Lando Norris and McLaren’s Performance-Driven Strategy for the 2025 Chinese GP

Championship leader Lando Norris has raised some eyebrows ahead of the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, hinting at a shift in his persuasion efforts towards McLaren to design a car that caters more to his aggressive driving style. This might seem counterintuitive given the MCL39’s impressive performance at the season opener, but Norris provides crucial context.

The Challenge of Balancing Performance and Driver Preference

Norris prefers an aggressive approach during braking and corner entries, requiring a car with a front end capable of handling such bold maneuvers. However, he describes the MCL39 as ‘pretty weak’ in these areas, prompting him to adjust his style to suit. Our GPS analysis from Melbourne suggests that Norris was asking less of the car on the brakes and focusing more on exit speed last weekend.

Neil Houldey, McLaren‘s technical director of engineering, explains that their focus has been on generating the fastest car possible, rather than tailoring it to Norris’s preferred style. “We just try and generate the fastest car that we possibly can,” he said. “Lando is good enough to manage that and change his driving style to suit.”

As the ground-effect ruleset matures, teams are finding it increasingly challenging to unlock more performance without inducing bothersome quirks. The underfloor, crucial for downforce creation, must run close to the track surface and maintain a steady position despite braking, acceleration, cornering forces, and bumps – a delicate balancing act.

McLaren’s Approach to Car Design for the 2025 Season

McLaren CEO Zak Brown emphasizes their choice for pure performance over the past winter, but acknowledges the need to make the MCL39 a bit ‘more compliant’ before fully focusing on the 2026 car project. “I think you’re always trying to make the car a little bit easier for the drivers,” he said in China.

Brown believes that as the drivers gain experience with the 2025 car, they will become more comfortable with its ‘tricky’ aspects. Despite the challenges, McLaren aims to strike a balance between improving the feeling for its drivers and preserving pure potential.