Based upon pre-season testing and the Melbourne weekend, McLaren appear to be the team to beat in 2025 after building upon winning the Constructors' Championship last season in what is expected to be a four-way duel throughout the year also including Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari.

But ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Verstappen reiterated that he is not the current favorite as the season begins. “Impossible to know at the moment,” said

Verstappen’s teammate last year, Sergio Pérez, has been replaced by Liam Lawson this season, with the New Zealand driver set to make his full-time F1 debut in 2025. In the drizzly conditions in Bahrain, Lawson said he was fighting “a few teething gremlins” with his car as he sought to adjust to life alongside Verstappen.