McLaren’s Mixed Start to the 2025 F1 Season

The 2025 Formula 1 season began on a high note for McLaren; Lando Norris clinched victory at the Australian Grand Prix while finishing second to teammate Oscar Piastri in the Chinese Grand Prix.

However, 2026 is expected to bring significant changes for the team.

Piastri faced challenges, crashing during his reconnaissance lap at the Australian Grand Prix and missed the Chinese Grand Prix due to a mechanical issue with his MCL40. He returned for the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend but has yet to complete a race lap this season. Norris, meanwhile, finished fifth in Melbourne, but also had a mechanical failure before the Chinese race, preventing him from starting.

As things stand, the reigning constructors’ champions find themselves in third place with only 18 points, trailing behind Mercedes and Ferrari.

Despite the rocky beginning, Norris remains optimistic about the season, pointing to the “potential” of their car.

“This car has a lot of potential,” he mentioned during an FIA press conference ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.

He also reflected on their current struggles, saying, “We’re certainly not where we want to be. The real question is whether it’s better to have won last year or to be in a slightly better car now. I think you know my answer.” He added, “You can’t make everything the best.”

Norris then discussed the divide between McLaren and the front-runners.

“As a team, we’re not where we ideally want to be, but I believe we know what we’re capable of. Now is the perfect time to show what we can do against Ferrari and Mercedes. We’ve performed well recently, and I trust that everyone at the factory is putting in the effort to improve. Some things just take time to fix, and it’s not entirely our fault.”

“Currently, we sit as a third-place team, which is certainly more enjoyable than being further back. Time will tell how things unfold. We’ve got some strategies in place, and everyone is working hard, aiming to get back to the top.”

Norris pointed out that the team collaborated with Mercedes High Performance Powertrain (HPP) to address the issues encountered in Shanghai.

“It took some time to figure things out with HPP,” he acknowledged on Thursday. “It was a blow for us, seeing both cars not finish the race. What hurt more was that it was something beyond our control.”

“At HPP, we’ve been diligent in understanding what went wrong and are determined to prevent a repeat. It’s a learning experience, and no one wants to face a weekend like that, especially on race day. It was tough, but I think it’s an opportunity for us to step back, learn, and focus on moving forward.”

Despite being third in the standings, McLaren has seen its share of comeback stories late in the season. They started the 2023 season at the bottom, yet by the time of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Norris expected to fight just for points, eventually finishing fifth in the constructors’ championship. In 2024, the team was third behind Red Bull and Ferrari early on but overtook them to claim the title by season’s end.

With some promising podium finishes, Norris is hopeful about future races.

“I can’t remember the exact points gap we had between us and the top teams back in 2024—probably over 150. Despite that, we managed to come back and win. I’m not sure of our current deficit but, honestly, we aren’t fixating on it right now,” Norris said.

“Right now, our focus is on getting on the podium and winning races. The points will then take care of themselves, and we’ll see where we stand.”

“I’m confident in the team. We believe in ourselves after winning the last two championships, thanks to having built a top car. I’m sure we can achieve that again this year; it just requires time and patience. I truly believe in the team’s ability to deliver the best car this season.”

Maybe, just maybe, that patience will start to yield results for McLaren this week.