F1 2025 car launches: When is each new car launched ahead of the new season? – PlanetF1

November 17, 2025 admin

The event will see all 20 drivers take to the stage.
History will be made ahead of the F1 2025 season, as all 10 teams will unveil their new liveries on the same evening at London’s O2 Arena.
Beyond that, however, some teams have already announced their own standalone car launches ahead of the 2025 season, which are set to show off the cars in more detail.
When teams perform a car launch, they claim to be launching their new car in full for the year (though some look to deceive their rivals with what is unveiled), and a livery launch simply pulls the covers off the new colour scheme on the next cars, with the updated paintwork placed on either a show car or previous model from the team.
Traditionally, car launches have taken place in Formula 1 ahead of the new season as a big part of showcasing a team’s new cars in front of the media and their sponsors, as well as being able to speak to the drivers ahead of the new year.
What is confirmed is the special season launch event at The O2 in London on February 18 will see all 10 teams, all 20 drivers and a full arena of fans showcase each team’s liveries for the F1 2025 season.
It’s likely, though, that these liveries will be placed on show cars or 2024 cars, as opposed to revealing their actual F1 2025 challengers.
Some teams have already confirmed their own separate car launch for the 2025 season which will likely offer a closer look at their ‘real’ cars instead, and it is not guaranteed that every team will have a separate launch after the unveiling at The O2.
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Though those with a technical eye look for as many clues as possible at car launches, spotting as many features as they can on new cars, there has been a long history of Formula 1 car launches featuring models that are potentially not quite the full planned specification.
This is because other teams are always looking at what their rivals put out to the world – and those launching cars are looking to hide their best innovations for themselves, to try and gain an advantage.
It is not mandatory for a team to unveil their cars separately to the launch event at The O2, but a couple have confirmed they will be doing so already – while others may opt to pull the covers off their 2025 challengers at pre-season testing in Bahrain.
McLaren didn’t technically ‘confirm’ a separate launch for the MCL39, rather they decided to surprise the Formula 1 world and show it to the world without warning, after a filming day run at Silverstone.
Launched in a camouflage livery in papaya and black, the real livery would not be confirmed until the O2 Arena unveiling, but they managed to beat their rivals to the punch in showing their 2025 car off for the first time.
Williams announced they will be launching the FW47 on Valentine’s Day, and they will be hoping it will be a love story between Carlos Sainz and his new machinery as he arrives at the team.
He joins Alex Albon at Williams on a multi-year deal for the new season, with the team set to unveil their new car in a one-off colour scheme before their real 2025 livery is revealed in London four days later.
A day after the London event, Ferrari will head back to Italy with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to unveil their latest challenger – the first with Hamilton in red.
Aston Martin will take in a Sunday launch of the AMR25, unveiling their new challenger virtually before the car takes to the track for the first time on Monday 24 February in a shakedown run in Bahrain.
In the lead-up to pre-season testing, Mercedes confirmed they will be holding a separate launch of the W16 on Monday 24th February, with a filming day in Bahrain to follow the day after as it gets its first running.
Kimi Antonelli joins George Russell with the Silver Arrows for his first season as a Formula 1 driver, stepping up after a single season in Formula 2.
McLaren: February 13
Williams: February 14
F1 2025 season launch: February 18
Ferrari: February 19
Aston Martin: February 23
Mercedes: February 24
Red Bull: TBC
Alpine: TBC
Haas: TBC
Racing Bulls: TBC
Sauber: TBC
Pre-season testing in Bahrain takes place between February 26-28.
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