The Australian Grand Prix could potentially witness a surprising turn of events with McLaren poised to kick off the F1 2025 season on a high note. This speculation has been backed by Red Bull’s senior advisor, Helmut Marko, who anticipates a ‘one-two’ victory for McLaren in Melbourne, considering their impressive pace during the Bahrain F1 testing.
Lando Norris from McLaren, who was already a favourite contender for the Drivers’ title, further solidified his position during the three-day track action in Bahrain. His remarkable performance has led many to predict that McLaren might be leading the F1 2025 pecking order, closely followed by Red Bull/Mercedes and Ferrari.
Marko, in his analysis of the testing data, observed a one-second per lap advantage for McLaren in race conditions. This, according to him, could translate into an early victory for the team if they can replicate their Bahrain performance in Australia. “McLaren was very fast. If they realise this speed in Australia, then it will be a one-two for McLaren,” Marko stated during an appearance on ServusTV’s ‘Sport and Talk from Hangar 7’.
However, Marko didn’t display any signs of despair for his team, Red Bull. He expressed confidence that the pecking order could still change as the season progresses. He further cautioned against using the winter tests as a definitive benchmark, pointing out the atypical conditions that prevailed.
As the season commences, all eyes will be on Max Verstappen from Red Bull, who is vying for an unprecedented fifth World Championship in a row. This feat, if achieved, would surpass Sebastian Vettel’s title streak with the team from 2010-13. However, Verstappen himself voiced concerns about making a winning start to the season.
Speaking at a Viaplay event, Verstappen emphasized the need for improvements in his team. “McLaren is the favourite if you look at the lap times. And for us, not everything went completely smoothly,” he admitted. Nevertheless, Verstappen remains hopeful about the potential for improvements in the upcoming races, attributing his optimism to the time spent in the simulator with his team.
As the F1 2025 season is set to begin, the battle lines are drawn. With McLaren seemingly in the lead, Red Bull and the others will be scurrying to make improvements. As Verstappen rightly put it, “It’s never good enough, of course, but I think we expected a tiny bit more from it ourselves.” The upcoming Australian GP will undoubtedly be a thrilling spectacle to watch.