Mercedes driver George Russell believes the true extent of McLaren’s 2025 Formula 1 advantage will be revealed at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, where a new technical directive banning flexible wings is set to come into effect.
Following five rounds in what is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable F1 seasons in years, McLaren leads the standings with three victories, but Russell insists that the performance gap may be smaller than it appears.
“We’re much closer to McLaren than people think,” Russell told Dutch publication GPblog. “Barcelona is going to show whether their strength was really in that flexible wing design.”
At the season opener in Bahrain, McLaren’s Lando Norris failed to challenge Russell for second place, despite expectations that the MCL39 would breeze past the Mercedes. Russell noted that Norris’s penalties and a forced position hand-back to Lewis Hamilton might have masked McLaren’s true pace—but also highlighted cracks in their perceived dominance.
“Honestly, we thought Lando would just fly through the field,” said Russell. “But they had a few setbacks that cost them dearly. That told us something—they’re strong, but not unbeatable.”
The battle between McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari, and a slightly off-the-pace Red Bull has been tighter than anticipated. According to Russell, McLaren’s early-season edge may owe more to clever aerodynamics than outright car superiority.
The upcoming technical directive—due to be enforced starting with the Spanish Grand Prix—will place stricter limits on wing flexibility, particularly in the rear. While legal under current interpretations, these so-called “flexi-wings” have raised eyebrows across the paddock, especially as McLaren consistently outperformed rivals on circuits requiring high aerodynamic efficiency.
“McLaren’s advantage in that area has been obvious,” Russell said. “And Barcelona is where we’ll find out how much that played into their current form. I don’t expect much change until then—but after that? It could shake things up completely.”
Drawing comparisons to previous seasons, Russell added that the situation mirrors Red Bull’s dominant run in 2023, though with a key difference. “Back then, we weren’t even close. This year, it feels like both McLaren’s development and Red Bull’s slight drop-off have brought the field together.”
The Spanish Grand Prix could mark the first major turning point of the season, particularly if McLaren’s performance dips under the new restrictions. With just fractions separating the top four teams, every regulation tweak has the potential to reset the championship narrative.
“Barcelona won’t just be another race,” Russell concluded. “It could define the rest of the season.”
