POLICE ON STANDBY OVER LEWIS HAMILTON TEST AS F1 PUNDIT ANNOUNCES EXIT – ROUND-UP

Tuesday’s fast-paced F1 news includes the police being on standby ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari debut and a move for F1 presenter and Drive to Survive favourite Will Buxton.

Let’s dive straight into the day’s main F1 headlines…

F1 news: Lewis Hamilton, F1 pundit departure and more

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari debut puts police on alert

Italian police are on alert ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari test as F1 mania sweeps the nation, a prominent reporter has revealed.

Hamilton is set to make his on-track debut for Ferrari at the team’s Fiorano test track next week following his massive move from Mercedes for the F1 2025 season.

The sight of the seven-time World Champion in a Ferrari F1 car for the first time is set to draw an enormous crowd.

Read more: Lewis Hamilton’s test set to cause chaos at Ferrari HQ

Will Buxton leaves F1 TV to spearhead FOX IndyCar coverage

Popular F1 presenter Will Buxton will be covering IndyCar for FOX from the 2025 season, having announced his departure from F1 TV.

Buxton has been a fixture in the Formula 1 paddock for well over a decade, with his profile rising further through his appearances on the Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive.

Read more: Will Buxton makes FOX IndyCar move as F1 exit confirmed

Sergio Perez sponsors to follow Franco Colapinto to Alpine?

Alpine have been tipped to strike deals with a number of key Sergio Perez sponsors following the signing of Franco Colapinto from Williams for the F1 2025 season.

It comes amid claims that the Enstone-based team paid a fee of €20million (£16.58m/$20.50m) to sign Colapinto as the team’s new reserve driver.

Colapinto has attracted a huge following in his homeland of Argentina after his Williams cameo in the second half of F1 2024.

Read more: Alpine discover Sergio Perez ‘goldmine’ as €20m Colapinto fee emerges

Liam Lawson opens up on Fernando Alonso row

Red Bull driver Liam Lawson says he did not mean to “p*** off” Fernando Alonso following their row at last year’s United States Grand Prix.

Alonso took exception to Lawson’s defensive tactics during the sprint race in Austin, criticising the youngster over team radio before confronting Lawson in parc ferme after the race.

Lawson went on to incur the wrath of Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz at the next race in Mexico.

Read more: Liam Lawson’s message to Fernando Alonso after sudden US GP feud

What if Max Verstappen moves to Mercedes?

Max Verstappen has been linked with a move to Mercedes for the F1 2026 season.

If the unthinkable happens, who would Red Bull target as his replacement? And how would it shake up the rest of the F1 grid?

We’ve tried to predict the domino effect if Verstappen pulls the pin, with Lando Norris and George Russell on the move.

Read more: How Max Verstappen to Mercedes could shake up F1 2026 driver market

2025-01-14T22:35:48Z