McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri reveal their mindset as they enter 2025, aiming to turn potential into a true title challenge.
McLaren enters the 2025 Formula 1 season with high expectations following a remarkable resurgence in 2024.
After a slow start in 2023, the team made significant strides in the latter half of the season, transforming their MCL60 into one of the most competitive cars on the grid.
This momentum continued into 2024, when McLaren established itself as a consistent frontrunner, regularly challenging for podiums and victories.
With this upward trajectory, the Woking-based team now faces a crucial question: Can they take the final step and mount a genuine championship challenge?
During a recent media session at F1 75 Live, both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri made it clear that McLaren is no longer content with being an occasional threat—they are aiming for the very top.
No more excuses
Lando Norris, now entering his sixth season with McLaren, was candid in his response. He acknowledged that in the past, the team had justifiable reasons for not being in title contention. However, after their 2024 performance, those excuses no longer hold.
“In the past, we’ve had our fair share of honest and true excuses. I think this year, we kind of don’t have any, we have nothing to hide behind. We proved last year we have everything we need and everything it takes to fight at the top and be the best.
“If we’re not at the beginning of the season, then we’re just not good enough. I know we’ve got to make a good enough job, but that’s certainly not how we’re thinking of things. That’s not how our mentality has been,” Norris said.
Championship mentality
For Norris, McLaren’s approach to 2025 has already begun, even before the season’s first race. The team’s focus has been on delivering a car capable of winning. As drivers, both he and Piastri have demonstrated that they can extract maximum performance when given the right machinery.
“We entered the season, and I guess as we’ve entered the season, our next season has already started. For all the guys and girls back in the factory, it’s giving us a car which can compete. A lot of what Formula 1 is, is having a car that can compete.
“I think we both as drivers proved a lot last year in ourselves and in each other of what we’re capable of doing. When we do have a car that’s capable of fighting for wins and championships, we’re able to maximise it. I think we’ll probably both say we’re ready and we’re excited for that challenge.
“But we also have a whole team behind us who are also excited. They know they’re capable of making a quick car, so we’re excited for those challenges this season. Maybe in the past we got ahead of ourselves at times before pre-season, so we’re definitely not doing that.
“But we’re quite confident that we can start the season off in the best way, much better than we’ve done over the last 6-7 years.”
McLaren’s past struggles with pre-season optimism have made them more cautious. Still, Norris insists they are confident in their ability to start the season in strong form—something that has eluded them in recent years.
Aiming for the top
Oscar Piastri echoed his teammate’s sentiments, reinforcing that McLaren is preparing for a World Championship fight rather than settling for a lesser goal.
“I think it would be naive of us to go into the season preparing for anything less. I think that’s always the way you want to prepare things. But of course, we’re never going to know what our competition is like until Melbourne.
“So that obviously dictates a lot of your performance for the season. But I think, like Lando said, we’re going with the confidence of the results of the Constructors’ Championship we achieved last season.
“I think we’ve shown in the last 2 years, but especially the last 18 months, that we’ve been able to turn our car around and make it the strongest on the grid. So, I think we’ve got a lot of confidence in ourselves that we can keep that momentum going.
“But certainly the preparation from everyone, including us as drivers, is going for World Championships again.
However, he also acknowledged the unknown variable: the competition.
“Whether we are fighting for a championship or not depends a little bit on what everyone else brings to the table as well.”
Can McLaren deliver?
McLaren’s journey back to the top of Formula 1 has been a long one. The team last won a Drivers’ Championship in 2008 with Lewis Hamilton and had not claimed a Constructors’ title since 1998 – until 2024.
However, with continued improvements to their car, a strengthened technical department, and two highly talented drivers, 2025 presents their best opportunity in years to challenge for the ultimate prize.
While Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari will not make it easy, McLaren is no longer an outsider in the fight. Their words and mindset reflect a team that believes it belongs at the front. Now, all that remains is for them to prove it on track.
