McLaren are broadly anticipated to own F1’s quickest automobile at subsequent week’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
However the query of who will most carefully problem the constructors’ champions on the 2025 curtain-raiser is hotly debated.
Ferrari, Purple Bull and Mercedes confirmed glimpses of their potential in F1 pre-season testing however stay removed from a assured guess.
Lewis Hamilton, on his Ferrari debut, races in a grand prix he has gained twice and been on the rostrum at on 10 events.
Max Verstappen retains his standing as F1’s high driver and drivers’ champion regardless of doubts round his automobile.
Our consultants had their say on who McLaren should be careful for…
Lewis Larkam: “Ferrari appeared to maintain their playing cards near their chest in pre-season testing in Bahrain.
“I feel Ferrari would be the closest challengers to McLaren in Australia, and I wouldn’t be completely shocked if they really took the win.
“There’s simply one thing concerning the Prancing Horse successful the opening spherical of the season in Melbourne, which coincidentally occurs to be one among Lewis Hamilton’s finest tracks…”
Lewis Hamilton
Connor McDonagh: “It might need been a patchy three days of testing for Purple Bull in Bahrain however it might be silly to rule Max Verstappen out.
“Even when Purple Bull aren’t fairly on McLaren’s tempo, Verstappen will probably be there or thereabouts.
“There are nonetheless query marks round Mercedes’ tempo amid the cooler situations in Bahrain. Plus, we’ve but to see the perfect from Ferrari.
“Verstappen has proved persistently over the previous few years that he’s comfortably the perfect driver on the grid – and most constant.”
Lewis Duncan: “McLaren ought to hit the bottom working and be arduous to beat in Melbourne. The group clearly has the perfect automobile in F1 in the mean time and each of its drivers are greater than able to controlling races.
“Pre-season testing is at all times arduous to learn, however the tempo that Lewis Hamilton confirmed within the Ferrari seems encouraging.
“The problem forward of him and the injection of contemporary confidence his Ferrari change has already introduced him also needs to imply we see a extra fired up model of the seven-time champion than we now have completed for a very long time.”
