Refreshing new faces on the grid

»» The 2025 Formula One season has all the makings of a white-knuckle 24-race celebration to mark 75 years since the inaugural seven-race championship in 1950. Here AFP Sport looks at five talking points before the season gets underway in Australia on Sunday.

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Fifth title for Verstappen?

► Seventy-five years after Giuseppe Farina claimed the first F1 world championship at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo, Max Verstappen (above) embarks on the 2025 season in pursuit of a fifth successive title, a feat only achieved once before, by Michael Schumacher.

► If he succeeds it will cement the Dutchman's place as a titan of the sport.

He hoovered up seven of the first 10 races in his rampaging Red Bull last year, before a 10-race winless run as McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari ran riot.

► But Verstappen had the last word, fighting back to win in Brazil and clinch title number four with two races to spare.

► McLaren prised the constructors championship away from Red Bull to seal their long road back to the F1 summit.

▶ The tough task facing Verstappen is underlined by the betting, which has him as the only second favourite behind Norris (who ended last season 63 points behind) for the 2025 crown.

Can Hamilton make magic?

► Lewis Hamilton (above) is convinced he can help Ferrari win a first drivers' championship since 2007 after the seven-time world champion made the move to Italy.

► At 40, the Briton seems full of youthful enthusiasm for the new challenge.

➤ "The passion here is like nothing you've ever seen. They've got absolutely every ingredient they need to win a world championship and it's just about putting all the pieces together," he said.

FIA in drivers' crosshairs