McLaren is currently 'in the lead' as the Bahrain test concludes.
As the Bahrain test concluded, the entire paddock came to a consensus - McLaren is entering the season-opening Australian GP with a distinct advantage. Renowned Italian journalist Leo Turrini expressed a hint of disappointment. "To be honest, friends," he wrote on his blog. "The new Ferrari hasn't met expectations. (Charles) Leclerc made that clear."
"(Lewis) Hamilton was more measured in his remarks, but he too did not seem overly enthusiastic. For now, McLaren is in the lead. (Max) Verstappen might be as well." While Mercedes' George Russell clocked the fastest time on the last day, team principal Toto Wolff told Bild newspaper: "We are not the favorites."
On the first two days, Red Bull appeared satisfied with the development of their car for the new season, but technical chief Pierre Wache stated last Friday: "The test didn't go as smoothly as we anticipated." Regarding the general agreement that reigning constructors’ champions McLaren have taken a significant step forward for 2025, Wache mentioned to Canal Plus: "I find the McLaren very intriguing, especially the front suspension. However, we also perceive it as quite risky. It will be interesting to see if they can make it work."
Wache noted that there are "four teams" that all seem "pretty fast" and acknowledged that Red Bull isn't clearly in the lead. “I’m not entirely as pleased as I could be because the car didn’t always respond as we desired, but it is heading in the right direction," he remarked. "Just perhaps not to the extent we had hoped."
Sky Deutschland analyst and former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, however, is more certain: "I believe McLaren will be ahead. Ferrari is falling a bit short, but they will manage. Mercedes simply lacks pace," he pointed out.
Two teams that seem to have made significant progress since the conclusion of 2024 are Williams, with Carlos Sainz achieving the fastest time of the entire test on low fuel, and Alpine. "The drivers are not reporting issues with understeering or oversteering," Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore mentioned. "And if they have nothing to complain about, that’s a positive sign."
Regarding McLaren, team principal Andrea Stella actually believes the competition for the top spots in Melbourne may have widened from four teams to as many as six. "That's what everyone says when they feel they're ahead," Fernando Alonso quipped.
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