McLaren slips; Aston Martin perks
McLaren’s hot 2025 form has cooled — analysis flags a loss of momentum for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and growing questions over their 2026 pace after Melbourne (marca.com). Meanwhile Aston Martin ran an I / AM trackside experience in Melbourne to give members behind‑the‑scenes paddock access, a reminder teams are doubling down on fan engagement even when results wobble (astonmartinf1.com).
Lando Norris recovered to finish fifth at Albert Park, while Oscar Piastri did not start after a high‑speed crash on the reconnaissance lap to the grid that destroyed the front‑right corner of his McLaren. (mclaren.com (mclaren.com)) McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the team faces “work ahead” after Melbourne and acknowledged a significant pace deficit to the frontrunners. (formula1.com (formula1.com)) Independent timing analysis and team assessments put McLaren roughly 0.5–1.0 seconds per lap off Mercedes after the opener, a shortfall Andrea Stella said will require aerodynamic and power‑unit gains. (autosport.com (autosport.com)) Untelevised team radio released after the incident showed Piastri reporting his battery was “completely empty” and he later described a sudden ~100kW power surge as a contributing factor to losing control at Turn 4. (planetf1.com (planetf1.com)) Aston Martin continued its I / AM member program at Melbourne by taking members trackside for an access‑all‑areas “Pitlane to Paddock” day that included garage tours, a steering‑wheel walkthrough with Pedro de la Rosa, and Champions Club hospitality. (astonmartinf1.com (astonmartinf1.com)) The team’s official race notes also recorded power‑unit issues and limited mileage for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll in Melbourne, even as Aston Martin emphasised fan experiences and I / AM membership perks alongside on‑track recovery work. (astonmartinf1.com (astonmartinf1.com)) Aston Martin describes I / AM as a free‑to‑join membership offering priority access, exclusive “DROPS” collaborations and behind‑the‑scenes events — part of a deliberate brand push that the team has deployed while it addresses reliability and performance shortfalls. (astonmartinf1.com (astonmartinf1.com))
