The strange failure of F1 rivals to copy McLaren’s key advantage
McLaren’s F1 dominance in 2025 has been underpinned by a deceptively simple factor that none of its key challengers has been able to replicate.
Michael Schumacher’s son will test a Ferrari and Alfa Romeo at the Bahrain Formula 1 test
Ferrari junior driver Mick Schumacher will make his Formula 1 testing debut with Ferrari and Alfa Romeo Racing at the test after the Bahrain Grand Prix.
He will drive for Ferrari on the Tuesday – turning his first laps in a contemporary F1 car – and Alfa Romeo on the Wednesday.
The 20-year-old is the son of Michael Schumacher who won five of his seven F1 world titles at Ferrari. Mick Schumacher, who won the 2018 European F3 Championship and was signed up by the Ferrari Driver Academy in January, will also make his Formula 2 race debut at Bahrain this weekend.
“I am obviously more than excited and would like to thank Ferrari for giving me this opportunity,” Schumacher said. “I am really looking forward to what I’m sure will be a great experience.”
More: The 2019 Formula 2 grid
Ferrari also confirmed that Callum Ilott, another member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and who joins Schumacher on the 2019 F2 grid, will test for Alfa Romeo at the F1 test at Barcelona in May.
“We are firm believers in the value of the Ferrari Driver Academy, as a high level training programme for talented youngsters and the decision to give Charles Leclerc a race seat with our team is proof of that,” added Ferrari’s team boss Mattia Binotto.
“We are therefore very pleased to be able to give Mick and Callum the opportunity to experience driving a Formula 1 car.”
McLaren’s F1 dominance in 2025 has been underpinned by a deceptively simple factor that none of its key challengers has been able to replicate.
From Red Bull's potential resurgence to McLaren's title duel, tyre strategy gambles, Bearman's race-ban threat and renewed scrutiny on driving rules, Baku promises another weekend of intrigue
Formula 1's sprint races have added some drama to the calendar, but with rumours of the format expanding to as many as 10 or 12 weekends, the series faces a key question: is more always better?
McLaren's dominant 2025 season could rewrite Formula 1's record books. These are the benchmarks that the team can break before the end of the year