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The new Formula 1 season is upon us and F1 drivers are revealing their favorite musical artists that help them get pumped up before a big race.
The official F1 Instagram account posted mock “first day of class” photos for some of the drivers, with chalkboards featuring their names, hometowns and number of seasons on the circuit. Each driver was also asked to list their favorite music.
Among the responses: Ferrari F1 star Charles Leclerc shouted out the Black Eyed Peas’ “Where Is the Love?” as his favorite song, while new Williams addition Carlos Sainz chose Sade’s “Smooth Operator,” which is conveniently also Sainz’s beloved nickname.
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There are some pop fans amongst this year’s crop of drivers too, with Alex Albon listing Chappell Roan as his favorite singer; Australian singer-songwriter Ziggy Alberts getting a shoutout from Yuki Tsunoda; and Haas rookie Ollie Bearman now a certified Swiftie after writing Taylor Swift’s name down on his board. Could the (fake) dating rumors that circled Swift and former F1 driver Fernando Alonso now include Bearman? Judging by how solid the singer’s relationship appears to be with Travis Kelce, we’re guessing Bearman doesn’t have anything to worry about for now.
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As for genres, Pierre Gasly, Oscar Piastri and new Stake rookie Gabriel Bortoletoeach list house or electronic music as their faves. Somewhat surprising: while Lando Norris has been known to hang with DJs like Martin Garrix and Zedd, the McLaren star lists Bob Dylan and country music as his tunes of choice for the 2025 season. Perhaps Lando was inspired by the recent Timothee Chalamet film, A Complete Unknown?
The most popular genre among the drivers is hip-hop, with Mercedes AMG star George Russell listing it as his go-to, while Isack Hadjar specifically shouts out “U.S. rap.” Jack Doohan, meantime, lists Central Cee as his favorite artist and Kimi Antonelli says his current go-to tune is “Can’t Hold Us” (we’re guessing it’s the Macklemore & Ryan Lewisversion?)
Noticeably missing from F1’s class of 2025 roll call are current World Champion Max Verstappen and the newest member of Scuderia Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen has been pictured hanging out with fellow Dutch native Martin Garrix though, while Hamilton revealed his musical tastes in a Rolling Stone interview last year, where the British driver name-dropped everyone from Wizkid and Coldplay, to Megan Thee Stallion and Billie Eilish when asked about favorite artists.
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Hamilton’s move to Ferrari will be one of the big storylines to watch for the 2025 Formula 1 season. There is also expected to be a three-way fight for the podium, with Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull all coming off a successful season. While Max Verstappen took home the Drivers Championship with a points finish in Las Vegas, it was Norris and Piastri who took home the Constructors Championship for McLaren.
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The 2025 F1 season kicks off on Saturday, March 15 with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. Catch all the action with a subscription to F1 TV here. You can also see a full roundup of F1 merch here.
