McLaren starts strong in 2025, but Norris finds the car aggressive, tricky to handle — even as results keep impressing the paddock.
For the first time since 2012, McLaren kicked off a Formula 1 season with a win — taking victory at the Australian Grand Prix just last week.
While they didn’t clinch pole in Shanghai’s sprint qualifying, there’s no question McLaren’s pace is raising eyebrows up and down the paddock.
“This has been a great start to the season,” said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing. “The car is fast. The team’s done an excellent job, and so have the drivers.”
Is McLaren Now the Team to Beat?
The F1 field is watching closely. Has McLaren taken the top spot in performance?
“It’s clear the car is quick,” Brown continued. “Oscar had a strong comeback in Australia, though the conditions were tough — all the restarts made it stressful. Max was in the mix, and any time he’s around, he’s tough to beat. But I think things will stay very close this season.”
Despite the strong start, Brown doesn’t believe McLaren needs to shift its mindset from “hunter” to “hunted.”
“I don’t think we need to change how we think,” he said. “There’s a lot of confidence in the team and the drivers. Everyone’s in a great headspace. The pit wall in Australia did an outstanding job managing pressure — from the weather to the tire strategy and race restarts. It was impressive.”
Norris Struggles with the Car’s Handling
Not everything is perfect, though. Lando Norris has admitted the McLaren isn’t exactly suited to his driving style — it’s fast, yes, but extremely hard to tame.
Brown doesn’t deny it.
“It’s true — the car could be a bit more forgiving,” he said. “We’re always working on making it more drivable without sacrificing performance. It’s clearly fast, but when it’s on the edge, it demands a lot from the driver.”
Still, Brown isn’t overly concerned.
“Lando is still adapting, but he’s doing a great job. He and Oscar are pushing each other — you could see it in Q3 in Australia. We were pleasantly surprised by the gap. Maybe others underperformed, but we’ll know more over the next few races. The true pecking order isn’t set yet.”
Confidence in Piastri
While Norris has grabbed more headlines, Brown is full of praise for Oscar Piastri — and dismisses the idea that the Australian is playing catch-up.
“Oscar is always incredibly prepared. He’s calm, focused, and that’s one of his biggest strengths. I’ve been impressed with him since day one. That’s why we extended his contract — we want stability and focus in the team. He had a brilliant recovery drive in Australia. I couldn’t be happier with both of our drivers.”
Healthy Competition, No Drama
So far, the relationship between Norris and Piastri seems balanced. Brown believes the internal competition is helping more than hurting.
“Our drivers had the whole of January off, and they came back sharp — physically and mentally. They’ve been working closely with the race team, staying involved with car development. We’ve made real changes to the car — it’s not just a tweaked version of last year.”
In Australia, Norris showed real composure under pressure, fending off Max Verstappen with DRS breathing down his neck.
“He was calm, in control. He knew exactly what he needed, listened when it mattered, and delivered a very mature race in tough conditions.”
Red Bull Still the Benchmark
As McLaren rises, the shadow of Red Bull still looms. When asked about their rivals, Brown kept it classy — mostly.
“You’ve got to respect what Red Bull has achieved — over 20 years now. It’s impressive. They’ve won a lot of races, a lot of championships. This is a results-driven sport, and their record speaks for itself.”
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Brown Backs Norris as McLaren Grapples With Wild Pace
Brown Backs Norris as McLaren Grapples With Wild Pace
