Formula 1, the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition, as well as the world’s most popular annual sporting series, made history at The O2 in London with its first-ever season launch event.

The sold-out event brought together all 10 teams, 20 drivers and Team Principals for a night of motorsport and entertainment. More than 15,000 fans attended the event, which officially marked the start of the 2025 season, along with celebration of the sport’s 75th anniversary.

More than 4.6 million fans saw the event livestreamed on Formula 1’s social media channel.

Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO, Formula 1, said: “Tonight was an amazing event and a huge success. As a sport we did something together that has never been done in the history of F1 before. We are always celebrating and respecting our incredible history while looking to the future to engage new fans around the globe. We had a packed O2 arena, passionate fans sharing their love and excitement for the sport here in person and watching around the world. We saw all the drivers and team principals on stage alongside great music and entertainment. We are now excited for the season ahead and what is set to be a great battle in the track for the ultimate prize in motorsport. Thanks to all our fans and the teams.” 

The teams also unveiled the 2025 liveries from Alpine, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Haas, Kick Sauber, McLaren, Mercedes, Racing Bulls, Red Bull and Williams. The event was hosted by comedian and actor Jack Whitehall, while multi-platinum recording artist Machine Gun Kelly, country music star Kane Brown and British band Take That performed at the event.

The event was also attended by celebrities such as Idris Elba, Gordon Ramsay and Jerry Bruckheimer.

The automotive industry which employs over 19 million people in India and contributes 7.1 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) can further improve productivity through new-age technologies.

As per the latest EY India report titled ‘How much productivity can Generative AI (GenAI) unlock in India? The AIdea of India: 2025,’ the Indian automotive sector see its productivity improve between 30 percent to 32 percent by 2030 through GenAI.

The report highlights that the automotive sector can leverage GenAI's potential right from product development, customer engagement, autonomous driving and also sustainability initiatives.

The industry is already leveraging advanced technologies such as autonomous driving, real-time analytics and AI-driven optimisation. Furthermore, the integration of GenAI will provide additional fillip towards innovation and efficiency across the entire value chain.

The significant gains through GenAI will be in areas such as product development, process optimisation and customer engagement.

The EY India report stated that 33 percent of respondents shared that their organisations are actively investing in GenAI, with budgets either allocated or in the process of being invested. Additionally, 57 percent of respondents have initiated Proof of Concept (POC) initiatives, with 14 percent already moving these POCs into production. Furthermore, AI is showing a substantial impact on customer satisfaction, with its ability to revolutionise customer engagement through personalised and real-time interactions.       

Vinay Raghunath, Partner and Automotive Sector Leader at EY-Parthenon, said, “GenAI offers a tremendous opportunity for innovation across the entire automotive value chain and can help unlock new potential across manufacturing processes, customer interactions and aspects related to vehicle autonomy, safety and personalisation. Integrating real-time data processing with autonomous features can reshape personal and public transportation systems. Incorporating GenAI capabilities can help streamline production processes, leading to increased efficiency, reduced waste, and improved product quality. Predictive models can help enhance vehicle reliability and lower repair frequency and associated costs. The industry can leverage GenAI to reshape the future of mobility but will also need to address challenges related to investment, data security concerns, regulatory compliance and workforce training”

The report estimates that GenAI can help improve productivity between 37 percent to 39 percent with AI-powered solutions set to revolutionise customer interactions, improving customer satisfaction and engagement.

For production and assembly, the improvement can be between 35 percent to 37 percent, while automation and predictive maintenance will see improvement between 34 percent to 36 percent.

While there is a tremendous opportunity to gain through the adoption of GenAI, the challenges include investment expenses, data security concerns, regulatory compliance and workforce training.

Representational Image Courtesy: Cottonbro studio/Pexels

Japanese auto major Honda claims it has become the first company in the automotive industry to receive the highest ranking of ‘3 stars’, as part of the FIA Road Safety Index. The index was introduced by the FIA to enable businesses and organisations to measure their road safety footprint.

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) is an international organisation focussing on road safety & traffic circulation and its sports division is the governing body for international motorsport championships and disciplines, including Formula One.  

