McLaren have ‘yet another’ advantage that could see Lando Norris beat Max Verstappen at Spanish Grand Prix

Max Verstappen beat Lando Norris to win the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, and Red Bull hope a repeat is possible in 2025 as the FIA enforces stricter flexible front wing tests.

Formula 1 could see the early pecking order reset this weekend, with the FIA clamping down on flexi-wings. The FIA told all 10 teams before the 2025 F1 season began that they had until the Spanish GP to design new front wings, after initially saying it would not change the rules.

Red Bull begged the FIA to impose stricter front wing tests in 2024, having felt McLaren had pushed the limit. Yet as the FIA initially opted not to act, Red Bull invested in their own flexi-wing just to then have to create another new design like all nine of their rival F1 teams have.

McLaren say their flexi-wing is not the key to their speed, with Oscar Piastri and Norris atop the F1 drivers’ championship and the team leading the constructors’ standings. But Red Bull and Ferrari feel the FIA’s flexi-wing clampdown will hurt McLaren the most out of the teams.

McLaren’s aggressive cooling louvres could be a big advantage at the Spanish Grand Prix

McLaren also hold ‘yet another’ advantage that may pay off at the Spanish GP, as Norris bids to avenge last year’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya race. Verstappen seized on Norris’ poor start from pole to win in Spain last term, as the Briton failed to recover after dropping to P3.

READ MORE: The most successful drivers at the F1 Spanish GP of all time and in Barcelona

Mark Hughes and Giorgio Piola report, via the F1 website, that McLaren’s aggressive cooling louvres seen at last week’s Monaco Grand Prix could also be a big benefit in the hot weather forecast for the Spanish GP. Montmelo is expecting temperatures of 19°-32° across Sunday.

Norris won the 2025 Monaco GP from pole position, while Piastri was also able to stay close behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the podium spots without his MCL39 overheating despite McLaren running significantly smaller cooling louvres than any of their rival teams last week.

McLaren focused a lot while developing their car on limiting the heat exiting the louvres and disrupting the airflow over the rear wing plus to the floor area between the rear wheels and diffuser. It is especially advantageous on circuits with a low average speed, like in Barcelona.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri could hand McLaren their first Spanish Grand Prix win since 2005

Piastri and Norris will hope McLaren’s aggressive cooling set-up pays off this weekend, with Verstappen chasing the Red Bull racer’s fourth consecutive Spanish GP win at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Only Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have also won there since 2015.

READ MORE: Most successful teams and engine manufacturers at the Spanish Grand Prix

McLaren have also not won the Spanish GP since Kimi Raikkonen beat Fernando Alonso for Renault by 27.652 seconds back in 2005. Norris could likely have ended the team’s drought last season without botching his start, with the 25-year-old unable to hold Verstappen back.

Mercedes star George Russell also overtook Norris and Verstappen into Turn 1 last year. But the Red Bull racer made light work of passing the Briton on Lap 3 of 66, whereas Norris had to wait until L35 to pass his compatriot and by then was too far off Verstappen to challenge.