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The secret behind McLaren’s 2025 dominance was clear all along despite Red Bull’s complaints to the FIA

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McLaren have been on stellar form in 2025, and it’s impossible to see any of their rivals beating them to a title at the summer break.

Red Bull’s development has missed the spot, leaving Max Verstappen 97 points adrift of the top of the standings with 10 races to go.

With a one-two at the next race on the reigning champion’s home soil, McLaren will match the record for the most consecutive one-two finishes in Formula 1 history.

Lando Norris is nine points behind Oscar Piastri and has a title to chase, meaning that there’s guaranteed to be some fireworks on track, but it’s up to their team to manage them.

McLaren ensured they didn’t lose their ‘guiding path’ by adopting a clear philosophy for their car from day one.

David Coulthard has seen ‘worrying signs’ from Norris and Piastri as the season goes on, and believes that the tension levels are just starting to rise.

READ MORE: Lando Norris will be delighted to hear what Andrea Stella just said about McLaren’s 2026 car

McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on the podium at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix
Photo by Luca Martini/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The secret behind McLaren’s dominance has been an ‘updated’ wind tunnel for 2025

Although Piastri has done something ‘remarkable’ at McLaren by finding a way to improve every season that he’s been with them, having a better car has helped too.

When he joined at the start of 2023, they were struggling to make it out of Q1. Now, no one knows how to close the gap to their drivers.

Norris had an ‘undervalued’ trait in Formula 2, which could pay dividends for him later in the current title race. He knows how to stay in contention.

After months of complaints from Red Bull about things such as brake cooling and front wings, a reason for McLaren’s dominance might have been provided.

Journalist Julianne Cesaroli has revealed on Reddit that a big part of their success has been a new wind tunnel.

“They just updated the simulator and wind tunnel,” she said. “They should be able to get more out of this new equipment.”

READ MORE: Lando Norris called out for his ‘not world championship worthy’ acts in Oscar Piastri F1 title fight

When did Mark Webber know that Oscar Piastri would be an F1 title contender?

One of the cleverest moves Piastri has pulled since arriving in Formula 1 was enlisting fellow Aussie and ex-Red Bull driver Mark Webber as his manager.

He has relatively modern experience and a good relationship with the majority of the paddock. He’s a great pick to nurse the next biggest talent in the sport.

Webber knew Piastri would be a title contender during pre-season testing, when he saw some of the unbelievable adjustments that his driver had made.

McLaren face an ‘inevitable’ outcome, according to Guenther Steiner, and must be aware that a crash could be coming. With 10 races to go, there are plenty of opportunities for chaos.