McLaren do not get carried away: Woking-based team expect close battle for the win in Spain

12:04, 28 May

byKada Sarkozi

Lando Norris managed to get back to winning ways at the Monaco Grand Prix, and Oscar Piastri finished in third place last weekend. Now, as the F1 grid head to Spain, the McLaren drivers looked ahead their next challenge in Barcelona.

For the first time since the season-opening round, it was Norris who crossed the finish line first in Monte-Carlo. "Going into the next race weekend as a Monaco Grand Prix winner feels incredible. The team and I worked hard over the last few months to find points of improvement, and we’ll keep pushing and using the momentum we’ve built," the British driver reflected on that result.

"It’s great to finish this triple-header at the Spanish Grand Prix. Barcelona is a great city to visit and a fun one to race in. I’m feeling good, and ready for another strong weekend," he added.

On the other hand, in terms of the drivers' standings, it is still Piastri who leads, with three points separating the two drivers. "Barcelona is a track that I’ve won at in the junior formulae. It’s a goodblend of high-speed straights and technical sections," he said in his team's press release.

"I’m happy with the strong consistency in my driving at the moment and I take a lot of positives with me to Spain. The team are doing a great job and I’m feeling very confident."

Stella sees challenging weekend ahead

According to the McLaren team principal, the Barcelona circuit does not suit the MCL39, and as a result, he expects a close battle at the front.

"We head to the Spanish Grand Prix encouraged by our result in Monaco. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya offers a very different challenge however, with many high-speed corners which will not naturally suit the characteristics of the MCL39. With this also comes the expectation to see many challenges from the rest of the grid and close battles at the front."

He concluded: "We’re now a third of the way into the 2025 Formula 1 season, still leading both championships but still remaining focused on our goals. Being consistent over a challenging triple-header is not easy, so I’d like to thank once again everyone at McLaren for their work. We keep our heads down and we keep pushing."

A big change also awaits in terms of the flexible front wings. Entering the upcoming weekend, these wings can no longer bend beyond 10 millimetres, compared to the previous 15.