McLaren vs Ferrari

Lore & Background

Favoured by commentators in the pre-season to defend McLaren's title, the MCL39 was consistently the fastest car in the field and successfully defended the WCC, securing it at the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix. Norris secured the WDC at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The MCL39 was the first McLaren since the Adrian Newey-designed MP4/13 of 1998 to win both titles in the same season. The MCL39 won fourteen Grands Prix in 2025, each driver winning seven apiece. The car scored thirteen pole positions, set twelve fastest laps, and finished on the podium a record total of thirty-four times. The car, in the hands of Norris, also set the Formula One record for fastest race lap by average speed at the Italian Grand Prix.

Reader's Guide

The MCL39 follows the MCL38, McLaren's first championship-winning Formula One car since 1998. Having won the Constructors' Championship in 2024, McLaren was allowed only 70% of the baseline allocation of wind tunnel testing time. Team principal Andrea Stella said he believed McLaren could overcome this disadvantage by improving efficiency elsewhere in the aerodynamic design process. McLaren's success in developing a front wing that could flex significantly under aerodynamic load during the 2024 season was considered instrumental in overcoming Red Bull's dominance in the ground effect era.

New restrictions to combat this use of wing flexibility were introduced, effective from the ninth race of the season (the Spanish Grand Prix). Stella said the team had planned for a 'small adjustment' that would be implemented with the new restrictions, but denied they would negatively impact the team. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said the team would take a 'brave risk' approach to designing the MCL39. Engineering director Neil Houldey said McLaren would not compromise any of its 2025 development despite an entirely new set of technical regulations and engine formula being introduced in .

Stella said the team believed it had 'maintained the rate of development' it had shown in and and that the MCL39's development followed the same 'linear trend' as the MCL60 and MCL38. The MCL39 was the first McLaren car that lead designer Rob Marshall oversaw from its beginning. The car was a significant technical development over the MCL38, exhibiting substantial layout changes. The MCL39 appeared to have shifted its radiators further up and backward compared to the MCL38.

It retained the front pullrod and rear pushrod suspension layout, but with increased anti-dive measures to better control the car's ride height. Other visible changes included new sidepod inlet shapes, revised engine cover bodywork, and a new, wider airbox inlet shape. Stella said the team would deliver several early-season updates, consistent with McLaren's development plan in recent seasons. After the United States Grand Prix, Stella announced that the team would no longer bring upgrades to the car.

Did You Know?

• The MCL39 used a one-off papaya orange and black geometric dazzle camouflage pattern for its pre-season filming day.
• A special livery inspired by the McLaren M7A was used for the Monaco and Spanish Grands Prix.
• For the British Grand Prix, McLaren used a chrome livery inspired by those used from 2006–2014.
• For the United States and Mexico City Grands Prix, McLaren raced a special livery based on Google Gemini's colour palette.