It's like a closing down sale and everything must go, meaning a mad dash to the the finish line before the shutters come down.
A new Formula One season is dawning and it also marks the sunset of the current regulation cycle with the following year set to mark a new era that will undoubtedly shake up the order.
Teams had long targeted the 2026 season when new regulations around power units and aerodynamics will come into place.
Especially at the height of Max Verstappen and Red Bull's domination of this post '21 era, it did seem the wisest choice of action for rivals was to bide time and ensure readyness for '26.
But then gears began to shift last year. Verstappen still won his fourth drivers' title in a row with a bit to spare at the end of 2024 thanks to early-season successes.
But as last season wore on, Red Bull's rivals not only caught up but even moved ahead of them with McLaren winning their first constructors' crown since 1998 and Ferrari finishing runners-up.
An increasingly enthralling season saw every driver from the top four teams win at least two grand prix each - the one glaring exception being Verstappen's former team-mate Sergio Perez, who is out in the cold for this coming season - and with 2025 set to be a final evolutionary phase of the current regs, it's whetting the appetite for potentially one of the most open seasons in living memory with possibly up to six drivers harbouring at least an outside chance of the title. A real last days of Rome feel.
The Drivers title contenders
Verstappen may be the reigning four-in-a-row champion but he goes into this weekend's opening round in Australia with a degree of uncertainty.
Testing, which is not necessarily a completely reliable guide, seems to indicate that Red Bull could find themselves somewhat on the back foot compared to this time last year, albeit in what is a tightly-bunched top four which is expected to be headed by McLaren and with Ferrari and Mercedes also in the mix.
The uncompromising Dutchman should still be expected to be in the conversation for the title but the favourite going into 2025 is his friend Lando Norris, who made a step up last year by joining the grand prix winners circle for the first time on route to four victories and second-place in the drivers standings.
Tipped though he may be for 2025, he has a lot prove, namely whether he has a champion's mentality, particularly in direct combat with Verstappen.
"I need to get my elbows out (against Verstappen) and show I am not willing to give him any positions," the Englishman vowed earlier this year.
Norris will also need to be wary of his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri who comes into his home grand prix in Melbourne having marked his second season in F1 with two race wins in Hungary and Azerbaijan.
The chilled Australian did not appear too keen to help Norris in his title quest last year and an audacious first-lap overtake on his team-mate at Monza underlined his intent and signing a new long-term McLaren deal this week further emphasies his promise.
However, while Piastri is just the latest driver to be lumbered with the 'future champion' tag, Norris has mostly had the edge on him, particularly in qualifying.
Now, this article began with a shopping analogy so mention of Ferrari brings about memories of their early spree around the aisles last year.
If that doesn't provide a hint, then you may remember a certain seven-time champion announcing a blockbuster 2025 move away from Mercedes before the 2024 campaign had even begun.
And if that doesn't spark any recognition, then the viral image of Lewis Hamilton dressed 'Godfather' style at Maranello should say enough.
While there is plenty of outside noise about his ambition of winning a record-breaking eighth drivers championship, expectations may need to be dampened though after some trying recent seasons at Mercedes and the need to get used to his new surroundings where he will face up to the daunting task of partnering Ferrari's golden boy Charles Leclerc who is, for this writer's money, the quickest over one lap.
Leclerc put paid to notions of a Monaco curse by winning his home grand prix last year and having become much more consistent, will have eyes on the title.
Hamilton's former team-mate George Russell took two race wins last year and sparked a feud with Verstappen but will for the first time go into a season as Mercedes' undisputed lead driver.
The team has been erratic in this era but seem to be moving towards a more stable footing this year which should aid the Englishman's cause as he prepares to partner one of the rookies who we will speak about later.
Seat-swapping
Four-time race winner and self-styled 'Smooth Operator' Carlos Sainz was the odd man out after Ferrari signed Hamilton and the Spaniard will form an impressive driver line-up alongside Alex Albon for Williams, who hope to be upwardly mobile this year.
German veteran Nico Hulkenberg, who is still waiting for a first ever podium, has moved from Haas to join back-marking Kick Sauber who will become Audi from 2026, while Esteban Ocon leaves Alpine and childhood frenemy Pierre Gasly behind to take the Haas seat.
Meanwhile, the only team other than McLaren to maintain the same driver line-up is Aston Martin with the billionaire owner's son Lance Stroll still in a seat alongside two-time champion Fernando Alonso, the oldest on the grid once again, at 43. While they to have F1's most renowned designer on board now in Adrian Newey, this year is expected to be more of a slog for them.
New Faces
Technically-speaking there are six rookies on the grid this season, although in truth only four of them are completely brand new to an F1 starting grid.
Verstappen's new Red Bull team-mate Liam Lawson had cameos for their sister team, the tongue-twisting Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team, in 2023 and 2024, so is actually a 'veteran' of 11 grand prix.
Ollie Bearman at Haas has also competed in three race weekends, deputising for Ferrari to good effect in Jeddah last year and then for his current team in Baku and Sao Paulo.
But Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Isack Hadjar (the aforementioned Racing Bulls), Jack Doohan (Alpine) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) are the quartet who will compete in an F1 race weekend for the first time.
Antonelli has been fast-tracked into a race seat by Toto Wolff and will have to fill big shoes but the 18-year-old has been tipped as a potential Verstappen-esque generational talent, although he wouldn't be the first to have to deal with that level of expectation.
Frenchman Hadjar is known to be er, expressive on the team radio much like his more experienced team-mate at RB, Yuki Tsunoda, which could test the FIA's decree over swearing, while F2 champ Bortoleto brings a Brazilian presence back to the grid.
The Irish corner
While there are no Irish drivers on the grid these days, our island is very well represented behind the scenes in various roles.
Fermanagh's Bernie Collins, who's often on the mic at Sky Sports F1 is in many people's view the most insightful analyst in the paddock, bolstered by her past experience working as a strategist for Aston Martin.
Journalists like Carlow man Thomas Maher are a visible presence too on race weekends, while Laois native Patrick Harding has been notable as Albon's trainer and performance coach.
But in terms of on-track talent, keep your eyes on FIA Formula 2 this year, including this weekend in Melbourne where the series will be a support race to F1.
Kildare's Alex Dunne will be racing for the Rodin Motorsport team in F2, having featured in F3 last year.
The 19-year-old spoke to this writer in January shortly before the Rodin move was announced and remained hopeful that his F1 dream is achievable.
"There are only 20 spots in F1 and all the drivers in F3 and F2 want to get there just as much as I want to, so of course it's going to be difficult. But if we can keep on chipping away, then I'd like to think it's possible," he said.
The 2025 F1 Calendar (Weekends featuring F2 support races in italics)
16 March - Australian GP
23 March - Chinese GP
6 April - Japanese GP
13 April - Bahrain GP
20 April - Saudi Arabian GP
4 May - Miami GP
18 May - Emilia Romagna GP
25 May - Monaco GP
1 June - Spanish GP
15 June - Canadian GP
29 June - Austrian GP
6 July - British GP
27 July - Belgian GP
3 August - Hungarian GP
31 August - Dutch GP
7 September - Italian GP
21 September - Azerbaijan GP
5 October - Singapore GP
19 October - United States GP
26 October - Mexico City GP
9 November - Sao Paulo GP
22 November - Las Vegas GP
30 November - Qatar GP
7 December - Abu Dhabi GP
