The new Formula One season kicks off in Bahrain this Saturday, with Max Verstappen aiming for a fourth consecutive world championship.

However, Red Bull's preparations have been marred by allegations against team principal Christian Horner.

Despite this, Horner remains focused on the team's performance, stating that it's "business as usual" at Red Bull.

Verstappen, who dominated last year with 19 wins out of 22 rounds, showed impressive speed during testing, finishing 1.1 seconds faster than his competitors.

Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, summed up the ominous feeling in the paddock.

Writing about Verstappen on X, he said, "He's gloating. He's taunting us. He knows. This year is going to be one long victory lap. You cannot begrudge anyone's success. All we can do is watch and admire."

Ferrari ended last year with five pole positions from the final nine races, and Carlos Sainz secured the only non-Red Bull win of the season in Singapore.

The Italian team has worked hard over the winter on translating their one-lap pace into race conditions, where they tended to struggle in 2023.

They will take solace from a trouble-free test, and their pace appeared relatively encouraging, too.

Sainz topped the time charts on the second day, while Leclerc ended the final day quickest – albeit on speedier rubber than Verstappen.

An upbeat Leclerc said: "We are in a much better place, and it is an easier car to drive. The feeling was good. We have been consistent straight away, and this will help us in the race."

Hamilton to Ferrari

Hamilton stunned the sporting world by choosing to quit Mercedes and join Ferrari in 2025.

The news broke earlier this month and is likely to be difficult for those at Mercedes to digest.

Hamilton took the decision – one he described as the hardest of his life – after two winless years with the Silver Arrows.

Mercedes are armed with a new design philosophy for the new campaign, but – although both Hamilton and teammate George Russell spoke of an improved, more reliable machine, there was little to suggest from testing that they have closed the gap to Red Bull.

Mercedes finished ahead of Ferrari in last year's constructors' championship, but do not be surprised if the Scuderia starts the new season ahead of them.

McLaren came alive in the second half of 2023, with Lando Norris scoring seven podiums.

But the British team looked short of last year's form in Bahrain last week – although it is a track that has not always suited them in recent seasons.

Aston Martin finished fifth in the constructors' championship, with Fernando Alonso, now 42, leading their charge for a second season.

Alpine is set to head the midfield, with Williams, the newly rebranded RB and Sauber teams (former AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo) and Haas likely to follow.

This season's lineup is the same as the previous year – the first time that's ever happened. But with Hamilton already announcing his move to Ferrari for 2025 and 13 of the 20 drivers out of contract at the end of the season – next year's grid is sure to have a whole different feel about it.

Aside from Hamilton's blockbuster transfer, his soon-to-be Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc penned a new deal that is expected to keep the 26-year-old Monegasque dressed in red until 2029.

Lando Norris also extended his stay with McLaren until at least the end of 2026. Andretti's move to become the 11th team on the grid was blocked by F1 bosses.

The British Grand Prix will remain on the calendar for another decade after Silverstone agreed to a new long-term deal with F1's American owners, Liberty Media.

There will be a record-breaking 24 races – the longest season in history – starting in Bahrain on March 2 and ending in Abu Dhabi nine months and six days later.

The Chinese Grand Prix returns after five years away, while the round in Japan moves from its traditional October slot to April.

The roster features six sprint races in China, Miami, Austria, Austin, Qatar, and Brazil.

The format has been tinkered with, too.

Qualifying for the sprint will now take place on Friday, with the grid for Sunday's main event decided on Saturday, following the shortened race.

The opening two races will both take place on a Saturday.

The Muslim holy period of Ramadan starts on March 10.

As such, the second round in Saudi Arabia has been brought forward by a day.

FIA rules stipulate there must be one week between races, meaning the Bahrain GP will also be 24 hours earlier than usual.