Written by Caitlyn Gordon, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
McLaren became the first team to unofficially unveil their 2025 challenger. The Woking-based team took to the Silverstone circuit to shakedown the MCL39, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri sharing 200 kilometres of testing time on the track.
All 10 F1 teams are set to reveal their liveries at the F1 75 show on Tuesday, February 18th. Despite this launch date, several teams have announced a separate private launch of their contenders, with Williams already having unveiled their challenger today, February 14th.
McLaren ended a 26-year drought and secured the Constructors Championship in 2024 after a tight battle fending off the Prancing Horses. With pre-season testing taking place on the 28th of February, the countdown to the first race in Australia on March 16th ticks down.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown expressed his optimism for the coming season, looking to add another championship to the cabinet:
“Today is a big milestone in our journey in the fight for the 2025 title. It’s great to get our Championship challenger, the MCL39, on track for the first time and to launch the culmination of the team’s hard work.
“We must be realistic that every team will have made progress over the winter. Last year highlighted just how much the grid has closed up, which is a brilliant thing for the sport.
"We believe we have made further steps forward since the Championship-winning MCL38 but we won’t know where we sit in the standings until we get into Qualifying in Australia. “We’re a team that never stops racing and we’ll be giving it our all to bring both Championships back to Woking.”
Norris wrapped up 2024 in second, his highest finishing position, accumulating 374 points. However, fell short of 63 points fell short of Verstappen’s tally by 63 points, paving the way for the Dutchman to secure his fourth consecutive Championship.
Looking ahead to the upcoming season, the Briton affirmed the MCL39 will be more competitive, with Norris readying himself up to take the fight to the Dutchman once again:
“Thank you to the entire team for their work in getting us to this point. This year will be more competitive than ever, so we’ve got a lot to do to be able to retain our Constructors' title and go for the Drivers’ as well.
“I’ve been back at the MTC prepping for the season ahead and the mood is feeling positive but focused. We’re all looking forward to getting the car on track in Bahrain ahead of our competitive debut in Australia and to see where we net out amongst the other teams. It’s shaping up to be an exciting season.”
Piastri finished fourth in his second F1 season, securing two wins and a further 10 podiums throughout the season. The Australian expressed his desire to further add to his achievements:
“I have been working hard in the off-season to ensure I am ready for the season ahead. The margins at the top are likely to be incredibly tight but I’m excited by the room for growth after two seasons in the sport. Winning Grands Prix early in my career has given me the taste for success and I want much more.
“As a team, we can take great momentum into 2025 after such a brilliant year in 2024. A big thank you to everyone back at base and trackside for all the hard work that’s been done so far.”
McLaren unveiled its special one-off black camouflage livery during its shakedown, with their official look set to be revealed at the F1 75 event on 18th February.
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