After the opening race in Melbourne, McLaren can look ahead to the Chinese GP with smiles and certainty: the papaya team is the leading force, Norris is confident that Shanghai will bring more joy to the British team, while Ferrari’s rivals will have to fix the issues they showed in Australia.
What to expect from the Chinese Grand Prix? At the start of the 2025 season in Albert Park, McLaren shone when it mattered, both in qualifying and the race. After a very promising Friday, Ferrari had to “sacrifice performance,” as Charles Leclerc himself admitted. And it was clear, both on Saturday and Sunday. In Q3, Charles Leclerc’s and Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari cars failed to achieve anything more than a mediocre fourth row, and during the race, the situation worsened. Thanks to the chaos and uncertain weather, Ferrari showed strategic and performance shortcomings, resulting in a total of only 5 points.
“In China, McLaren will be very strong,” Norris is confident, but what about Ferrari?
With Ferrari, the main “threat” – as described by the McLaren drivers – already dealing with dilemmas and difficulties, Andrea Stella’s team can approach the Chinese GP with a strong sense of optimism. Lando Norris, winner in Melbourne and world leader, has high expectations for the next race weekend, which will also feature the first Sprint of 2025. “I’m confident that next weekend in China we can be very strong. We’ve made our car much more balanced for all types of circuits.”
“We know the circuits where we’ll struggle,” Norris admitted, but China doesn’t seem to be one of the feared tracks. The English driver’s confidence comes from last season: “Why am I confident for the Chinese GP? Last year in Shanghai, we were strong even though we didn’t have such a good car.” With a MCL38 that wasn’t anywhere near as competitive as the one that won the title in Abu Dhabi, McLaren managed to secure a valuable second place in China, 14 seconds behind Verstappen. Now, with a much more competitive car, there is hope for a McLaren domination in Shanghai.
A “Sprint” China Doesn’t Smile on Ferrari: McLaren Smiles
The team most likely to try to prevent a McLaren domination in China is Ferrari. The Prancing Horse, after showing its strength during Friday’s practice in Melbourne, quickly declined. Ferrari’s weekend of struggle in Australia was sealed by the setup change announced by Leclerc after disappointing Saturday qualifying. Forced to raise the SF-25, probably to avoid excessive wear on the plank under the car, Ferrari lost competitiveness.
Fans hope that in Shanghai, Fred Vasseur’s team won’t be forced to raise the car again. Getting the setup work on the right track, starting with simulator work, will be crucial, given the only practice session available on Friday. In this sense, the Sprint format doesn’t favor Ferrari, who are looking for solutions after the doubts raised in Australia. Will 60 minutes of session be enough to bring Ferrari’s setup back to an ideal state that can challenge Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri?
