Picking one perfect Christmas gift for every F1 team

Verstappen wearing a Christmas hat — Photo: © IMAGO

Features

Picking one perfect Christmas gift for every F1 team

The perfect gift for all 10 F1 teams!

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Monday 23 December 2024 00:00

If you've ever wondered what every Formula 1 team might want for Christmas, in a world where that's a thing that could actually happen...well done, and I'm sorry, and you were probably born to do a job like this.

As a special holiday gift to you though, GPFans is going to do all the work for you this year.

READ MORE: Hamilton set to ditch key partner

Alright, not the buying and delivering these gifts. But thinking about them? That I can do.

Rather than presenting a team with a useless, ornamental gift, I’ve really considered what each team needs heading into 2025, because after all, the best gifts have the most thought behind them.

McLaren: Drivers’ trophy and a basket of papayas

Article continues under video

After missing out on the title with Lando Norris in 2024, McLaren will be pining for that drivers’ trophy in 2025.

A drivers’ title may seem like an expensive, almost abstract gift, but boy would McLaren love it and that’s what Christmas is all about right?

As a further gesture a basket of papayas would complete the gift perfectly, because let's face it, they’re not going to stop trying to make ‘Team Papaya’ a thing are they?

Ferrari: Adrian Newey

Ferrari may have missed out on Adrian Newey’s signature for 2025, but if you offer him as a gift for Christmas then…congratulations? You’re guilty of kidnapping?!

In all seriousness, the Scuderia and Lewis Hamilton will have been disappointed that they didn’t secure Newey’s expertise, so why not surprise them this Christmas with the signing of their dreams?

GPFans is not responsible for any legal action taken by Lawrence Stroll following the giving of this gift.

Red Bull: FIA rulebook

Max Verstappen has been involved in some controversial incidents in 2024

Max Verstappen may be the reigning world champion and have everything he has ever wanted, but sometimes Christmas isn’t about getting people what they want, but what they need.

Following a few controversial incidents with Lando Norris in 2024, Verstappen clearly needs a copy of the FIA rulebook to remember how to race fairly.

A leather bound copy is the perfect edition for Christian Horner to read to Verstappen in 2025, and also it’s quite cheap to buy someone a paperback for Christmas.

Mercedes: Sidepods

Mercedes' zero sidepods approach scuppered their title chances during the ground effect era

If Lewis Hamilton is too expensive of a gift, maybe some new sidepods are within your budget!

Mercedes’ no sidepods approach at the beginning of the ground effect era scuppered their chances of entering the title fight, and a pair of Red Bull style sidepods would be perfect for the team heading into 2025.

A fix for their performance woes would not only be the perfect gift, but it also benefits the sender with a four-team world championship fight! What’s not to love?

Aston Martin: Driving lessons for Lance Stroll

Lance Stroll crashed out on the formation lap in Brazil

Look, sometimes it seems like Lance Stroll gets a lot of criticism, and almost always its completely fair and justified, we just want the best for him!

Which is why out of the goodness of our hearts, we are offering Stroll driving lessons for Christmas because no one needs to see an incident as embarrassing as the formation lap at the Brazilian Grand Prix ever again.

Alpine: Mercedes power unit

Admittedly, Alpine is already receiving this gift in 2026, but wouldn’t it be nice if Christmas came early?

Alpine’s engine was partly the cause of their difficulties early in 2024, but the team managed to fight back and claim sixth in the constructors’..

Nevertheless, it would be nice for Alpine to start next year as they left off in 2024, and with an engine they can actually extract some performance out of.

Haas: A signed copy of Surviving to Drive and some fresh paint

Guenther Steiner stepped down as Haas boss in January

Whilst former team principal Guenther Steiner may have left the team at the beginning of this year, it would be nice for the team to have a reminder of how far they have come since his exit.

Following the appointment of Ayao Komatsu, the team have strengthened their performances in 2024.

However, if Haas were lacking in one area this year, it was the lack of vibrancy with their livery, which means a touch of paint and a freshen up is in order for 2025.

Visa Cash App RB: A stable driver lineup

Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar will lineup at VCARB next season

A driver is for life, not just for Christmas.

Like so many puppies abandoned after the festive season, Visa Cash App RB have tossed their drivers aside for the next best thing in recent years.

In the past two years, Racing Bulls have said goodbye to Nyck de Vries, Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson as the team have struggled to establish a consistent driver pairing.

Here’s hoping that Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar can beat the Red Bull curse, and keep their seats before the end of 2025.

Williams: Spare car parts and holiday vouchers

Williams suffered extensive damage in 2024

It feels rather strange to extend the same level of pity towards a Formula 1 team that is usually reserved for a charity, but nonetheless Williams have achieved this feat in 2024.

The sight of mechanics scrambling for spare car parts after crashes from Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon, was incredibly tough to watch towards the end of the season.

So, it makes sense to help them out a bit and gift them some extra parts for Christmas, as well as some hard-earned holiday vouchers to the Caribbean for the mechanics whilst we’re at it.

Kick back, relax and enjoy a cocktail guys!

Sauber: Pit crew training

Sauber had a nightmare pit stop in Bahrain

Does anybody remember Sauber’s woeful start to the season with Valtteri Bottas’ 52 second pit stop?

Unfortunately I do, and whilst the team improved throughout the year, nobody wants to watch that happen again.

Intensive pit crew training courses are in order for 2025, which Sauber will thank you for later on in the season.

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

View full biography

Mercedes Formula 1 Toto Wolff Hamilton Andrea Stella