Yuki Tsunoda’s $27,500 Honda to Lewis Hamilton’s $398,000 Ferrari: What F1 Drivers Drove to F1 75

The F1 75 event, which marked the 75th anniversary of Formula One, showcased each team’s 2025 livery launch along with musical performances by the likes of Tems and Brian Tyler. Naturally, the O2 Arena was the center of the racing world, and, needless to say, the media attention was immense.

F1 teams made the most of this opportunity to market their road cars. Some even had the team principals and their F1 Academy drivers pull up to the red carpet in the most eye-catching rides.

It was heartening to see the drivers carpool to the venue in what appeared to be a gesture toward sustainability. The cars they drove were exotic and iconic, to say the least, and perfectly suited for the historic occasion.

Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar

The Racing Bulls duo carpooled a classic Honda S2000. Tsunoda, being the senior among the two, was behind the wheel. The Japanese driver quickly became the center of attention as he performed a couple of drifts for the cameras.

Originally launched in 1999 to mark Honda’s 50-year anniversary, the S2000’s older variants are no longer available at dealerships. However, one can get the S2000 from resale facilities for around $27,000, as per CarGurus.

Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson

Keeping up with the carpooling theme, the Red Bull drivers too made an entry as a pair. Promoting Honda, just like their sister team’s drivers, owing to the engine partnership with the Japanese automaker, Verstappen and Lawson pulled up in a Honda NSX.

Given his love for road cars and modifications, Lawson took to the wheel and drove his champion teammate to the arena.

Launched in North America in 1991, the first generation of the two-seater NSX saw iterations come out until 2005. In 2017, Honda decided to launch the second generation of the NSX, which was discontinued after 2022. The NSX, as per Classic.com, is dealt in the resale market for an average price of $96,168.

Jack Doohan and Pierre Gasly

Driving for the prestigious French brand, Alpine (Renault), Doohan and Gasly didn’t miss out on the opportunity to promote their constructor’s road cars. For a change, it was not a gas-guzzling ICE car. Gasly instead drove an Alpine A290, a fully electric hatchback.

The A290 houses a 52kWh battery capable of producing 215 horsepower, states Captain Electro. Despite all the gizmos and the power-packed performance, the A290 hasn’t found many takers, owing to its $48,000 price tag (for the top variant).

George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli

The Mercedes duo were the first to feature a six-digit priced car at the event. Driving an SL 63 S E Performance, Russell was perhaps not too keen on handing over the steering wheel to his rookie teammate, who just recently acquired his driving license.

The SL 63 that the Mercedes drivers arrived in had the top dropped down. The $207,000 (as per MBZ Thousand Oaks) two-seater features an 8-cylinder, 4-liter engine. At 5,500-6,500 rpm, the 2025 Roadster variant is capable of producing 577 hp. Perhaps another reason Russell chose to be in the driving seat.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

Norris and Piastri were the only driver pairing to not arrive together. The reason made a lot more sense when Norris pulled up in a McLaren 750S with team principal Andrea Stella. Piastri, meanwhile, drove team CEO Zak Brown in an Artura. Both supercars featured their 2024 F1 car’s (MCL38’s) livery to mark the constructors’ championship win.

Unsurprisingly, this was neither Piastri’s first ride in an Artura nor Norris’ first time in a 750S. The Artura, a $225,000 speedster, was the first McLaren Piastri got after joining the team in 2023.

Piastri’s Artura houses a powerful engine capable of producing 671 hp. Norris’ 750S, meanwhile, sports a more powerful 750 hp engine, as the name suggests.

Norris, on the other hand, has many McLaren supercars in his garage. The 750S, which can cost on average $200,000, is one from the Briton’s $1.5 million fleet (as per Autotrader UK).

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc

The Ferrari duo chose the priciest ride for their arrival — the Ferrari Purosangue. Leclerc is a big admirer of the $398,000 SUV and owns one. He picked it as his ride for the 2024 Italian GP, where he arrived amidst the protection of the local police.

The Purosangue brought to the arena not just Hamilton and Leclerc, but also Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur. The trio was chauffeured to the arena with both drivers sitting in the back, while the team boss took a seat in the front.

The Purosangue — Ferrari’s first four-door SUV — features a 715 horsepower 6.5L naturally-aspirated V12 engine. That much horsepower is enough for it to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds.

It has a top speed of 193 mph, which may not be a lot for a Ferrari but certainly is impressive, given that it is an SUV.