What McLaren must learn from 2024 to secure both championships in 2025

Red Bull was a formidable team in 2024, but a late surge from McLaren threatened to topple the squad and snatch both titles from under its nose. But just as a real challenge from McLaren was materialising, cracks started to form, and it could only take the constructors’ crown last season. Now, with a dominant car and two drivers at the top of their game, is McLaren at risk of another near miss?

The first six races of the season in 2024 and 2025 couldn’t be more different for the papaya outfit. Last year, McLaren was scrapping to make the top five until an update for the Miami Grand Prix transformed its fortunes and helped Lando Norris to his first F1 win. This year, the side has won all but one grand prix thanks to the dominance of its MCL39.

This doesn’t mean the squad is guaranteed a crown, as teams in F1 are only measured on the success of their last race, and rivals like Mercedes and Red Bull are sure to start closing the gap as updates arrive.

And once it starts facing stronger and more consistent competition for race wins, McLaren can’t let the cracks of 2024 seep back into its grand prix weekends.

Those chinks in the armour at McLaren materialised in a few key moments over the 2024 season, which hit its chances at winning both titles. Trackside issues like mis-judged strategy calls and slow pitstops proved costly, and mistakes on the part of its drivers cropped up from race to race.

In Canada, a second race win was on the cards for Norris, but slow calls in the switch from intermediate tyres to slicks cost vital track position. In the end, the British racer came home second, missing out on seven vital championship points.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

A few weeks later in Silverstone, Norris blamed a handful of wrong decisions over the grand prix for his third-place finish, meaning he missed out on another 10 points.

Then, there was the Hungarian Grand Prix. In-fighting at McLaren was broadcast for all to hear over team radio, as Norris argued with his engineer, Will Joseph, about passing Oscar Piastri to clinch a second F1 victory. The Brit was told that the “way to win a championship is not by yourself, it’s with the team,” and subsequently held the line and allowed Piastri to pick up a first F1 win.

Had McLaren thrown its weight behind Norris from this point, or if the Brit had chosen to ignore his team’s request, he would have closed in on a storming Max Verstappen at the top of the drivers’ championship.

In 2025, McLaren isn’t the hunter and instead has a commanding lead at the top of the constructors’ standing. Piastri also sits 16 points ahead of Norris in the drivers’ standings, who himself is 16 points clear of third-place Verstappen.

The lead doesn’t guarantee both crowns are coming McLaren’s way, however, and there will come a point that the papaya outfit has to throw its weight behind one of its drivers if it wants to finally complete the double – a first for the squad since 1998. So far, the team is still refusing to do that.

“I always say they’re free to race,” said McLaren CEO Zak Brown following the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. “So, they were free to race and, I mean, if you looked at the lap times there wasn’t anything in it. So, they both did a great job. But they actually decide not to [race], but I’m alright with that.”

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Team principal Andrea Stella echoed these comments when he warned that an “interesting situation” was coming at the team as Norris chased down Piastri in the closing stages of the Miami GP. Ultimately, Norris was still four seconds back by the time the chequered flag fell, but Stella warned that a closer battle will surely “come in the future races.”

The team boss is another opponent of introducing team orders at McLaren, having previously warned that it could have “destroyed” future opportunities if McLaren had ordered Piastri to help his team-mate maximise points in 2024.

But could not pulling rank have equally disastrous results for the outfit in its hunt for both world titles?

“We’re trying to repeat 2007,” Piastri quipped after the Miami GP, when asked about the possibility of a fierce inter-team battle as the season progresses. “We clearly know that we have our strengths and it’s always been close between us.

“So, it’s going to be a good battle, there’s going to be weekends where Lando’s stronger, there’s going to be weekends where I’m stronger – so it’ll be a good battle.”

Whatever battle does arise as the races continue it 2025, it can’t come at the expense of McLaren’s position at the top of both championships. Norris and Piastri scrapping at the front could pave the way for an attack from a closely-following Verstappen or even an improving Mercedes.

And, should the worst happen and the pair comes together mid-race, a loss of double-digit points at McLaren will make all the difference to its chances of clinching a constructors’ crown.

It’s always a touchy subject for race fans, but surely McLaren will have to put its drivers in line sooner or later.