McLaren 'ahead for now' as Bahrain test ends

Mar.3 (GMM) As the Bahrain test ended, the entire paddock agreed – McLaren is heading into the season-opening Australian GP with a clear lead.

Well-known Italian journalist Leo Turrini is slightly disappointed.

“I’ll be honest, friends,” he wrote in his blog. “The new Ferrari did not live up to expectations. (Charles) Leclerc said so explicitly.

“(Lewis) Hamilton was more cautious, but he was not beaming with enthusiasm either. McLaren is ahead for now. (Max) Verstappen, perhaps, too.”

Mercedes’ George Russell actually topped the times on the final day, but team boss Toto Wolff told Bild newspaper: “We are not the favourites.”

On days one and two, Red Bull were making satisfied noises about the evolved car for the new season, but technical boss Pierre Wache declared last Friday: “The test did not go as smoothly as we expected.”

As for the consensus that reigning constructors’ champions McLaren have taken a clear step ahead for 2025, Wache told Canal Plus: “I find the McLaren very interesting, such as the front suspension.

“But we also think it is very risky. It will be exciting to see whether they can pull it off.”

Wache said there are “four teams” that all look “pretty fast”, and seemed to agree that the Red Bull is not in the clear lead. “I’m not quite as happy as I could be because the car sometimes didn’t react as we wanted, but it’s going in the right direction,” he said.

“Just maybe not as much as we expected.”

Sky Deutschland analyst and former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, though, is more adamant: “I think McLaren will be ahead.

“Ferrari are missing a bit, but they will cope. Mercedes are simply lacking pace,” he added.

Two teams that look to have made obvious steps forward since the end of 2024 are Williams, whose Carlos Sainz achieved the quickest time of the entire test on low fuel, and Alpine.

“The drivers are not complaining about understeering or oversteering,” Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore said. “And if they have nothing to complain about, that’s a good sign.”

As for McLaren, team boss Andrea Stella actually thinks the competition for the top places in Melbourne may have expanded from four teams to as many as six.

“That’s what everyone says who feels like they’re ahead,” scoffed Fernando Alonso.