‘Class of 2025’ annual dinner, but who picked up the cheque?

Michelle Foster
F1 2025 end-of-year dinner

F1 2025 end-of-year dinner, photograph courtesy of Lewis Hamilton

The F1 drivers met for their annual end-of-season dinner, but there were some notable absentees with Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg, and Lance Stroll not attending.

As has become tradition, the Formula 1 drivers put aside their rivalries and championship fights to celebrate as evening as the only 20 drivers, or in this case 17 of those 20, who race in Formula 1.

But who picked up the cheque?

The drivers, excluding the Aston Martin teammates and Hulkenberg, went to a restaurant in Abu Dhabi with several of them posting about it on social media.

“Class of 2025,” Hamilton wrote on Instagram.

“We’re the only people in the world to do what we do and for that we’re incredibly lucky.

“I’m grateful for this group of drivers I have the privilege of racing against and even though we’re competitors, there’s nothing but respect and I’m proud to call them friends.

“Hope to give you all a great last race of the season.” ❤️

Lando Norris captioned it, “traditions (no food was thrown during this dinner)” while George Russell called it the “yearly dinner with the boys”.

Yuki Tsunoda joked that there was a “white shirt dress code, not all of us got the memo”.

There’s been some speculation over the years as to who picks up the bill for the yearly dinner, or if it is separate cheques.

It has been said it’s the reigning World Champion, but in 2016 Nico Rosberg reportedly wanted an 18-way split.

That was shot down by Lewis Hamilton, who called it “little bit silly and ridiculous.

“It probably wasn’t really that expensive. I did say: Why don’t I get it now, or two of us get it now, and then the next time someone else gets it? And they are like: No, no, no. I want to pay individually.”

It, however, seemed Rosberg thought it should be Hamilton who covered the cheque as the Briton was the reigning World Champion with the F1 2016 title yet to be decided.

“From what I can remember,” said the German, “the hidden agreement is usually that the world champion pays, but that might just be my opinion.”

Last year, though, it was Valtteri Bottas, who despite being unemployed for F1 2025 at the time, covered the cost at a 20,000 dirhams, just over €5,000!

“I can confirm, it was my pleasure,” he said.

Asked if he was willing to reveal the cost, he replied: “I think it was about 20,000 local money whatever that is in Euros.”

But it was the bill so much as the lingering drama between Max Verstappen and George Russell that caught the eye in that end-of-year photograph admits claims Russell even moved his chair after the others cheekily left him an open space next to Verstappen

Read next: ‘Up to Oscar’ – Norris puts Piastri under the spotlight over key McLaren question

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