The Haas Formula 1 team secretly took its new VF-25 out for its first spin, but ran into an unexpected problem at Silverstone
The new VF-25 is already running: The Haas Formula One team completed a shakedown at Silverstone on Sunday (February 16) behind closed doors. In the process, the car was temporarily driving “topless”, as a snapshot on social media shows: parts of the side box fairing had come loose.
Since the Haas VF-25 with new team member Esteban Ocon was quickly back on the track after the problem, it seems likely that the fairing may not have been properly secured before driving off. In addition, Haas seems to have had sufficient spare parts even before the start of the season – which has not always been the case in recent years.
Haas himself has not yet made a public statement about his shakedown and the incident, nor has he released any pictures of the new VF-25 for Ocon and Oliver Bearman. The latter would not be allowed either, as Haas has already had the car driven in the new color scheme for 2025. However, this design may not be shown until the official Formula 1 presentation on February 18 – an agreement that the teams have made with Formula 1.
What Haas has already presented, however, are Bearman and Ocon’s new racing overalls. Initial images show the Englishman and the Frenchman in mostly dark suits with red stripes on the shoulders and legs, along with white edges. The sponsor logos and prints are also mostly in white. The Haas drivers’ outfits are completed by white racing shoes.
Two new drivers at Haas for 2025
In the second year under team principal Ayao Komatsu, Haas is fielding a completely new driver pairing: with the former Alpine driver Ocon, a Grand Prix winner is competing for Gene Haas’ team for the first time, while Bearman is a young Ferrari driver joining the team. Both had already taken part in Formula One test drives for Haas in December 2024 in Abu Dhabi.
What’s more, Bearman stepped in as a replacement driver twice in 2024. At the city race in Baku, he replaced Kevin Magnussen, who was banned due to penalty points, and scored a championship point in tenth place at his first attempt. In Sao Paulo, Bearman again stood in for Magnussen, who was ill, but failed to score points in twelfth place. He had previously finished seventh in Jeddah as a Ferrari replacement.
Magnussen will end his Formula One career after the 2024 season. His Haas teammate from last year, Nico Hülkenberg, joined Sauber for the 2025 season.
