Complacency may be McLaren's downfall, says former F1 designer

The papaya-coloured team have been the dominant force throughout the 2025 season so far, winning seven of the ten Grands Prix so far this campaign, jumping out to a mammoth lead in the constructors' championship.

However, they struggled for pace in Montreal, unable to find themselves at the front of the grid as George Russell and Max Verstappen locked out the front row in qualifying and stayed there throughout the 70-lap race.

In the final few laps, McLaren capitulated as Lando Norris tried to make a move on teammate and championship leader Oscar Piastri, misjudging the gap that was not there, resulting in the Brit slamming into the back of the Australian, ending his race prematurely.

"Perhaps McLaren became a bit complacent, or at least their drivers did," Anderson explained in his analysis of the Grand Prix.

Out in front, Russell drove a super race to take his first victory of the season, continuing to impress with what has been a fine start to his fourth season wth Mercedes, while Verstappen also benefitted from a disappointing McLaren weekend by taking P2, closing the gap in the drivers' championship.

"Many factors worked in their favour in Montreal, and they took advantage of it," explained Anderson.

"One of them was that McLaren had their worst weekend of 2025. For the first time, they did not have a car on the front row at the start, and this was also the first time that there was no McLaren on the podium,” concluded the 74-year-old.