Or at least they were until Norris stole even Russell’s headlines with a disastrous passing attempt on Piastri late in the race. A three-wheeled Norris rolled to a halt against the end of the pitwall. He took full responsibility but no points. Fortunately for Piastri, the big hit taken by his left-rear wheel from the other McLaren had incurred no discernible damage. But fourth – within DRS reach of Antonelli just before the incident – was the best McLaren could conjure from the weekend, sparse pickings indeed by its 2025 standards.
Ferrari similarly failed to extract its full potential. Charles Leclerc insisted it was a potential pole car, even after he trashed a chassis in first practice and took no further part until Saturday. But he got nowhere near pole after a wayward moment in the turbulence of another car on his final Q3 run, leaving him only eighth on the grid, just behind the error-prone Norris who messed up both his Q3 laps, having looked a pole contender until then.
Piastri was more level in his performance but never quite a threat to Russell or Verstappen. He lost his third place to a committed Antonelli on the opening lap and never got it back.
It was a bruising day for Norris – and hardly helpful for his championship hopes either
McLaren
Norris and Leclerc had each chosen to start their races on the hard tyre in the hope of one-stopping past the cars ahead of them. But it didn’t work out that way. They were quite evenly matched in the race until Ferrari fitted Leclerc with another set of hard tyres at his first stop and McLaren put Norris on the much faster medium. Much to Leclerc’s bewilderment.
Lewis Hamilton out-qualified Leclerc by default, fifth fastest, but still unhappy with the car and never a threat to the front-runners. His race went south with floor damage incurred from running over a marmot – plus long delays in the traffic his early pit stop had put him. That in turn had been necessary to defend against a potential Fernando Alonso undercut. They were both passed at the stops by Norris and Leclerc and finished a respective sixth and seventh.
The race finished with a safety car whimper as Norris’ McLaren was towed away – and the Mercedes celebrations began.