While the second day of the 2025 Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain saw McLaren’s long-run game turning heads, their team principal, Andrea Stella, chose to downplay the hype. Despite Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris ending up 13th and 14th on the day’s timesheets, it was the team’s race simulation that truly dazzled, seeming to outclass formidable rivals like Ferrari and Mercedes.
Norris, along with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli, undertook race simulations using Pirelli’s C3, C2, and C1 tyre compounds. Norris, however, clocked a final race simulation lap on the C2 compound, approximately two seconds ahead of Leclerc and Antonelli on the C1. This raised questions: Was this final stint’s pace due to a tyre advantage, or was it a testament to McLaren’s remarkable long-run strength?
Stella, in a conversation with select media, including Motorsport Week, provided some insight into McLaren’s strategy, emphasizing that the tyre choice was more about testing the three compounds’ behavior rather than gaining an edge. Notably, Pirelli’s compounds had been modified from the previous year, which required some testing and adjustment.
Stella also underscored the unique testing conditions at the Bahrain International Circuit, with its unseasonably cool temperatures and distinct tarmac roughness. He warned that these singular conditions mean all gathered data should be interpreted cautiously, as the early races’ demands on the tyres and the car-tyre interaction would be entirely different.
The team principal’s focus, he claimed, was more on McLaren’s performance and progress rather than the competition. However, he did admit that the timing screens suggested an anticipated tight pecking order in F1 2025.
Stella’s comments came on a day when Williams’ Carlos Sainz topped the timesheet, indicating that competition in 2025 could extend beyond the top four F1 teams. Stella hinted at the possibility of needing to expand our language from the “top four” to the “top five” or even “top six”. He concluded, “Certainly there seem to be a few quick cars out there.”
In summary, while McLaren’s performance in the pre-season testing has been promising, team principal Andrea Stella urges caution and focus, emphasizing the unique conditions and the need to understand the modified tyre compounds. At the same time, the competition seems set to heat up, making the 2025 Formula 1 season a potentially thrilling affair.