Images: Getty Images
The O2 welcomed a landmark event for Formula 1 yesterday (Tuesday) evening, as the motorsport championship staged its first-ever season launch harnessing what was claimed to be the largest LED screen ever utilised at the London arena.
First announced in November, F1 75 was also intended to mark Formula 1’s 75th anniversary with over 15,000 fans in attendance at what was a sold-out event at The O2. While teams have traditionally staged their own launch events, and continue to do so, yesterday’s gathering brought together all 10 teams, their 20 drivers, and team principals, with each outfit given their own dedicated presentation slot.
The evening featured the unveiling of the 2025 season liveries from Alpine, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Haas, Kick Sauber, McLaren, Mercedes, Racing Bulls, Red Bull, and Williams, with the presentations also featuring on-stage interviews.
The event featured performances from Machine Gun Kelly, Kane Brown and Take That, with Formula 1 claiming that it registered a peak of 1.1 million concurrent viewers watching live on its official YouTube channel, with 4.6 million total viewers on YouTube across the live broadcast.
The event also showcased the F1 movie. Due for release in June, the film has had significant buy-in from Formula 1. Aside from Lewis Hamilton – who was at the forefront of filming in a producer role – other drivers on the grid, all 10 teams, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and race promoters were all involved, allowing director Joseph Kosinski unprecedented access to the sport.
F1 75 saw the largest LED screen ever used at The O2, stretched across the width of the venue, while hidden beneath it was a garage-style door, which opened to introduce each team’s drivers for the 2025 season.
The cars were suspended up to eight metres in the air, and above that a flying LED screen, embedded with dynamic lighting effects, was utilised throughout the night. The event was delivered by Brian Burke of BrianBurkeCreative, alongside Stufish Entertainment Architects, DX7 Design, and production company 1826. Burke and his team previously delivered the opening and closing ceremonies for F1’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023.
With the 2025 season due to commence with the Australian GP in Melbourne on March 14-16, it is currently unclear whether yesterday’s event will be a one-off for Formula 1, or a concept that may be pursued on a longer term basis.
Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1, said: “Tonight was an amazing event and a huge success. As a sport we did something together that has never been done in the history of F1 before. We are always celebrating and respecting our incredible history while looking to the future to engage new fans around the globe.
“We had a packed O2 arena, passionate fans sharing their love and excitement for the sport here in person and watching around the world. We saw all the drivers and team principals on stage alongside great music and entertainment. We are now excited for the season ahead and what is set to be a great battle in the track for the ultimate prize in motorsport.”
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