Do McLaren really have the fastest car on the grid? Wolff's not sure!
Red Bull Contentpool
F1 News
Unlike in Melbourne, where it was also on the cards, McLaren managed to complete their first one-two finish of the 2025 season in China. Oscar Piastri won comfortably, while Lando Norris managed to bring home his car that had a break pedal issues just ahead of George Russell. Do the Woking-based side really have a car that is supposed to win every time?
This Sunday, the McLaren's gap ahead of the rest was also clear. However, it is also smaller than it was in Melbourne. Toto Wolff also shares that verdict, he explained in the paddock, after George Russell managed to finish in between Piastri and Lando Norris in qualifying on Saturday, but still had a 11-second gap to the Australian.
The Austrian team principal believes a certain conditions exaggerate the difference. "I wouldn't say yet we're in the hunt. Now, when you look at Piastri, certainly being at the front is a little bit easier on the tyres and you can manage it. But we're not far away. Maybe the gap is now a couple of tenths rather than a second that it was in Melbourne. [We were] clearly the second fastest team today. And that's another solid result that was brought in."
Wolff doesn't believe in day-to-day reactions
On Saturday, Lewis Hamilton also managed to win the Sprint, after starting that event from pole position, he did not have to deal with dirty air, while Oscar Piastri was unable to chase him down after he overtook Max Verstappen that day. In terms of the final frontrunner team, at Red Bull, the Dutch driver also showed good pace on the hard tyres at the Shanghai International Circuit.
After the Australian GP, Russell said McLaren's could be more dominant than Red Bull were in 2023, but the Woking-based side has already been defeated this year.
"You have to rattle the cage a little bit, no? If that’s how you say it in English. And see what's falling out. I think, based on Melbourne, that was a valid statement. Today we're closer," Wolff reacted to his driver's earlier statements.
"We need to analyse after a few race weekends where we are because on Saturday, you would have said Ferrari's dominance is back and the greatest ever. You look on Sunday race result today was probably more on the underwhelming side. So we need to not oscillate between exuberance and depression, literally from day to day, but after a few races, kind of find a baseline and say this is what it is now."
Did Russell say those words to test his rivals? "George is a warrior, in the car and outside of the car," Wolff concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen
Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels!