F1 kicks off the 2025 season, and we get a sneak peak behind the curtain at Red Bull Racing
Russell SheldrakeEarlier this week, we saw one of the biggest events in Formula 1 history take place at the O2 arena in London. F1 75 Live officially kicked off the start of the 2025 season, as well as marked the 75th anniversary of this high-octane sport. I was lucky enough to not only get a ticket to the show, but also had access to the red carpet and the racing royalty that walked down it.
However, before all of that excitement took place on Tuesday, Red Bull Racing and TAG Heuer (once again F1’s official timekeeper) wanted to get us ready for the action by giving us a tour of Red Bull’s F1 headquarters in Milton Keynes. This felt like a real once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as we were given access to the home of the team that’s won the last four Drivers’ Championships and three of the last four Constructors’ Championships. Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to take photos or videos during most of the tour, given that every small part of what they are making in there could prove the difference come race day. However, you start the tour in the incredibly picturesque room that features every Red Bull F1 car from the RB1 from 2005 all the way up to the RB19 of 2023, one of the most dominant cars in F1 history.
After we had admired these lighting-quick machines, we got to sit down and learn the ins and outs of this winning team from its current Head of Sporting, Stephen Knowles. He gave us an insightful talk, which felt all the more impactful as we sat surrounded by these incredible cars. And then it was off on the tour, with the first stop being the trophy room, with some 400-odd pieces of silverware on display – a rather imposing sight that instills in all just how dominating this team has been of late.
Walking around this facility, you realise that you are witnessing the cutting edge of racing technology take place right in front of your eyes. Our tour guide impressed upon us that every small piece of equipment or massive manufacturing machine was constantly working to make two cars drive ever so slightly faster. You could feel the sense of precision in the highly filtered air, and it seemed to have infected those who work there, as they went about their work to get the final bits of the car ready for tomorrow’s reveal.
Jumping ahead to Tuesday, I was lucky enough to be one of the few journalists to interview the reigning World Champion Max Verstappen in the morning before the festivities kicked off. I don’t want to give too much away here, as we will be putting out our video for that soon, but he gave some great insight into his lucky charm watch. No prizes for guessing which brand it comes from…
And then it was on to the red carpet, where we were jostling with other members of the press to get a chance to speak with the great and the good of the F1 community as they arrived for what was billed to be the greatest spectacle the sport had ever seen. Again, I don’t want to give any spoilers here, but it wasn’t just current drivers and team principals that were using this VIP entrance: there were also legends of the sport of a calibre I thought I would never have access to.
Before long, the show started with all the music, lights, and pyrotechnics that accompanied the new liveries we will be seeing take the track in just a few weeks. Throughout this experience, I had on my wrist the brand new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph with a smokey purple dial: a suitably dressed-up racer that felt very appropriate for the occasion. Now I just have to let my adrenaline come back down to normal levels to allow me to do my job… Hope you have a great weekend!
Russell and the Time+Tide Team
Watch meme of the week: exhibition only
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At least there are exhibition pieces to try on in Rolex boutiques these days…
Wristshot of the week: Momoa madness
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It would have been easy for me to pick the watches that we saw at F1 75 or the 2025 BAFTAS, as there were a lot of great ones, but that felt a little on the nose. And so when I saw this blurry yet fun-filled shot from Jason Momoa sporting a killer Daytona, I knew it had to go in.
Time+Tide Shop pick of the week: T+T Digital Gift Cards
What do you give the watch lover who’s got everything? Options. We’ve now got gift cards for the Time+Tide Shop, which are perfect for watch aficionados who you know are going to be fussy. Whether they are a seasoned collector, an enthusiastic horologist, or someone celebrating a special occasion like a birthday, graduation, or anniversary, our digital gift cards offer them the freedom to choose from our extensive collection.
Our gift cards work both online in the Time+Tide Shop and in-store at our Melbourne Discovery Studio. Gift cards are valid for 3 years from the date of purchase. Find out more here.
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week
The Omega Seamaster 300M Bronze Gold and Burgundy that Daniel Craig teased months ago has just been released!
Omega did it again. They teased a watch to us on Daniel Craig’s wrist and then dropped it on us when we least expected it. This time, we have the first Bronze Gold Seamaster with a matching bracelet (also available on a rubber strap). It comes with a rich burgundy bezel and a black sandblasted dial. We managed to get hands-on with it before anyone else, with Zach giving us all the details. Read or watch his brief here.
Why you should wear a broken watch
Wearing watches that don’t work seems sacrilegious for a watch writer – but Buffy makes the case for wearing timepieces that don’t tick. Read their opinion piece here.
Is Gallet set to become Breitling’s Tudor? Discussing the rumoured acquisition with Tony Traina
It would seem a Kerniverse is brewing, with Breitling announcing last week that they’re reviving yet another defunct brand, Gallet, alongside their high-profile revival of Universal Genève. But where would Gallet sit in both the Breitling stable as well as the broader watch industry? Zach and Russell remotely sat down with Tony Traina, a former lawyer and Hodinkee Editor who broke the news (alongside Ms. Tweed) of Breitling’s rumoured acquisition of Gallet in his Unpolished Watches newsletter, to discuss this development. Read or watch the discussion here.