McLaren dismisses the label of 'overall favorite' for 2025.

      McLaren CEO Zak Brown does not see the Woking-based team as the frontrunner for victory in 2025. The past few years have been tumultuous for the storied Formula 1 team, with Brown acknowledging that the organization nearly faced bankruptcy during the Covid-19 crisis in 2020. "We were almost insolvent," he shared with Auto Motor und Sport. "Without the financial support from our shareholders in Bahrain and an external investor, we might not have survived. However, McLaren has been profitable since 2023."

      Additionally, McLaren clinched the constructors' world championship in 2024, even though Lando Norris fell short in the drivers' championship. In an interview for the World Economic Forum this week, the British driver stated that he could "sense" the title. "It was within our grasp," noted Norris, 25. "This year, I need to address certain areas, improve on them, and come back stronger, which I am prepared for. One thing we have understood as a team is that now that we've reached this point, we need to make it easier to win races. Last year, I was close, and I had the sense that 'Okay, this is pretty much what it is.'"

      Red Bull officials, in particular, have identified McLaren and Ferrari as the early contenders for 2025, acknowledging that currently, they possess the most consistently fast cars. However, Brown refutes the notion that McLaren is the leading favorite. "It would be presumptuous to think that," said the American. "In my view, there are four teams capable of winning, and we are among them."

      Team principal Andrea Stella emphasized that a significant advancement for McLaren was gaining complete control over their wind tunnel testing and aerodynamic development. "When we were still in Cologne at Toyota," the Italian explained, "we would finish a new component and then wait two days to test it in the wind tunnel. Now, we can conduct tests within two hours."

      On the downside, as the reigning constructors' champion, McLaren has received the least amount of wind tunnel time for 2025. Stella remains unconcerned about this limitation. "We are prioritizing quality over quantity," he asserted. "We have significantly enhanced our expertise and implemented more efficient testing methodologies."