After ending a 16-year Formula 1 title drought in 2024, McLaren have the chance to hammer home their advantage and secure a historic double championship this season.
Lando Norris helped to bring home the constructors’ championship trophy over Ferrari in a nail-biting decider at last season’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
After teammate Oscar Piastri collided with Max Verstappen and was stuck in the midfield, he remained calm under pressure and delivered the performance of a true champion to bring joy back to Woking.
McLaren are the favourite for both titles in 2025 and should start the season in a far better position this time around. The earlier they can build a lead, the stronger their chances of fighting off any comeback from their rivals will be.
McLaren have taken a bold approach to their 2025 car, which might be music to the ears of Norris, who wants to go one step further and claim his maiden drivers’ crown at the next opportunity.
Team boss Zak Brown thinks it’s a good problem for McLaren that they will have less development time than their rivals due to the Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions. It means that they’re starting to win more.
Damon Hill picks McLaren to be ‘world champions again’ in 2025
McLaren were told they made one huge mistake in Norris’ title fight last year by not backing him soon enough after he gained a points advantage over Piastri.
Instead, the two nearly came to blows at Monza after an aggressive first-lap overtake from the Australian, which may have cost them a one-two finish.
They’re going to need to be more decisive this year, with the field expected to be spread by a very small margin, with no regulation changes over the winter.
READ MORE: McLaren’s 2025 ‘mantra’ for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri is music to Max Verstappen’s ears
McLaren’s 2025 car has been spotted with three revised changes after hitting the track at Silverstone for the first time this week.
After seeing the machine, 1996 world champion Damon Hill took to Instagram to make a prediction for 2025, saying: “World champions again,” in response to a McLaren post.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s thoughts on McLaren’s exciting first F1 run of 2025 at Silverstone
McLaren are the first team to hit the track with their official 2025 challenger, five days before the official launch of team liveries at F1 75 Live next week.
Norris called McLaren’s one-off camo livery ‘fun’, and fans were excited to see such a drastic colour change from the Woking-based outfit.
The first and only test of pre-season runs from February 26-28 at Bahrain’s Sakhir circuit, where teams will be eager to cram as much running as they can into the three nine-hour sessions.
READ MORE: McLaren and Ferrari have a ‘problem’ that could cost Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton the 2025 F1 title
After that, there will be two more weeks before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, where Piastri will be looking to kick the season off in style by winning his home race for McLaren.
Any other result might end up being a bit of a disappointment, but he’s almost guaranteed to be fighting at the top.
Leave feedback about this