McLaren boss Andrea Stella expects Ferrari’s renewed threat to the team in the Hungarian Grand Prix to be maintained across the remaining Formula 1 races in 2025.
The anticipation heading into this campaign was that Ferrari and McLaren would continue the duel that saw the two contest the Constructors’ title to the wire in 2024.
However, the perennial rivals have seldom been close this season as McLaren has dominated proceedings, while Ferrari remains winless and trails 299 points behind.
But despite the Italian marque’s travails with a capricious SF-25, Charles Leclerc stunned McLaren at the Hungaroring when he snatched an unexpected pole position.
Leclerc was in contention to convert that into a win, too, until a sudden problem developed on his chassis in the third stint and he dropped outside the podium places.
But while the Monegasque has expressed concern that his one chance to seize a victory in 2025 went begging, Stella is certain that Ferrari will trouble McLaren again.
Asked whether Ferrari’s pace surprised him, Stella told media including Motorsport Week: “Not surprised, because Ferrari have been competitive over the last few races.
They were competitive in [the] dry in Silverstone, they were competitive in Belgium. Somehow, this wasn’t expressed fully.
“I think we saw yesterday that they were in condition to score the pole position, and today, it’s not like in the first stint we were holding back.
“We were trying to go as fast as possible, and Leclerc was managing the lead of the race with some degree of control. So, I’m not surprised.
“I think Ferrari is going to be a contender for victories for the remainder of the season.
“If anything, I was a little surprised by the evolution of the final part of the race. I’m not sure if there was any kind of problem on Leclerc’s car.
But definitely, anytime we were racing for the second part of the season, we would have to take into account that in qualifying and in the race, we would have to deal with Ferrari.”
Where else could McLaren encounter a challenge?
Stella’s weariness about Ferrari’s potential challenge comes despite McLaren registering four consecutive 1-2 finishes in the lead-up to the annual summer shutdown.
But with Mercedes having rectified the team’s mid-season slump and Max Verstappen in a capable Red Bull, Stella isn’t envisaging a straightforward run to Abu Dhabi.
“We would have to deal with Mercedes, and today, Max was a bit out of contention, but Max, I’m sure, will find a way to fight for victories,” he continued.
“So, there’s nothing obvious in this business.
“This is exactly what we said yesterday in our briefing after qualifying, and this is what we will keep repeating ourselves in the second part of the season.”
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