Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton took the covers of the SF-25 with a shakedown at Fiorano yet Ferrari were not the only Formula 1 team with their new car on Wednesday.
Formula 1 crews gathered in London to unveil their liveries for the 2025 season at The O2 on Tuesday night. But, straight after the event, Ferrari flew back to Italy ahead of Leclerc putting the SF-25 through its paces at Fiorano in the morning to record the first laps in their new car.
Ferrari allocated the afternoon session for Hamilton to record his first laps in the SF-25 after driving their 2023 and 2024 machines since joining from Mercedes. More than 1,000 fans hit Fiorano to see Hamilton’s first laps in a 2023 Ferrari in a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) run.
Racing Bulls run secret driver in a TPC session while Yuki Tsunoda shakedowns 2025 F1 car
But Leclerc was not the only Formula 1 driver to hit a circuit on Wednesday morning to stage a shakedown of their new car. Just 54 miles away from Fiorano is Imola, where Yuki Tsunoda spent Wednesday morning taking the first laps in the new Racing Bulls VCARB 02 for 2025.
Racing Bulls drew comparisons to Red Bull with their 2025 livery revealed at F1 75 as the all-white look sparks memories of the Honda tribute their sister team used for the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix. Mere hours later and the VCARB 02 was hitting the circuit at Imola with Tsunoda.
READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls 2025 F1 driver Isack Hadjar? Everything you need to know
Like Ferrari, Racing Bulls split their shakedown to afford rookie Isack Hadjar his first go in the VCARB 02 during the afternoon. But Tsunoda was not alone out on the track in the morning. Motorsport.com reports that Racing Bulls also ran a secret driver in a 2023 AlphaTauri AT04.
Racing Bulls used Tsunoda’s shakedown of their 2025 F1 car to also stage a TPC session for a secret driver in the AlphaTauri car from 2023. It was not Ayumu Iwasa as the Faenza crew’s test and reserve driver spent Tuesday and Wednesday at Suzuka for a Super Formula test.
Could Red Bull have used Racing Bulls’ shakedown to get Arvid Lindblad F1 experience?
One option for the secret driver the £965m-valued Racing Bulls team ran in an AlphaTauri at Tsunoda’s Imola shakedown of the VCARB 02 is Red Bull Junior Team talent, Arvid Lindblad. The 17-year-old has earned enough points for an FIA superlicence ahead of debuting in F2.
Lindblad reached the points threshold for a superlicence after winning the Formula Regional Oceania Championship earlier in February. But the Red Bull prospect must wait until he is 18 years old on August 8 to become eligible for a superlicence without special dispensation.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad including his parents
It is probable that Red Bull utilised Tsunoda’s shakedown to get Lindblad track time in an F1 car, though, as he is very highly rated within their camp. Red Bull are talking about Lindblad the same way they discussed Max Verstappen ahead of the Dutchman’s breakthrough in F1.
A drive on the 2026 Formula 1 grid could even be his if the British-Swedish talent excels as a rookie in Formula 2 for Campos Racing – the team for whom Hadjar secured second in F2 in 2024. Lindblad will make his F2 debut at the 2025 F1 season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
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