The 3-star recognition was announced on 17 February at the ‘Challenge 2030: Achieving the Global Road Safety Goals’, a concurrent event of the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety which was held in Marrakech, Morocco, held from 18 February to 20 February 2025, local time.

The FIA Road Safety (RS) Index tool allows companies to visualise and measure the impact of their operations on road safety and achieve more sustainable road traffic. It enables comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the safety footprint of each organisation based on various factors such as their road safety goals, commitment and the number of road traffic fatalities and injuries across their entire value chain.

The index system contains two ratings: 1. the ‘supply chain rating’ covering a broad range of corporate activities from procuring raw materials, to development and production of products and customer delivery of the products. 2.  the ‘product/service rating,’ which evaluates the safety aspects of products/services.

Honda is said to become the first company in the automotive industry to undergo audits for both ratings and received the highest 3 stars ratings in both.

Willem Groenewald, FIA Secretary General for Automobile Mobility, said, “Safety is at the heart of our mission in both motorsport and for the daily road user. Through the FIA Road Safety Index, we help companies measure and improve their impact on road safety. We are pleased to announce that Honda is the first car and motorcycle manufacturer to achieve the Index's highest rating of 3 stars both for its supply chain and safety-related products and services. Honda has demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering a culture of continuous improvement in road safety.”

Hideaki Takaishi, General Manager of Safety Planning Division, Corporate Planning Unit, Honda Motor Co, added, “Honda is honored to have our long-standing safety initiatives recognised through successful completion of the FIA Road Safety Index. For over 50 years, we have focused not only on developing safe motorcycle and automobile products but also on spreading knowledge of safe driving and riding practices among our customers through our awareness-building activities. The FIA Road Safety Index has proven to be a promising tool to objectively evaluate the sincere safety initiatives of Honda. We are expecting that widespread commitment to safety initiatives among more companies and organisations will lead to reduction of traffic collisions around the world.”

Cars24, one of India’s leading automotive platform, has expanded its financial arm – Cars24 Financial Services – with the launch of Loans24, a digital-first, hassle-free credit platform designed for car buyers and owners among others.

Being a digital-first platform will enable Loans24 customers to get instant approvals, provide upto 100 percent on-road price for purchases or 200 percent top-ups with upto 6 years loan and an affordable loan starting at 10.99 percent interest.

Ruchit Agarwal, Co-Founder & CFO, Cars24, said, "Getting a car should feel exciting, not exhausting. But for too long, car loans have felt like a necessarily difficult process-slow, complicated, and designed to test patience. If personal loans can be instant, why should car loans still feel like a maze of paperwork and waiting? That’s what we’re fixing with Loans24. No hoops to jump through, no hidden surprises, just a loan that works for you, not against you. Because whether you already own a car or dream of one, access to credit should never be the thing that holds you back." 

Since 2019, Cars24 Financial Services has enabled over INR 40 billion in car loans through Cars24. It has also provided around INR 150 billion in working capital loans to dealers.

American software simulation company Altair has announced the release of Altair HyperWorks 2025, design and simulation platform.

The platform aims to bring the industry closer towards a zero-prototype world, where design is perfected in the virtual domain before reaching the physical world. The Altair HyperWorks 2025 combines artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC) and multiphysics simulation with cloud-based scalability and digital thread connectivity.

James R. Scapa, Founder & CEO, Altair, said, “Altair HyperWorks 2025 builds on four decades of Altair’s expertise in simulation, design, and optimisation. By integrating advanced simulation technologies with AI and machine learning, automation, open architecture, and a connected digital thread, the platform accelerates design processes, fosters scalable cloud collaboration, and empowers teams to deliver smarter, faster, and more sustainable solutions. It is yet another leap in our vision of democratised computational intelligence.”

The key highlights of the Altair HyperWorks 2025 platform include –

• AI-powered Engineering and Optimisation
• Cloud-Based and SaaS Solutions
• Automation and Customisation
• Digital Engineering: A Connected Ecosystem
• Smoother transitions between implicit and explicit analyses
• Multiphysics Simulation for Electronics
• CAE as a Design Tool
• Advanced Material Simulation
• Particle Simulation