McLaren enters the 2025 Formula 1 season riding high after clinching their first Constructors’ Championship in 26 years, a feat that cemented the team’s return to the top of the grid. However, their path to glory in 2024 was not without controversy. Critics and fans alike questioned McLaren’s cautious approach in managing its star drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, especially as Norris emerged as a serious challenger to Max Verstappen for the Drivers’ Championship.
With the MCL38 proving to be the most versatile and dominant car in the latter half of the 2024 season, McLaren heads into 2025 as favorites for both titles. But success may hinge on how they balance the ambitions of their two young and hungry drivers.
The 2024 Criticism: A Missed Opportunity for Norris?
Throughout much of the 2024 campaign, McLaren’s focus appeared split. While Norris demonstrated the consistency and speed needed to challenge Verstappen, the team hesitated to fully back him as their primary title contender. This indecision, critics argue, allowed Red Bull’s Verstappen to build a lead that proved insurmountable, despite McLaren’s late-season surge.
Team Principal Andrea Stella defended the team’s approach, highlighting the importance of maintaining harmony and prioritizing team goals:
“Both drivers were always fully aware that we need to find solutions that, first of all, put the interests of the team and then the interests of the drivers.”
However, with the stakes even higher in 2025, McLaren faces a critical challenge: how to maximize their drivers’ potential without undermining their championship aspirations.
Looking Ahead to 2025: Driver Management in the Spotlight
Stella acknowledges the unique “problem” McLaren may face in 2025—both Norris and Piastri starting the season with machinery capable of winning from the outset. This is a stark contrast to 2024, where early-season struggles left the team playing catch-up.
“We worked very hard to have a problem of having a car in condition to win races and two drivers in condition to win races. These are complications that we have already faced this season to some extent.”
The team’s approach, Stella suggests, will focus on unity and transparency, ensuring that both drivers understand when the team’s interests take precedence over individual ambitions.
The Stakes for Norris and Piastri
- Lando Norris: Now entering his sixth season with McLaren, Norris has firmly established himself as one of F1’s top talents. The Brit will be hungry to capitalize on the team’s newfound form and avoid a repeat of 2024, where strategic indecision may have cost him a shot at the title.
- Oscar Piastri: The 23-year-old Australian proved his mettle in 2024, scoring multiple podiums and contributing heavily to McLaren’s Constructors’ Championship win. However, Piastri’s growing confidence and ambition could spark intra-team tensions if he finds himself battling Norris for supremacy.
Zak Brown’s Vision and the Road Ahead
Under Zak Brown’s leadership, McLaren has transformed into a competitive powerhouse, blending innovation, strategic hires, and an aggressive approach to development. Brown’s challenge now lies in ensuring that the team’s resurgence doesn’t unravel due to internal rivalry.
Stella’s remarks underline the team’s focus on delivering a car capable of fighting for titles from the first race:
“Had we done this at the start of this season, without having some underperformance in the early races, we would have been in condition to fight for the Drivers’ Championship for longer.”
Can McLaren Avoid a Red Bull-Style Conundrum?
History shows that managing two top-tier drivers in a competitive car is a delicate balancing act—just ask Red Bull during the Verstappen-Ricciardo era or Mercedes with Hamilton and Rosberg. McLaren must learn from these examples to foster a healthy competition without undermining their championship bid.
Will McLaren strike the right balance in 2025, or will internal rivalry derail their ambitions? With Norris and Piastri at the helm of what is expected to be another formidable machine, McLaren’s decisions will define the next chapter of their storied legacy.
