Verstappen’s teammate last year, Sergio Pérez, has been replaced by Liam Lawson this season, with the New Zealand driver set to make his full-time F1 debut in 2025. In the drizzly conditions in Bahrain, Lawson said he was fighting “a few teething gremlins” with his car as he sought to adjust to life alongside Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton's impact stretches far beyond Formula 1 and his quest to win a record-breaking eighth world title with his new team. The partnership of F1's biggest celebrity — and only Black driver — with its biggest brand reaches people who don't consider themselves F1 fans, and may not even have watched a race.