F1: Norris bullish on Chinese GP win prospects

McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris has said he is confident of making it two wins from two in this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.

style="text-align: left; margin-bottom: 15px;">Having shown well during pre-season testing, McLaren was widely seen as favorite for the 2025 season, and that prediction rang true as Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri locked out the front row of the grid at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Mclaren's Lando Norris of Britain drives during the Formula One Australia Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia, March 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

A chaotic race and some changeable weather conditions on Sunday at Albert Park saw Piastri slide onto the wet grass and out of contention, but Norris tamed the conditions and saw off a late charge from Max Verstappen to win the race.

Speaking afterwards, Norris said McLaren had a good chance of also emerging victorious at this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit.

"I'm confident that when we go to China [this] weekend, we can be very strong, because we were strong there last year with not a very good car," Norris said in response to a question from Xinhua after his Melbourne win.

McLaren has not won the Chinese Grand Prix since Lewis Hamilton triumphed in 2011, with Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari having won every race in Shanghai since then.