McLaren had proved their worth in the 2024 season as proper title contenders. Despite pioneering the Constructor’s Championship, the team could not win the driver’s crown, all thanks to Max Verstappen’s indomitable speed. However, now that the 2024 season has wrapped up fans are eagerly waiting to see Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri better their stellar season.

McLaren is all set to make some changes to their car and approach for 2025. The 2024 Constructor’s championship was merely a glimpse into CEO Zak Brown’s vision for this team. If their latest changes end up being a risk worth taking, McLaren could be a force to be reckoned with in 2025.

McLaren to make unique upgrades to 2025 cars 

No matter how good you are on the track, if the car is not up to the mark, there isn’t much the driver can do. For 2025, McLaren wants to take a step forward and ensure that they leave no stone unturned to make it count. After all, why not claim the driver’s crown right? Given that not much can be shared as of now about what are the updates on the car, the team has just released an official statement hinting at the same. 

McLaren CEO Zak Brown recently shared his tidbits on the same. Speaking to autosport.com, He said, “The team is not [saying] – ‘Let’s just tweak a little here and there.’ The car is pretty good. We’ve got some stuff on next year’s car that is like, brave risk”. He further added on the kind of mindset that the team would be channeling for 2025 given the close miss that the team had in 2024. Brown added, “I think you only get to the front if you try and beat everyone, as opposed to the mindset when we started this year, which was like, ‘Let’s just be as good as them. The mind shift is now – Let’s beat everyone”. 

When McLaren had brought in the largest COTA upgrade package. The team had introduced significant upgrades to the MCL38. They had also unveiled seven new components as part of McLaren’s final development phase for the season. The most prominent changes were centered on the front suspension and front wing. These modifications were aimed at optimizing airflow management and boosting aerodynamic efficiency. It also increased the car’s overall downforce and further boosted efficiency. 

McLaren has a history of making prominent changes to its cars and these could be a game changer for the 2025 season. With bold strategies and a fearless approach, McLaren is determined to push the boundaries of innovation and reclaim their position at the pinnacle of Formula 1.

Boss Andre Stella was not “satisfied”  

McLaren is the first team to claim the Constructors Championship title since 2009, other than Red Bull and Mercedes. While this was a huge victory for McLaren in their step towards dominating F1 again, the team owner Andre Stella has some other opinions.

This victory marked a historic milestone as the first for a customer team in the turbo-hybrid era. McLaren achieved this success with Mercedes power units, rekindling their partnership in 2021 after parting ways in 2014. The split came after former McLaren chief Ron Dennis argued that a customer team would be unable to secure a championship under the regulations.

However, in 2022, regulations mandated that manufacturers could not make performance upgrades to their units. This meant that Mercedes – who supplies units to McLaren, among other teams- had the same equipment as McLaren.In this context, Stella said, “It is not particularly satisfying because I think nowadays, thanks to the regulations and the good work the FIA has done in terms of creating parity as to the way the engine is used between customer and works teams”.

McLaren winning the title as a customer team didn’t exactly stir up too much joy for Stella, but she thanks the FIA for allowing customer teams to thrive. “I’d like to say that this is good work that has happened by the FIA in protecting customer teams so that they could have opportunities to win races and championships without having to be a works team.“

Stella’s remarks highlight the evolving dynamics in Formula 1, where regulatory changes have leveled the playing field for customer teams. Given how McLaren has always been devoted to bringing about new updates and challenging themselves, one can expect an exciting 2025 season.