McLaren ready for titles? 'Verstappen would have done what Norris couldn't'

McLaren starts the new Formula 1 season as favourites, but that does not necessarily determine they will score the most points in 2025, according to former F1 driver/team boss, Christijan Albers. In a video by De Telegraaf, he shared his predictions for the upcoming season and also claims he expects a lot from Max Verstappen's teammate: Liam Lawson.

A good car doesn't necessarily translate into championships, Albers thinks. "Looking at last year, that (Norris, ed.) was not really amazing, so to speak. I did really think Max was the better one. The question is of course, you can still build such a good car, but we also saw last year that there were times when Verstappen could have won eight races in a row, with a car like the McLaren. Unfortunately he was not there, because he was in the Red Bull," he said in De Telegraaf's video.

Albers then sets a high benchmark on Liam Lawson. The New Zealander will drive his first ever full season in Formula 1 this year, having replaced mexican Driver turned amabassador for Red Bull, Sergio Perez, who was relieved of his driving duties at the end of 2024. According to Albers, it was a preposterous that Perez still had a seat at Red Bull.

The former F1 team boss was then asked which rookie he was curious about. "Lawson, I expect a lot from him. After all, we saw last year, a difficult season with Perez, and shocking that he was allowed to continue driving for another year, [because] Christian Horner had signed him. I think it was more of a sweetener to have a bit of back-up around the whole Horner-gate, of course," Albers concluded.