The 12-second driving test that F1 superstars Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton must pass

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen with L plates on — Photo: © IMAGO

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The 12-second driving test that every F1 superstar must pass

Details of an essential driver test ahead of the 2025 F1 season have emerged

Kevin McKenna

Thursday 23 January 2025 19:57 Updated: 20:14

Details regarding an essential driving test which must be passed by all Formula 1 superstars, including the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, before they are allowed to compete in F1 have been revealed.

It comes just months before the 2025 campaign gets under way, with teams across the grid now preparing for the upcoming pre-season test event in Bahrain next month.

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Attention will then turn to the opening F1 weekend of the year in Melbourne, where fans will get their first glimpse of Lewis Hamilton as he makes his highly anticipated racing debut for Ferrari.

The seven-time champion is just one of a host of drivers looking forward to lining up for a new team in 2025, with the likes of Carlos Sainz and Esteban Ocon also beginning a new chapter at Williams and Haas respectively.

Lewis Hamilton is one of several drivers representing new teams this season

The new campaign will get under way in Melbourne on March 16

The FIA-sanctioned F1 driving test

There will also be several new faces making their F1 bow at the Australian Grand Prix, including Alpine's Jack Doohan and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.

And ahead of the upcoming season, the Silver Arrows have lifted the lid on one of the key standards that all drivers - regardless of age and experience - must meet before taking to the track.

“In the event of an incident, the ability of a driver to exit the cockpit safely and quickly move away from a potentially hazardous situation is absolutely vital,” said one member of the team on a video featured on its official YouTube channel.

“As such, the FIA has a stringent cockpit exit test that all drivers must pass if they wish to compete in Formula 1.

“They [the drivers] have seven seconds to exit the car and then a further five seconds to replace the steering wheel, so 12 seconds in total.

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"The driver has to wear their full complement of racing gear. So race suit, boots, gloves and of course, the helmet.

“Once they're in position, they will be seat-belted in. There'll be an FIA delegate on hand to monitor and supervise the whole test and of course operate the stopwatch.

“The test begins when the driver releases their seatbelt and then they take the steering wheel off.

“For the purposes of the test, they can then hand that steering wheel to a mechanic who will be standing at the side of the car.

“They then have to free themselves of the cockpit, jump out, at which point the mechanic will hand them the steering wheel back and the driver then has to reattach it, hopefully all within that 12 seconds.

“Once the test has been passed and the FIA are satisfied, then the driver is free to go racing.”

Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Formula 1 Daniel Ricciardo