F1 weighs 2027 launch return as O2 pushes again

Formula 1 is considering bringing back its all-team pre-season launch for 2027 after the success of 2025’s F1 75 Live at London’s O2 Arena, with venue owner AEG already in talks over a return while Milan is also under consideration.

The scale of the first event is a major reason the format is back on the table. The 20,000-capacity O2 sold out within minutes, and more than 7.5 million people watched live across Formula 1’s social media channels, with a peak of 1.2 million concurrent viewers. Reports said F1 chiefs were thrilled with those numbers after using the show to mark the championship’s 75th anniversary.

London is making clear it wants another shot. Gael Caselli, AEG International senior vice president for sport, told City AM: “It was an amazing event, honestly. We are having discussions with them.” He added that Formula 1 is assessing several possibilities for the next edition, saying: “We’ve heard that they’ve been assessing different options. I just don’t know whether that will be in London or in a different city [or a different format].”

Caselli said the O2 would “definitely” want to host again and that AEG would love to have Formula 1 back if it makes sense for the series.

That is the key question for F1. Another collective launch has not been confirmed because gathering all 10 teams, their drivers and senior management in one place only weeks before the season starts is a substantial logistical challenge. The format was dropped for 2026 as teams faced the pressure of preparing brand-new cars with new engines, alongside a testing schedule that left little room for a major shared event.

That schedule is one reason 2027 has emerged as a more realistic target. Reports say next season should offer a wider window, with only one week of testing rather than the compressed 2026 plan that made a joint launch practically impossible. One suggested slot would be one or two weeks before pre-season testing.

Milan has been identified as a candidate host for a future edition, potentially as soon as 2027. London remains a strong option, but moving the event away from the UK would add another layer of difficulty because so many Formula 1 teams are based in Britain.

F1 is still said to be deliberating over whether the concept should return at all, with another obvious milestone date being the championship’s 80th anniversary in 2030 if the series decides the 2027 window is not the right fit.