McLaren’s Formula 1 team has expressed astonishment at the formidable performance of their 2025 F1 car at the Australian Grand Prix. Andrea Stella, the team’s boss, conceded that the car’s competitiveness was a pleasant, unexpected surprise.
The McLaren team kicked off the racing season with an impressive start, as Lando Norris snagged pole position and later emerged victorious under fluctuating conditions at the race in Melbourne. Norris’ triumph was a close call, with only eight-tenths of a second separating him from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
However, it was McLaren’s pace earlier in the weekend that sent ripples of concern through their rivals. Norris maintained a lead of over three-tenths over Verstappen, the nearest non-McLaren competitor, during the qualifying rounds. As anticipated, this lead only widened as the race unfolded.
Despite Verstappen’s best efforts to keep up with the McLaren racers, tyre degradation issues on the Intermediates saw him falling 14 seconds behind within just 10 laps. Christian Horner, Red Bull’s boss, found McLaren’s minimal tyre wear peculiar, but Stella attributed this to the meticulous attention paid to this aspect during the development of the MCL39 car.
Stella’s faith in the radical changes implemented in the McLaren was unwavering. However, he admitted that the initial advantage they’ve managed to hold onto has come as a surprise.
Stella confessed, “Last year, when we were deciding the approach for the 2025 car, given the competitiveness of the 2024 model after the Miami upgrade, we aimed high. We knew we had no room for complacency given the high level of competition from Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull.”
McLaren set ambitious technical targets, focusing not only on aerodynamic efficiency but also on mechanical improvement and better tyre interaction.
Stella further added, “Today, we saw that the car interacts well with the tyres. In the first stint, we were able to create a gap with other cars, which I believe is not just due to the car itself but also how gentle it is on the tyres. This has come as a bit of a surprise in terms of how competitive the car is.”
Despite the early success, Stella remains pragmatic, stating that future races on more traditional circuits will offer a more accurate measure of their vehicle’s competitiveness. He admitted, “We have yet to see Ferrari. I believe they are not far behind us.”
In a shocking revelation, McLaren disclosed that Lando Norris won the Australian GP with a ‘badly damaged’ floor, further underlining the astonishing performance of their 2025 F1 car. The full extent of McLaren’s competitive edge will undoubtedly come to light in the upcoming races.
