Why a settled McLaren can win both titles in F1 2025 season
McLaren are one of just two teams who have kept their driver lineup.
The reigning Constructors’ champions are good odds to do so again in 2025 but can they win the Drivers’ Championship as well?
This is the last of the four articles analysing each title contender. You can read the Mercedes’ one here, the Red Bull one here and the Ferrari one here.
How did they do in 2024?
Few in McLaren would have picked 2024 as the year they won the Constructors’ title but that came to pass when Red Bull slipped up.
McLaren’s strength has always been the work they do at the MTC and they had the best car for the highest number of races last year, a winning factor when it comes to the Constructors’ challenge.
It was not a perfect year though. An inability to be ruthless saw the team fail to maximise their advantage as the ill-defined ‘papaya rules’ meant their two drivers were pitted against one another on more than one occasion.
The driver preference has been reset to zero for 2025 but if one does start to hint at a title challenge, McLaren’s approach to that will be key.
What they need to do
The only black mark on McLaren’s copybook in 2024 was their strategy as too many times they failed to maximise their results.
Incidents at Silverstone, Monza, Hungary and Sao Paulo saw the team come under fire and racing director Randeep Singh must oversee an improvement in his strategy department.
The team have already made some changes with Norris’ strategist promoted to a more senior role but the proof is in the pudding and only once action gets underway will we see how well McLaren have addressed that issue.
What about the drivers?
Of all the pairings of the title contenders, it is McLaren who have the fewest question marks when it comes to their drivers.
They are one of just two teams on the whole grid who have the same lineup as they ended 2024 with and Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have already proven themselves to be special talents.
For Norris, 2024 was a coming of age year. A first win was followed by three more and he was consistent enough to be the only driver with a hint of dethroning Max Verstappen.
His downfall was race starts where he let a quali advantage slip away too easily but there is no reason why he cannot challenge again this year.
As for Oscar Piastri, 2024 was another year of growth as he too got his first win on the board. He remains a step behind Norris but into his third season now and the Australian will feel he can emerge as a lead driver.
Who is their MVP?
Andrea Stella’s promotion to team principal at the start of 2023 signalled the beginning of a new dawn for McLaren and the Woking side have gone from strength to strength since the Italian’s appointment.
Experience in a winning-machine like Ferrari combined with Stella’s technical knowledge and calm and calculated persona has transformed McLaren and earned their first silverware this century.
The job is not done though. Keeping the likes of Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes behind is a challenge that requires a team to be at their best and Stella must solve the strategy issues that hampered them in 2024.
More on the F1 2025 season from PlanetF1.com
The ultimate F1 2025 guide: Everything you need to know about the 2025 season
F1 schedule: When is the next F1 race and where is it being held?
Why they won’t
In the last two seasons, McLaren have been slow starters with their car not hitting its stride until the first wave of major upgrades.
With 2025 looking like it may be one of the most competitive seasons for a long time, McLaren cannot afford to be caught cold when the season starts. If that same delay happens again, like in 2024, they will be playing catchup for the rest of the season.
As the reigning Constructors’ champion, the ball is in their court but McLaren need to become a more effective team, ensuring they maximise the points when they are on top and making the best of it when they are not.
Failure to address those issues and it is hard to see how McLaren will be able to retain the title.
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