The 2025 F1 season is around the corner with pre-season testing getting underway in Bahrain on Wednesday.
All 10 teams and 20 drivers will get three days of testing at the Sakhir International Circuit to prepare for the 2025 campaign. The season kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix on March 14-16.
Each team’s 2025 challengers will take to the track together for the first time in Bahrain. The liveries for the cars were all unveiled at the F1 75 launch event at the O2 Arena in London last week.
Many teams such as Aston Martin, Red Bull and McLaren went for continuity with their designs, while the likes of Alpine and Racing Bulls went for entirely new concepts. Will Buxton described Racing Bulls’ livery as ‘perfect’ with the Faenza-based outfit sporting a striking white design.
Along with the new liveries for 2025, the 20 drivers have all revealed their crash helmets for the season. Each one has its own unique design and personal touch, but F1 fans all agree that one stands out above the rest.
F1 fans agree Gabriel Bortoleto has the best helmet for the 2025 season
Lewis Hamilton caught everyone’s attention with his new yellow helmet for his first season with Ferrari. Despite what many may think. Hamilton’s yellow colour has nothing to do with Ayrton Senna as he has used the colour throughout his career.
One helmet that has drawn a lot of comparisons to Senna is the one that will be used by Gabriel Bortoleto. The rookie is the first full-time Brazilian driver to race in F1 since Felipe Massa in 2017.
Bortoleto will sport a strikingly similar yellow, blue and green design worn by the three-time champion. Many F1 fans took to the comments of F1’s Instagram account to label the Sauber driver’s helmet as the best design of 2025.
One fan wrote: “You don’t even need to ask which one is more beautiful, right?” followed by an emoji of the Brazilian flag.
One user said: “Bortoleto hands down the best,” while another agreed as they said: “Bortoleto >>>> All.”
One fan wrote: “What a nice helmet @gabrielbortoleto_,” while another was loving the design: “Bortoleto’s is gorgeous.”
Finally, one fan noticed the similarities to Senna as they wrote: “The one from @gabrielbortoleto_ looks like the one from Senna.”
Lucas Di Grassi tips Gabriel Bortoleto as a ‘potential world champion’
Bortoleto is one of six new full-time drivers on the grid in 2025. The Brazilian comes to F1 with huge potential after winning the F3 and F2 championships consecutively as a rookie.
Bortoleto has signed a multi-year deal with Sauber that will see him become an Audi works driver alongside teammate Nico Hulkenberg. The 20-year-old is looking to stamp his authority early and help the team build from the back of the grid.
Lucas Di Grassi sees Bortoleto as a ‘potential world champion’ – other drivers who won the F3 and F2 titles back to back (Russell, Leclerc, Piastri) have gone on to be race winners in F1.
But Di Grassi stressed that Brazilian fans will not be cheering this season as Bortoleto will likely be at the back of the field. Sauber scored just four points in 2024 and look unlikely to make serious progress in 2025.
