After a year where missed opportunities derailed his title challenge, Lando Norris entered 2025 as a championship favorite. It’s still early days, but the signs are promising. Norris won the Australian GP season opener—holding his nerve in a chaotic race—with McLaren looking like the fastest car on the grid.
However, the gap was not as big as Norris would have liked.
The Bristol-born driver, on a rain-soaked Albert Park circuit, finished just 0.895 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen in P2. So, even though the Woking-based squad holds the advantage, Red Bull isn’t too far behind.
Norris understands this and has flagged concerns with the MCL39 ahead of this weekend’s Chinese GP, explaining what allowed Verstappen to finish so close to him.
“From a car point of view, it is performing well but it is still difficult to drive,” Norris said in the press conference.
lando on where improvements can be made:
“my start was good, was it perfect? no. and just from a car point of view, it is performing well but it is still difficult to drive [..] yes, the car is great but we always want more.” pic.twitter.com/kvfZsX9m9K
— ray (@ln4norris) March 20, 2025
But that doesn’t mean he was struggling in Melbourne. The conditions were challenging for all 20 drivers, especially with the constant changes. The race started on a drenched track, briefly dried up, and then saw the heavens open again, forcing teams to rethink their strategies.
“In the wet, Max was as quick as us; in the dry, we were better,” the McLaren driver added.
This suggests that Verstappen lost significant time as the track dried up but closed the gap comprehensively when it got wet again in the closing stages. However, the question remains—was it Red Bull excelling in wet conditions, or was it simply Verstappen’s brilliance?
He’s a master in the rain, after all. Just a few months ago, at the 2024 Sao Paulo GP, the Dutchman won a race he started from P17, while Norris, the pole-sitter that day, could only manage P6.
Verstappen explains why he lost to Norris
Verstappen started the Australian GP strong, capitalizing on a poor start by Norris’ teammate, Oscar Piastri, to move into second on lap one. While overtaking Norris proved difficult, he did well to fend off Piastri for much of his first stint.
However, as the track began drying, Verstappen’s struggles became more and more evident. His pace dropped and Piastri got past him rather comfortably. To make matters worse, the Red Bull driver found himself 10 seconds behind Piastri at one stage.
“The McLarens were much faster, which was clear in the first part of the race,” the 27-year-old told Viaplay. “They handle their tires better, whereas mine overheat more quickly. So, finishing second is a good result”.
With the race at Albert Park taking place in mixed weather conditions, it remains difficult to gauge Red Bull’s true standing against McLaren. However, this weekend’s race at the Shanghai International Circuit—expected to be dry—should offer a clearer picture of the pecking order.
