It was very tricky and went a lot worse than I thought it would go. The car was really, really hard to drive today.”For me, I’m just grateful I kept it out of the wall because that’s where it wanted to go most of the time.”A lot to take from it and just getting acclimatised with the new power unit in the wet conditions.READ MORE SUN STORIES”The settings it requires are different, and a different way of driving and a different set-up on the steering wheel.”I hung out as long as I could, got in the lead at one point. Just the guidance with how much more rain was coming, was missing there, so I think we missed out.” More

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      ‘Shock to the system’ – Lewis Hamilton makes surprise admission about progress in Ferrari car ahead of wet Australian GP

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      LEWIS HAMILTON joked that he doesn’t even know where the wet switch is on his new Ferrari with Melbourne’s race set for rain. The seven-time world champion is struggling to get to grips with his new car as he finished a disappointing eighth in his first qualifying session of the season for the Italian team. Lewis Hamilton fears a nightmare Ferrari race debut in the wetCredit: GettyHamilton managed P8 after a tough qualifying sessionCredit: AFPHamilton spun during Q2 as he got to grips with his new machineryCredit: GettyAll eyes are on the 40-year-old as his hunt for an elusive, record eighth driver’s title kicks off in Albert Park this Sunday.  He is adjusting to Ferrari’s power unit having only driven with Mercedes power throughout his career, including during his six-years at McLaren between 2007 and 2012. Hamilton said: “Honestly, I thought I was further along than I was and then I got here. “After FP1 I was like, jeez, I’ve still got a way to go. There’s still a ton of tools and the engineers are popping up like ‘hey, what about this?’ I’ve never tried that what does it do?READ MORE IN F1“There’s one thing saying it, but actually going out and feeling it. We did some good work trying to move the car forward. “When you have a problem in the car and you come in, normally when you’ve got the experience you can say, ‘this is where I want to go with it’, but I don’t know which tool to use at the moment. “I’m heavily reliant for the first time on my engineers. They’ve done a great job, but in the past I would say, this is what I want. That setting, this setting, and I can’t do that anymore. “I don’t even know where the wet switch is really. I don’t know which buttons I’m going to switch towards tomorrow. So, that’s going to be new.”Most read in MotorsportJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSHamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc only managed one place better in seventh despite looking strong in the practice sessions. It is 1-0 to the Monegasque in their qualifying head-to-head, with Leclerc out-qualifying his new team-mate by two tenths of a second in the end. Behind the scenes in Australia GP paddock including F1 star Lewis Hamilton’s new Ferrari baseHamilton added: “It’s going to be for the first time in the wet, in an uncomfortable position in this car. “I think it’s going to be a shock to the system when I get out there, but I’m going to be learning on the fly, and just giving it everything.“We’re just improving every single lap, session on session. Big learning curve this weekend. “The car was so much different from the moment I left the pit lane just feeling so much different than I’ve ever experienced here.”It’s been a much slower process to really build confidence in the car. If you look at the high speed everywhere, I’ve been down all weekend.“Charles just had it from the get go. From the minute he went out, he knew what the car does. For me, I was just building up to that through the weekend.”F1 Australia results1. Lando Norris (McLaren)2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)4. George Russell (Mercedes)5. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls)6. Alex Albon (Williams)7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)8. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)10. Carlos Sainz (Williams)11. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)14. Jack Doohan (Alpine)15. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)16. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)17. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)18. Liam Lawson (Red Bull)19. Esteban Ocon (Haas)20. Oliver Bearman (Haas) More

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      Ollie Bearman suffers worst possible start to F1 season as Lewis Hamilton struggles for Ferrari

