Lando Norris battled car damage and Max Verstappen’s relentless attacks to secure McLaren’s stunning Australian GP victory. How close was he to losing it?
McLaren has revealed that a severely damaged floor almost cost Lando Norris his shot at victory in the Australian Grand Prix.
Towards the end of the race, Norris was under immense pressure from Max Verstappen, trying to hold onto the lead. But according to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, Norris was struggling with a wounded car, making the battle much tighter than expected.
“One of the challenges Lando faced in the final laps was a heavily damaged floor. We don’t have exact numbers yet, but he lost a significant amount of aerodynamic performance. That limited his ability to extract the full potential of the car.”
A Tough Fight to the Finish
Stella admitted that without the damage, Norris shouldn’t have had such a hard time keeping Verstappen at bay.
“I think the situation became more intense than it should have been because of the damage. And Max took full advantage.”
The MCL39 proved to be a strong car, as seen with Oscar Piastri, who recovered multiple positions after an early mistake. Stella believes that if Norris had an intact car, the victory would have been far more secure.
The team is now analyzing race data to determine exactly when and how the damage occurred—possibly when Norris ran wide at Turn 12 on Lap 44, or during another off-track moment after the restart.
“We’re still investigating. It could have been when he went through the gravel as the rain hit, or maybe another off at the restart. We’ll check the data to see where the aerodynamic loss started.”
Verstappen’s Challenge and Red Bull’s Threat
Verstappen had overtaken Piastri early in the race and was pressuring Norris in the first stint. However, a mistake at Turn 11 on Lap 15 allowed Piastri to pass him again, causing Verstappen’s pace to drop significantly.
Despite this, McLaren isn’t underestimating Red Bull’s potential in upcoming races.
“With Verstappen and Red Bull, you’re never surprised. They know how to build fast cars, they race well in tricky conditions, and they’re always a threat.”
Stella believes Verstappen may have pushed his tires too hard early on, trying to stay with Norris.
“I think Max pushed a bit too much in the early laps to stay with Lando. That could explain why he lost some pace later. In the first stint, we managed to open a gap close to a full pit stop. Maybe Max overworked his tires, but that’s what every driver fighting for victory does—take risks and see what happens.”
While McLaren had the upper hand in Australia, Stella warns that more races are needed to truly understand how competitive they are against Red Bull.
A Dream Start to the Season for McLaren
With this win, McLaren has started the 2025 season in much better shape than in 2023 and 2024. But Stella admits there were mixed emotions.
“Winning the season opener is incredibly satisfying, but there’s some disappointment too. For most of the race, we thought we’d get a 1-2 finish.”
Both Norris and Piastri drove brilliantly until the sudden rain in the final sector. Unfortunately, Piastri was caught out more than Norris, losing key positions.
“Oscar was just unlucky. But if our car continues performing at this level, he won’t have to wait long for his own big results.”
Norris also impressed his team with his ability to handle the intense pressure from both Piastri and Verstappen, especially while driving a damaged car.
“Lando was outstanding. Managing race restarts, handling pressure from Oscar and then Max, all while driving a compromised car—it showed how much he has grown as a driver.”
McLaren is also thrilled with how well their drivers worked together throughout the weekend. Their front-row lockout was a direct result of their teamwork.
“The pace we showed, especially in the first stint before the safety car, proved both the car’s speed and its excellent tire management. It’s performing exactly as we hoped after our winter development.”
Despite the strong start, Stella remains cautious.
“We need a few more races to really understand the competitive order. Australia didn’t show us everything our rivals have to offer. We’ll get a clearer picture next weekend in China.”
McLaren has made a statement—but can they keep up this level of performance as the season unfolds?
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Norris’ Damaged Car Nearly Cost Him Victory in Australia Norris’ Damaged Car Nearly Cost Him Victory in Australia
