Max Verstappen Recognizes McLaren’s All-Round Strength in 2025

The reigning world champion, Max Verstappen, has acknowledged the impressive performance of McLaren in the opening race of the 2025 season. Lando Norris clinched victory at the Australian Grand Prix, and Verstappen believes will continue to shine at the Chinese Grand Prix.

McLaren’s Dominant Start to the Season

Lando Norris’ win in Australia was a testament to McLaren‘s obvious pace advantage. The year’s first sprint race is also scheduled for Shanghai, and Norris and Oscar Piastri will aim to demonstrate the true speed of their . Despite challenging conditions in Melbourne, Verstappen finished less than a second behind Norris for Red Bull, with George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli taking third and fourth respectively for Mercedes.

With a dry weekend expected in China, Norris and Piastri will strive to showcase McLaren‘s potential fully. However, Verstappen is already convinced of its strength. “They’re super strong,” he said. “I mean, I have a lot of respect for what they have achieved. They were fast last year, and now they’re even faster – very consistent, good everywhere.”

While it’s challenging to quantify the exact gap between McLaren and their competitors, Verstappen believes that Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari will be closely matched. He suggests that improvements across the board are necessary for Red Bull to match ‘s performance.

Norris on His McLaren and Its Challenges

Despite predictions of McLaren dominating at least the early part of 2025, Lando Norris has expressed that the car doesn’t suit his driving style at all. He described it as a “tricky car to drive and to put together a lap.”

Verstappen, who faced similar challenges last year, responded humorously when told about Norris’ comments. “His own McLaren? Maybe he was joking,” he said. “I don’t want to compare scenarios. For sure, last year, when we started, I was already complaining that some bits were not to my liking, but we were still winning.”