Hamilton ABSENCE confirmed at F1 car launch

Lewis Hamilton and his new Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc are set to be absent from a key part of the F175 live event, it has been confirmed.

Hamilton is preparing for his first season as a Scuderia driver, having ditched his Mercedes team with whom he managed to win six of his record-equalling seven world championship titles.

F1 HEADLINES: Ricciardo RETURN path emerges as F1 star blasts FIA punishment

WATCH F1 75 LIVE: Everything you must know on TODAY'S O2 F1 car launch extravaganza

The 40-year-old is - when pole positions and race victories are taken into account - the most successful driver in the history of Formula 1, and will now partner Leclerc at the most successful team on the F1 grid.

F1 is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and a first-of-its-kind event is taking place later on Tuesday to celebrate that, with all 20 drivers and 10 teams set to come together to reveal the 2025 cars.

The highly anticipated 2025 Ferrari Formula 1 merch is available to buy right now.

When is the F175 live event?

The event at London's O2 Arena kicks off at 8pm GMT on Tuesday February 18, and is available to watch on Sky Sports F1, or for free via F1's official YouTube channel.

F1 fans will be able to see Hamilton dressed in his new Ferrari attire, as the hype builds around the seven-time champion's grand prix debut with the team.

However, while Hamilton, Leclerc and team principal Fred Vasseur will be present for the unveiling of the car which they hope will take them to championship success, they will be absent from a key aspect of the event.

The nine other teams and drivers are set to sit down with media for a 30-minute press conference before the live event, but Ferrari will skip that part of the day, with the official press conference schedule not showing Ferrari's name.

The reason for Ferrari's absence from the media sit down is unknown, but they are still expected to be present for the evening's festivities.

@gpfansglobal No Hamilton or Leclerc! ? #f1 #f1news #f1live ♬ original sound - GPFans Global

READ MORE: F1 2025 car launches - What will the stars drive in 2025?