McLaren team principal Andrea Stella anticipates that Ferrari’s revived threat, demonstrated at the Hungarian Grand Prix, will continue to pose significant challenges for McLaren throughout the remaining Formula 1 races of the 2025 season.
Heading into this year’s championship, expectations were high that Ferrari and McLaren would sustain their fierce rivalry, which had seen both teams battling intensely for the Constructors’ Championship title until the final moments in 2024.
However, this season has rarely reflected that close competition, as McLaren has largely dominated the field, while Ferrari has struggled to find form, remaining winless and lagging 299 points behind the frontrunners.
Despite Ferrari’s ongoing difficulties with their unpredictable SF-25 car, Charles Leclerc surprised many at the Hungaroring by securing an unexpected pole position. The Monegasque driver appeared poised to transform this advantage into a race victory, but a sudden issue with his chassis during the third stint caused him to fall outside the podium positions.
Although Charles Leclerc expressed disappointment over missing what seemed to be his one realistic opportunity to claim a win in 2025, Andrea Stella remains confident that Ferrari will continue to challenge McLaren aggressively.
When questioned about whether Ferrari’s pace at the Hungarian Grand Prix caught him off guard, Stella indicated to Motorsport Week and other media outlets that he was not surprised by their performance. He pointed out that Ferrari had shown strong competitiveness in recent dry conditions at Silverstone and Belgium, even if that potential had not been fully realized until Hungary.
Stella noted that during qualifying, Ferrari was clearly capable of securing pole position, and in the race’s early stages, McLaren was pushing at full speed rather than holding back. He explained that Leclerc managed the race lead with a controlled approach before encountering the technical difficulties that hindered his race.
Looking ahead, Andrea Stella asserted that Ferrari is likely to remain a contender for race wins throughout the rest of the season. While he admitted some surprise at how Charles Leclerc’s race ended, he was unsure whether any specific mechanical problems were responsible. Nevertheless, he emphasized that McLaren will have to consider Ferrari as a serious opponent in both qualifying sessions and races for the remainder of the championship.
Regarding other potential challenges on McLaren’s path, Stella’s caution about Ferrari’s resurgence comes even after his team achieved four consecutive 1-2 finishes before the summer break, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the competition.
Moreover, with Mercedes overcoming their mid-season struggles and Max Verstappen piloting a competitive Red Bull, Andrea Stella acknowledged that McLaren’s route to the Abu Dhabi finale will not be straightforward.
The former Ferrari race engineer pointed out that while Verstappen had been slightly off the pace at Hungary, the Dutch driver is sure to find ways to battle for victories again. Stella stressed that nothing in Formula 1 should ever be taken for granted, and reiterated that the team had warned itself after qualifying to expect a fiercely competitive second half of the season.
In summary, McLaren’s Andrea Stella remains realistic about the challenges ahead, recognizing Ferrari’s revitalized pace as well as the persistent threats from Mercedes and Red Bull. This outlook underlines that the 2025 championship battle is far from decided, promising an intense and unpredictable remainder of the season.