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      OLLIE BEARMAN suffered a nightmare start to the season with a huge crash in the first practice while Lewis Hamilton struggled for Ferrari.The British 19-year-old, who was born in Chelmsford, was unhurt in the crash at Melbourne’s Albert Park track but failed to make it out for the second session. Ollie Bearman suffered a nightmare debut for Haas in AustraliaCredit: RexBearman took too much speed into Turn 10 with his Haas and went off trackCredit: AFPAfter driving over the gravel trap he then lost control and smashed into the wall, ending his Friday runningCredit: AFPThe force of the impact saw a wheel fly off his carCredit: @F1Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton struggled for competitive pace with FerrariCredit: RexBearman lost control at Turn 10 and spun into the wall in what is his first full season in the sport having signed with Haas last summer. The car looked wrecked in the aftermath, with parts flying off and the right, front tyre hanging on by a thread, prompting a red flag.Charles Leclerc outshone his Ferrari team-mate Hamilton as he topped Friday’s final session. The McLarens were looking sharp once again, with Oscar Piastri finishing second and Lando Norris in third.READ MORE IN F1Norris led the first practice session while Hamilton struggled, placing 12th and grumbling about the handling issues on the car. When Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur was asked about Hamilton, he said: “We have something like 150 sessions over the year, so this is just the beginning of the story.”We just have to focus on it and forget about the world around us and work as a team. “But honestly, when he’s in the briefing room, he’s fully focused on the objective and he knows the job perfectly, and he has to build relationships with the team. Most read in MotorsportJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS”That’s not a long process, but it’s a process we have to follow. We are on that path. “We shouldn’t expect too much from the first session – that’s not the target. Lewis Hamilton recreates amazing Ferrari scene from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ as fans demand he wins an Oscar “We know we have a long way to go, and honestly, we did a good step compared to last year and I have a good feeling.”Hamilton later managed P5 in the second practice session, but was still over four-tenths slower than Leclerc.Meanwhile, world champion Max Verstappen only managed P5 and P7, with the second session seeing his Red Bull go slower than sister team drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar.F1 2025 gridHere are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam LawsonFerrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis HamiltonMercedes: George Russell and Kimi AntonelliMcLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar PiastriAston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance StrollWilliams: Alex Albon and Carlos SainzSauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel BortoletoAlpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack DoohanRB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack HadjarHaas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon More

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      Major changes to Australian Grand Prix circuit confirmed ahead of F1 opener after George Russell’s terrifying crash

