Formula 1 2025

The Game Room
181

I subscribed to F1 TV at the start of the year (I’m in the US), and I’ve been delighted with it. For $85 I’ve been able to stream all the sessions, practice, qualifying, sprint, races, etc. And there’s tons of extra stuff I haven’t bothered to watch.

So when I got an e-mail from them saying it wouldn’t be available next year, and that Apple TV would be the exclusive provider, I was dismayed. Until I realized that I get Apple TV free because I use T-Mobile for my cell carrier. Hooray!

And F1 TV is apparently going to be integrated with Apple TV, so the experience for me shouldn’t change that much. I hope.

Here’s a video I found about the F1/Apple TV deal:

Except that apparently F1 is going down the drain next year because of all the rule changes. This guy, and several other YouTubers I found, seem to think that the changes are going to destroy the sport.

This is their summary of the video:>

F1 says 2026 will be “lighter, safer, more competitive.” Drivers who’ve tried it say the opposite. In this deep dive, we cut through the PR and show exactly why the new rules could break the sport’s rhythm—and its soul.

Here’s what’s REALLY changing. The ICE drops to ~400 kW while the MGU-K jumps to 350 kW—a 50/50 split that makes energy harvesting and battery management the new lap time king. The MGU-H is gone, which means less efficiency, more dependency on brake regen, and a far bigger penalty if hybrid systems fail. Drivers have already sounded the alarm: Leclerc called his sim run “not enjoyable,” Verstappen warned about flat-out downshifts and power fade, Sainz says complexity explodes, Albon compares the racecraft to Formula E.

Then there’s the active aero switcheroo: “X-mode” for corners, “Z-mode” for straights, plus a new manual override to juice electrical power when you’re within range—replacing DRS with battery chess. The FIA even scaled back its own downforce targets mid-process, a quiet admission that the concept was overcooked.

We break down the energy math, driver workload, aero logic, and the financial hypocrisy behind a cost-cap jump that makes “sustainability” look suspiciously expensive. Bold predictions? Reliability chaos, a manufacturer head-start, and a 2014-style imbalance—all while the soundtrack and driving rhythm drift even further from the visceral F1 we loved.

182

Every time there’s a major rule change, everyone screams “it’s the end of F1!”

183

I haven’t watched any Sky coverage this year as I bought the F1 TV package. Don’t really miss it, other than perhaps Karun Chandhok. I do realize that Ruth Buscombe has the same (poor) fashion sense as Danick Patrick, but knows a hell of a lot more about F1 than Danica. And I think Hinchcliffe does a much better straightforward job at the grid walk.

I wonder if the Apple deal will include access to archived seasons that the F1 TV has. It’s kind of nice to pull up and watch races from twenty years ago.

184

Ooh! I have F1 TV and didn’t know I could do that!

185

From what I’ve gathered, F1TV isn’t going away or changing, except you’ll log in through an Apple account. If that’s wrong, it’s been a good few years watching F1. I’ll survive - WEC is still around.

186

F1TV Pro is going away, so a lot of timing data will be unavailable and you’ll no longer be able to select your own camera. F1TV Premium will continue. I have only had a Pro subscription to this point so I can’t comment on whether Premium is any good.

187

Interesting qualifying session and outcome in Mexico City. Might even result in a good race today, for both the win and for championship points.

188

Does the next rules package keep the cars the same size? I saw an analysis somewhere that showed how F1 cars have been gradually getting bigger over the years. I think the claim was that overtaking would be easier, and the racing more exciting, with smaller cars.

It’s an interesting idea, but I don’t know if they could shrink them without compromising safety.

189

Cars will be 200mm shorter and 100mm thinner (8" and 4" in freedom units) and 30kg (65lbs) lighter.
Also: some active aerodynamics (I think including the front wing), push-to-pass, and less power from the ICE but more electrical power and recharge.

Smaller cars definitely seem to make for more interesting racing, even in spec series like Formula E. Two wide around the Monaco hairpin is a sight to see.

190

Interesting; thank you. It doesn’t seem like much, but I understand they probably don’t want to make a huge change from one spec to the next. Maybe the trend will continue.

191

Have the Stewards lost their minds???

192

The way this race has gone, could you narrow that query down a bit?

193

I’ll wait till it’s over.

194

A very interesting race. Happy for lando. Really impressed with Bearman! Im sad for Ham, but I agree with his penalty. I do NOT agree that max didn’t get a penalty, but he did put up a good charge at the end. The VSC at the end was confusing, but Id rather leclerc beat Max, so I’m not too upset about it.

195

I pretty much agree with all of that. I think Lewis was too harshly punished. 5 seconds would have been enough.

The VSC was a seriously let down. Kinda ruined what was looking like a great finish. The irony is that Carlos saved Ferrari’s bacon.

196

Yes, it would have been nice to see Max make the attempt at the pass. There was a ten lap build up to that, and no payoff for the viewers.

197

By rule, Hamilton should have received a penalty. But so should Max and Charles. I really prefer the MotoGP system where the stewards just tell the rider to give back the position instead of guessing whether there’s going to be a penalty.

198

Oh good, I thought I was taking crazy pills that Hamilton got a penalty but Verstappen and LeClerc didn’t. Hell, on the corner Hamilton cut, Verstappen ended up off the track too (funny how he can’t keep it on track in Mexico against a competitor). From the announcers, 10 seconds is the standard now for gaining an advantage off track, no more 5 second penalties. Chaotic race, though, to be sure.

199

I think this is what happened with Max on the first corner. He was ahead of George but let the other two pass him. Now, what happened later, I got nuthin’.

It was fairly entertaining.

200

It was entertaining.

He also forced Hamilton off later with his patented “I’m going to release the brake and force the other guy off the road, then call it an overtake” move.