F1 Today | Ferrari's magic, sharp Verstappen, RB20's vices solved?

Next week we will see the 2025 season F1 cars take the track for the first time at the Sakhir International Circuit in Bahrain for winter testing, and thus with the season ever closer, the F1 news mill is starting back up again. GPBlog brings you the most relevant Monday news.

Lewis Hamilton has claimed he was told Ferrari has magic ahead of his debut with the Italian team. Rival, Max Verstappen, has refrained from criticising Lando Norris' 2024 campaign, and has blasted the F1 Commission's proposal to increase the number of pitstops during the Monaco Grand Prix.

Christian Horner has criticised the delay in the introduction of the controls to keep illegal wing flexion in check, and Charles Leclerc has stated he is confident in his abilities ahead of battle with Lewis Hamilton.

Oscar Piastri claims to be able to fight for loftier goals, should he amend his qualifying performance, and Ferrari's own Jerome D'Ambrosio has confidently stated that the team's driver pairing is the strongest on the grid. Leclerc has said he is ready to take on the driver he has been racing forever, Verstappen, who in turn is aware of the fact that for the first time at Red Bull he will be the older driver.

Lewis Hamilton has issued heartfelt statements, saying that for him it was not about winning his overall eigth title, but about winning his first for Ferrari, and Red Bull chief, Horner assured the Austrian team has had a "great winter," suggesting Red Bull may have indeed solved the many issues that afflicted the RB20 last year.