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      FORMULA ONE’S season-opener in Australia has undergone some major changes since last season.The 2025 F1 calendar raises the curtain Down Under in Melbourne for the first time since 2019 ahead of a highly-anticipated season.The Australian Grand Prix has made major changes to the circuit after two huge crashes last yearCredit: AFPMercedes’ George Russell was left stranded in the middle of the track after his car flipped when hitting a kerbCredit: AFPAlex Albon was also put out of the race after hitting the wall and skidding back into the middle of the trackCredit: GettyRussell said the moves were positiveCredit: RexBig narratives include Lewis Hamilton making his debut for Ferrari while six rookies – including teen millionaire Ollie Bearman – also take to the grid.However, there have also been changes made to the circuit itself in Australia.The 2024 race was as dramatic as they come with Max Verstappen’s brakes catching on fire before Carlos Sainz swept home to win the race following surgery on his appendix.But George Russell and Alex Albon suffered huge crashes at the same part of the track, with Russell’s Mercedes flipping violently before coming to a halt on its side while Albon’s Williams slid into the middle of the track following a big shunt against the wall.READ MORE IN F1Both incidents forced a red flag, but measures have been taken for this year’s race to try and ensure the same incidents do not happen again.This year Albert Park chiefs have done major work to Turns 6 and 7, where the crashes happened.The first change has seen the barrier moved and angled differently to stop a car bouncing back into the track.Sections of the kerbing have been slightly flattened to reduce the risk of potential instability caused by the bumps.Most read in MotorsportCheltenham Festival betting offers and free betsMeanwhile, adjustments have also been made to the gravel traps by bringing them closer to the kerbs.Russell said the changes were a positive following his terrifying crash last year.Martin Brundle’s most-awkward Formula 1 grid moments from Cara Delevingne to Ozzy OsbourneHe told reporters: “Yeah, I know there’s been changes to the circuit through that corner. “There’s been a few big crashes there and obviously that was, yeah, it was a big one in itself. I’m fortunate I didn’t get collected. Afterwards I think the duty lies on the FIA, to be honest. “In this regard, I think the people around the circuit have done everything they can to make that corner slightly better if you were to have a crash so…  “You know, it’s part of racing, it’s the dangers that we involve ourselves with. “It’s when you push the limits and you’re going for everything, it sometimes bites. But I trust the team.”An FIA spokesperson also explained the changes made after taking on board proposed changes from the FIA Safety Department.They said: “The kerb at the exit of Turn 6 through entry and apex of Turn 7 has been replaced with a single specification of negative kerb.”This adjustment removes the transition from negative to positive kerb that was present in this area, which previously had been addressed by local modification (grinding) of the kerb to provide a smoother transition between kerb types. “The intent is to remove the possibility of this transition destabilising a car.”Additionally, the gravel trap now extends to the back of the kerb and the barrier on the left-hand side of Turn 7 has also been moved and re-profiled to mitigate the possibility of a car coming to rest in a position near the racing line following an impact with the energy absorbing barrier in this area.”READ MORE SUN STORIESThe weather forecast for the Australian GP has sunny skies for practice and qualifying across Friday and Saturday.However, the race on Sunday has a more than 80 per cent chance of being struck by rain, which would really throw the cat amongst the pigeons considering the other variables already in play.F1 2025 gridHere are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam LawsonFerrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis HamiltonMercedes: George Russell and Kimi AntonelliMcLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar PiastriAston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance StrollWilliams: Alex Albon and Carlos SainzSauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel BortoletoAlpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack DoohanRB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack HadjarHaas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban OconCHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2025 LIVE: LATEST TIPS AND RESULTS FROM THE GREATEST SHOW ON TURF More

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      Lewis Hamilton recreates amazing Ferrari scene from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ as fans demand he wins an Oscar

