Rival F1 figure ‘adamant’ that Lando Norris will face significant McLaren car issue in 2025

Lando Norris will probably reject the favourite tag for the 2025 Formula 1 season. He might say that Max Verstappen has won the last four championships, so is naturally the man to beat.

Of course, Norris said ‘next year’s my year’ on the team radio after he won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But that came amidst the team’s celebrations after sealing the constructors’ title.

In a more relaxed setting behind the microphone at pre-season testing, the McLaren driver may be more cautious. He doesn’t want to create any extra pressure, even though it is undeniable.

Norris had, on balance, the fastest car in F1 from round six in Miami until round 24 at Yas Marina. That’s what the results say, anyway.

He has the beating of Oscar Piastri for now – 17-7 in the races, 21-3 in qualifying. Next year’s car is simply an evolution of its predecessor, with no major off-season regulation changes.

It’s no surprise, then, that Karun Chandhok has picked Norris as his favourite. He won’t be the only prominent name to do so.

McLaren will have to make ‘significant’ F1 changes to Lando Norris’ car

While the cars will be fundamentally the same at the season opener in Australia, there will be changes come the summer. That’s after the FIA announced a new technical directive tightening the regulation of the front wings.

The permitted flexibility has been reduced by a third. According to Motorsport.com, McLaren, Mercedes, Aston Martin and Alpine will be most affected after tapping into the aerodynamic advantages.

One ‘senior team source’ is ‘adamant’ that McLaren and co. will have to make ‘significant’ changes to meet the new criteria. And that doesn’t just apply to the front wing – the revised airflow will demand tweaks to the floor too.

The new directive will be introduced from the Spanish Grand Prix onwards. It’s entirely feasible that McLaren lose ground in Barcelona and are left in recovery mode, though the team will inevitably play down this possibility.

Why Ferrari aren’t happy with the FIA over F1’s new flexi-wing rules

It’s worth noting that McLaren are in favour of the new front-wing rules. Given that this has been a hot topic in the paddock since last summer, they may have been prepared for a clampdown.

Some engineers are worried that F1 cars could start porpoising again after the aerodynamic disruption. The bouncing phenomenon plagued numerous teams at the start of the rule cycle.

Red Bull and Ferrari theoretically stand to gain from the FIA’s recent announcement. But it’s unclear whether they built some additional flexibility into their 2025 designs.

Indeed, Ferrari are unhappy with the FIA for delaying the implementation. The tougher checks were initially expected to come in around the Singapore GP last year.