Former Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner has boldly predicted that McLaren will emerge victorious in both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships in 2025.
However, the outspoken Italian cautioned that the Woking-based outfit’s path to glory will not be easy.
After McLaren’s remarkable resurgence in 2024, capped by a Constructors’ Championship victory in Abu Dhabi, Steiner believes the team papaya is primed for even greater success this year.
Despite falling short in the Drivers’ Championship, with Max Verstappen edging out Lando Norris, Steiner sees McLaren as this season’s strongest contender.
“My favourite for on [the] performance side, I think it’s McLaren – they were very good last year,” Steiner told GPBlog.
“They earned a lot last year, they get prepared a lot better because they had time to regroup and to get prepared. They’ve got a very strong driver line-up with the two of them [Norris and Oscar Piastri].”
©McLaren
Steiner also emphasized the importance of confidence and decisiveness in McLaren’s approach this season.
“They got a lot of confidence from last year which helps as well, so my favourite is them but it will not be an easy walk,” he added.
“If they make any mistakes or if they are undecisive, they will end up like last year. They need to be more confident of themselves [in terms of] what they can do.”
Ferrari and Hamilton: A Championship Threat
Steiner also highlighted Ferrari’s potential to challenge McLaren for the crown, especially with the addition of seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton to their lineup.
After another disappointing stint with Mercedes in 2024, Hamilton joins Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, forming one of the most formidable driver pairings on the grid.
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“With Ferrari, you never know how good the car is,” Steiner remarked.
“It’s always the biggest [question] but I think last year they went into and especially towards the end of the season, to have good development, to make right moves.
“They were very solid, very well organised, and Lewis [is] getting there. Everybody is on their toes and Fred [Vasseur] wants a world championship, so Lewis wants a world championship, the eighth. So I think they will be good as well.”
Mercedes and Red Bull: Uncertain Prospects
Steiner’s outlook for Mercedes and Red Bull was far more cautious. With the former fielding an unproven driver lineup in 2025 – featuring 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli alongside George Russell – Steiner expressed skepticism about their ability to mount a serious challenge.
“Last year, they had some races [that] were very good and some days [that] were very bad for Mercedes,” he explained.
©Ferrari
“Their driver line-up, I wouldn’t say the weakest one, [but] the most unknown one. Because Kimi Antonelli, you need to give him the benefit of [the] doubt but obviously, he’s 18 years old, never raced in F1.”
Red Bull faces questions about their lineup, with rookie Liam Lawson stepping up to partner Verstappen.
While Steiner undercsored Verstappen’s talent, he pointed out the gap in Red Bull’s second driver performance compared to McLaren and Ferrari.
“I think Liam is still a rookie even if he drove some races last year [and] some races in ‘23,” commented the former Haas chief.
“This still makes him a rookie but they’ve got Max. Having Max helps you, in my opinion, he’s the guy with the biggest talent at the moment, so that helps.
“But the second driver is not on par with the second driver at Ferrari or McLaren. So they are still weaker there and with Red Bull, you just need to see if they find their way again after last year.”
A Close Fight at the Top
Summing up the 2025 championship landscape, Steiner predicted a fierce, closely fought battle among the top teams.
“It will be very difficult to predict because I think the four teams will be very close, the four big teams,” he said.
“I think the favourite is McLaren followed clearly by a Ferrari and then the other two for me, a little bit unknown. They could be very good, but they could not be.”
As the season approaches, Steiner’s analysis sets the stage for a thrilling year in Formula 1, with McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes all vying for supremacy.
One thing is certain: the 2025 season promises high drama, intense rivalries, and plenty of surprises.
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