Formula 1 ace Lando Norris has sent out a stern message to his competitors about the latent potential of McLaren’s 2025 F1 vehicle. The confident driver’s remarks come in the wake of a triumphant run at the Australian Grand Prix, where McLaren’s new MCL39 car showcased its prowess.
Norris, who navigated through fluctuating weather conditions to secure a victory at Albert Park, has warned that specific circuits will be even more advantageous for the MCL39. The racing world had already been buzzing about McLaren’s new supercar, and it wasn’t long before Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri left their competition in the dust as the track dried up.
A remarkable 18-second lead over Max Verstappen’s Red Bull was gained by Norris within just 26 laps before an unfortunate crash involving Fernando Alonso summoned the Safety Car. This high-speed performance has sparked fears among other teams that the Woking-based outfit, who also secured a front-row lockout with three-tenths advantage over Red Bull, might be gearing up for a dominant run.
However, Norris acknowledges that not all tracks will play to McLaren’s strengths. “I believe we’ll face tracks where McLaren will have to grapple with difficulties,” he disclosed to Motorsport Week, “but I also foresee circuits where our car will outperform others.”
Last year, despite a fruitful second half of the season, McLaren struggled at Vegas. Norris held nothing back as he described their performance as ‘shocking’, highlighting the issues with the front of the car, such as graining and lack of rotation. The British driver is confident, however, that the MCL39, which boasts a more balanced design, will perform well on a variety of circuits, regardless of speed or downforce levels.
McLaren’s impressive performance at the Australia Grand Prix was somewhat of a surprise even for the team. However, Norris believes that they could falter at Bahrain despite a promising performance in pre-season testing. He cautioned that their high-fuel pace might not be enough to edge out competitors on low fuel.
On a positive note, Norris is optimistic about the upcoming race in China, where McLaren split the dominant Red Bull cars in 2024 with their MCL38. “I’m confident that we can be very strong in China next weekend, as we were last year with not a very good car,” he stated, expressing hope that their worst-performing circuit, Vegas, will also see improvement.
As McLaren continues to surprise with their newfound competitiveness, it’s clear that the team and their star driver are ready to face any challenge head-on. With Norris at the helm, McLaren’s rivals should brace themselves for an intense competition on the tracks in 2025.
