Formula 1 75th anniversary kicked off with some music, reunions and all F1 drivers putting on a formal attire for the two-hour televised arena show held in London.
As reported by SMH, the F1 75 Live launch event was held at The O2 Arena on Tuesday night, February 18, with all 10 teams and 20 drivers present at the venue.
The event celebrated the 75-years of the sports along with teams revealing what cars their drivers will be driving in 2025.
Hosted by comedian and actor Jack Whiteball, the night had many memorable moments, some more tense than others.
Here are some highlights of F1 75 Live launch event:
Lewis Hamilton embraces Ferrari red
The seven-time champion, Lewis Hamilton arrived at the event in a red tie, marking the launch his biggest event since joining Ferrari.
During his appearance, Hamilton was asked to pick a word to describe his mood ahead of new season, to which he replied, "invigorated, because I feel so full of life and so much energy, because everything’s new."
The audience saw the British racer in full Ferrari suit with his teammate Charles Leclerc during the car reveal.
Verstappen and Russell never-ending drama
Max Verstappen and George Russell are still not on talking terms with each other, following the last season tension, which the host Whitehall made a direct reference to during his opening.
The Mercedes driver called Verstappen a "bully" in December, claiming that the four-time world champion had threatened to put his "f---ing head in the wall."
Verstappen responded to the claims by referring to Russell as "two-faced" and that he has no respect for the driver.
To the audience surprise, the comedian poked fun at a serious-looking Verstappen in his opening monologue, noting, "He is so excited to be here right now. Some drivers just want to drive…not this guy."
He added, "Cheer up, it could’ve been worse, we didn’t seat you next to George Russell."
Russell confirmed prior to the event that he has not talked to Verstappen since the finale in Abu Dhabi last season.
Fans boo FIA
The O2 Arena was filled with boos from fans when host, Laura Winter thanked the FIA, an international governing body of Motorsports.
The organisation received criticism in 2024 for several controversial decisions.
In October, after the Mexican Grand Prix, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner shared that regulations should be made clearer to drivers and their teams prior to race.
Swearing ban sparks criticism
In January, FIA announced that drivers could be fined heavily and even banned from the race if they used inappropriate language.
The issue became a huge controversy after Verstappen was ordered to complete community service for swearing at a press conference following a race in Singapore last year.
"I prefer not to speak about that, otherwise I’ll get in trouble," the Dutch driver said in a press conference after the F1 75 event.
The 27-year-old driver was backed by the renowned chef Gordon Ramsay, who attended the event following his partnership with Formula 1 for the F1 Garage.
The chef shared, "These athletes push themselves to the extreme, so sometimes if it comes out, let them be real…they are live every time."
Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls driver, also joked about the new penalties as he said, "I’ll try not to fudge up so that I don’t get fined."
Notably, the F1 75 Live launch event also had performances from number of artists including Machine Gun Kelly, Tems, and Take That.