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has left fans stunned after showing off his acting skills.Ahead of Formula One’s Australian Grand Prix this Sunday, where Hamilton will become the 13th Briton to drive for Ferrari, the 40-year-old was able to fulfil “another dream”.Lewis Hamilton starred in an edited video from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day OffHamilton starred as a valet who takes a Ferrari for a joyrideHamilton’s skills saw fans call on him to win an OscarHe was seen with a face of excitement as the Ferrari flew through the airHamilton was joined in the scene by Oscar-winner Edward NortonHamilton will make his F1 debut for Ferrari at this weekend’s Australian Grand PrixCredit: RexTaking to social media, Hamilton shared a video from what he describes as “one of my favourite movies since I was a kid,” Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.In line with his new employers, a scene with a Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder was seen playing, before Hamilton was remarkably seen edited into the footage.The seven-time F1 world champion starred as a valet who takes the Ferrari for a joyride.Hamilton steals the scene when making his appearance wearing a jumpsuit before appearing stunned when he is asked if he speaks English, to which he replies: “What country do you think this is?”READ MORE IN F1When he is asked to take care of the car, he says: “Hey, no problem. Trust me.”He is then seen getting in the car and saying, “You fellas have nothing to worry about, I’m a professional,” before driving off.The next scene shows him driving around to pick up his friend, who is later shown to be Oscar winner Edward Norton.Hamilton and Norton are seen in the next scene flying through the air, with the former Mercedes and McLaren driver showing a wide-eyed enthusiasm while Norton appears more scared than anything.Most read in MotorsportCheltenham Festival betting offers and free betsThe clip then cuts to black to show a quote from Hamilton highlighted in blue text reading: “For all the kids out there who dream the impossible.”The video then ends with Hamilton and Norton returning the car before giddily shuffling backwards, with the final words of the scene saying: “We got to do this again sometime.”Inside Lewis Hamilton’s first day at Ferrari as he instantly surprises new bosses at first official day of F1 testing Captioning the post, Hamilton said: “No better way to start the season than by fulfilling another dream.”Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has been one of my favourite movies since I was a kid. This is to pay homage to the iconic film and to celebrate my first season with Ferrari. “It definitely took a lot of cutting edge tech, production and planning to get right. Had to get the exact car too … it’s been a dream car since seeing the movie. “Shout out to the legendary @edwardnortonofficial for coming along for the ride 😂 This is the energy and excitement I’m bringing to the track this year. ANDIAMO !!”Brought to you by @dawnapollofilms & Large Eyes. Special thanks to Paramount Pictures and everyone who helped make this happen.”Dawn Apollo Films is a film and TV production company launched by Hamilton back in 2022, and is one of the teams behind the F1 movie coming out later this year starring Brad Pitt.Fans loved Hamilton’s role in the clip, and bemoaned the fact he had narrowly missed out on the date for Oscar season – doubtless because he would have swept the field.One fan said: “And the Oscar (not Piastri) goes to.”A second said: “We need to get this man in Fast and Furious.”A third added: “Ok this is amazing.”Another said: “The absolute best thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”A fifth said: “The best thing on the internet.”Hamilton has made no secret of his desire to eventually branch into acting when he retires from F1.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe currently has voice credits in the Pixar animated movie series Cars and Zoolander 2, while also starring in the popular video game, Fortnite and in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.Hamilton was also asked to star in Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick, but could not find a way to make it align with his schedule, admitting the decision “broke his heart”.CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2025 LIVE: LATEST TIPS AND RESULTS FROM THE GREATEST SHOW ON TURFF1 2025 gridHere are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam LawsonFerrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis HamiltonMercedes: George Russell and Kimi AntonelliMcLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar PiastriAston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance StrollWilliams: Alex Albon and Carlos SainzSauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel BortoletoAlpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack DoohanRB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack HadjarHaas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon More

