McLaren leads the early fight, but F1’s true pecking order will only emerge after three very different and revealing upcoming races.
Mercedes is gearing up for another tight battle at the front as Formula 1 heads to Japan next weekend. According to Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin, McLaren is currently setting the pace after their impressive back-to-back wins in Melbourne and Shanghai. But he’s not counting Ferrari out just yet.
“We’ve shown that our car performs well across different circuits,” Shovlin explained. “But right now, McLaren is probably the team to beat. And of course, Max [Verstappen] is always quick.”
“Ferrari doesn’t seem far off either. They’ve just had a bit of bad luck so far. It’s definitely tight at the top, and we’re working hard to bring updates because we know we need to close the gap—especially to McLaren.”
Looking ahead, Shovlin is excited about the next few races, starting with the iconic Suzuka Circuit.
“Suzuka is an amazing track—super fast, really flowing. A lot of drivers say it’s their favorite on the calendar,” he said. “It’ll be Kimi Antonelli’s first time there. It’s a big challenge for a young driver in just his third F1 race, but he’s really looking forward to it.”
After Japan, F1 heads to Bahrain and then Saudi Arabia. That’s when Shovlin believes we’ll start to see a clearer picture of the real pecking order in 2025.
“Bahrain is a place we know well because of winter testing. It has its own unique demands, but we hope we’ll be in the fight for podiums there.”
“Then comes Jeddah—another street circuit, pretty smooth surface, and again, quite different from the others. These next three races are all unique in their own way.”
“By the time we’ve done five races, we should have a clearer sense of the true hierarchy,” Shovlin concluded. “But what’s exciting is that we’ve started the season with a car that the drivers enjoy and that’s competitive. It makes things more predictable, and we’re ready for the fight.”
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Mercedes Eyes McLaren as True Test Begins in Japan
Mercedes Eyes McLaren as True Test Begins in Japan
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