According to McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, Ferrari has made a connection to the Formula 1 tip. Stella said after the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2025 at Hungaroring: “Ferrari will surely be a winner in the further course of the season.”
In any case, McLaren is warned – after the strong appearance of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc in Hungary: “In the second half of the season we have to expect that we will be dealing with Ferrari and Mercedes – in qualifying and in the race,” says Stella.
The McLaren team boss also considers Red Bull to be a threat: “Max Verstappen was a little out of game in Hungary. But I am sure that he will find a way to fight for victories again.” Stella sees four potential winning teams for the remaining seasonal races 2025.
Despite the comfortable advantage in the overall ranking, Stella does not want to know from a walk to the World Cup title win: “Nothing is a matter of course in Formula 1. We said that in the meeting after qualifying, and we say that again and again in the second half of the season.”
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Why the Ferrari form is “not surprising”
He “didn’t surprise him so quickly at the hungaroring,” emphasizes Stella. “Ferrari was already competitive in the most recent races – in Silverstone and in Spa -Francorchamps. Somehow that has not been completely used so far.”
However, the Ferrari-Speed became clear on the hungaroring: Leclerc won the pole position with a lead of only 0.026 seconds and determined the Grand Prix in the first section of the race. “And we didn’t hold back in the first stint,” says Stella. “We drove as soon as possible. Leclerc managed the leadership in a controlled manner.”
According to Stella, Leclerc’s slump was surprising from the second race. This was also true for Leclerc: he complained to his team during the Grand Prix by radio and even missed the podium as fourth. McLaren benefited and achieved a double victory with Lando Norris ahead of Oscar Piatri and George Russell in Mercedes.