Lando Norris thinks one McLaren rival will surprise everyone at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend after he accused them of sandbagging during pre-season testing.
Formula 1 returns with the Australian GP following three days of testing at the end of February, in which most of the top four teams were keen to not show their competitive hands too early.
McLaren stunned everyone with Lando Norris’ pace on the second day, with the Briton quicker than Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on the race runs.
GPS data puts Mercedes second-best on one-lap pace, while Red Bull appeared to be sandbagging with their qualifying runs. Norris believes one other rival of McLaren’s might surprise everyone at the opening around of the 2025 season when speaking to AutoRacer.it.
Lando Norris thinks Ferrari will surprise everyone at Australian Grand Prix
Ferrari had a relatively low-key Bahrain test with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completing 382 laps between them.
Hamilton mainly used the time to get used to how Ferrari operate trackside, while also working closely with his engineer Riccardo Adami.
Norris expects Ferrari to surprise everyone with their pace on Sunday, having seen some important data prior to the Australia GP weekend.
“I know how much fuel and other weight they had in the car for most of the testing. You’ll be surprised how fast they will be this weekend,” said Norris.
David Coulthard thinks Lewis Hamilton is doing something ‘very worrying’ ahead of Ferrari debut
Making a debut with Ferrari is always going to bring a sense of anticipation from fans, particularly the Tifosi who treat their team like a religion.
David Coulthard has been concerned that Hamilton will suffer from fatigue, given that he is now 40 years old.
Hamilton would be the first driver since Jack Brabham in 1966 to win a title over 40, while also the first driver since Damon Hill to win a race at that age bracket.
It is set to be an intriguing season for the Briton, as he chases that elusive eighth world title with one of the most successful F1 teams of all time.