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      Meet F1 2025 rookies including star gifted first go-kart by Michael Schumacher and Brit teen who’s already a millionaire

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      FOR the first time since 2010, SIX rookies will grace the Formula One grid this season.The 2025 F1 season is sure to have it’s fair share of dramatic narratives.The F1 2025 grid has six rookies this year, the most since 2010Credit: GettyThese will range from Lewis Hamilton’s first year at Ferrari, McLaren’s bid to win a drivers title for Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri and how Red Bull will recover from their poor season last time out.However, six rookies coming to the grid is one of the most interesting storylines in itself with each of them having bags of talent shown throughout their careers in the junior categories of motor racing.However, they are also as diverse as they come, with some stepping into huge shoes at top teams and others already having F1 racing experience behind them.Below we take a look at each of F1’s 2025 rookies.READ MORE IN F1Kimi Antonelli – Italian born 2006 – MercedesKimi Antonelli is named after F1 royalty and has the nigh-on impossible task of replacing Lewis Hamilton at MercedesCredit: RexKimi Antonelli is the son of former racing driver Marco and was named after former world champion Kimi Raikkonen. He joined the Mercedes junior programme at the age of 11.The teen – who will run the number 12 and says his spirit animal is a lion – only passed his driving test in January of this year, but has impressed in the junior categories. This included a stunning wet Silverstone F3 test which saw him run four seconds quicker than any of his rivals. But his first test in an F1 car during last season’s Italian Grand Prix saw him crash into the barriers.Mercedes have handed Antonelli more than 5,500 miles of private testing to boost his preparation for a move into F1 after being asked to fill the boots of Hamilton at the team.Most read in MotorsportCheltenham Festival betting offers and free betsOllie Bearman – Brit born 2005 – HaasOllie Bearman is already a millionaire after three successful sub appearances in F1 in 2024Credit: RexOllie Bearman became the first Brit to race in the Scarlet Red of Ferrari in the 21st century when he finished P7 on his super-sub debut at last season’s Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.He later made two more substitute appearances for Haas before securing a permanent seat based off of those appearances, although he endured a torrid time in F2 when not showing his pace in an F1 car.Moment Toto Wolff gets set to break Lewis Hamilton promise in behind-the-scenes clip on Netflix’s Drive to SurviveBearman turns 20 in May but is already estimated to have a net worth of more than £1m, as estimated from figures of his firm OBR Management Ltd.He joined the Ferrari academy at the age of 16 and races under the number 87. Bearman also astonishingly failed his driving test the first time he took it. His spirit animal is suitably a bear.Gabriel Bortoleto – Brazilian born 2004 – SauberGabriel Bortoleto is one of only four drivers to win back-to-back F3 and F2 championshipsCredit: RexGabriel Bortoleto arguably has the biggest racing credentials out of any of the 2025 rookies as he is one of only four drivers – with Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Piastri – to win back-to-back F3 and F2 titles.Bortoleto admits his racing career was saved by Fernando Alonso when the two-time world champion sponsored him in 2022 before he was snapped up by the McLaren development programme a year later.They allowed Bortoleto, who says his favourite movie is Interstellar and his favourite TV show is Peaky Blinders, to then join Sauber for this season, with McLaren chief Zak Brown calling him a “great racing driver”.Bortoleto – whose spirit animal is a lion – will race with the number 5 in F1 this season. His father, Lincoln, is the co-founder of one of the biggest Internet providers in world, Americanet following a merger with Vero in 2023.Jack Doohan – Australian born 2003 – AlpineJack Doohan was gifted his first ever go-kart by legend Michael SchumacherCredit: GettyJack Doohan has been placed under an incredible amount of pressure early in his F1 career with reports suggesting a poor start could see him removed from the seat, which has seen team boss Oliver Oakes praise Doohan for his “punchy” response to the speculation.Doohan is the son of five-time MotoGP world champion Mick, who admits he tried to keep him away from motorsport for a year when he was 11 before he was forced to give in.F1 2025 gridHere are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam LawsonFerrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis HamiltonMercedes: George Russell and Kimi AntonelliMcLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar PiastriAston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance StrollWilliams: Alex Albon and Carlos SainzSauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel BortoletoAlpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack DoohanRB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack HadjarHaas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban OconHe was gifted his first-ever kart by none other than seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and eventually joined the Alpine Academy in 2022.Doohan, who will race with the number 7 in 2025 and who says his spirit animal is either a kangaroo or koala, replaced Esteban Ocon in last season’s season finale at Abu Dhabi to make his debut.Isack Hadjar – Frenchman born 2004 – Racing BullsIsack Hadjar has already been praised for his ‘god-like’ reflexes in F2Credit: RexIsack Hadjar is different from many of his peers in that his parents do not have any sort of background in motorsport.Born into an Algerian family of physicians and physicists, he only gained an interest in cars because his dad was a kart mechanic and after watching the Pixar animation Cars.Hadjar was praised for his “god-like” reflexes in F2 last year when he managed to avoid a collision in the Monaco tunnel when a car ahead of him was around a blind corner.Hadjar – who says his spirit animal is a gorilla – won more races than any other driver in F2 last season but was pipped to the title by Bortoleto. He will race with the number 6 for this season in F1.Liam Lawson – New Zealander born 2003 – Red BullLiam Lawson’s parents had to sell his house to fund his racing careerCredit: GettyLiam Lawson is a weird case when it comes to being rookie since he already has 11 races in F1 under his belt, yet the Kiwi has never started a season so can be considered a rookie for all intents and purposes.Lawson’s parents had to sell their house to fund his racing career while he never officially finished high school as he went to pursue his dream instead.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe only became a motorsport fanatic after watching his dad race in karts at the age of six, although Lawson actually cried after the first time he fired up a go-kart when the engine started. Like Hadjar, Lawson is huge Cars fan, and will race with the number 30 this season as he attempts to tame the role of being Max Verstappen’s team-mate. More