2025 was the year McLaren completed its return to Formula 1 dominance. Back-to-back Constructors’ Championships. A first Drivers’ World Championship since 2008. And a title fight decided by just two points.

In this episode, we break down how Lando Norris secured his maiden F1 World Championship and why his fiercest competition didn’t come from another team, but from inside the garage. Oscar Piastri pushed Norris to the absolute limit in a season where McLaren had the fastest car on the grid, turning team dominance into an internal war for the crown.

But McLaren’s success story didn’t happen overnight. After more than a decade without a title, the team rebuilt itself into a championship-winning force. Yet dominance brought pressure, and pressure brought politics.

The controversial “Papaya Rules”, introduced by team leadership, sparked rumours of favouritism, raised questions about team orders, and added fuel to an already tense championship battle between two teammates who both believed the title was theirs to win.

While Norris and Piastri fought each other, they almost lost sight of the bigger threat. Max Verstappen mounted a late-season comeback that nearly stole the championship, ultimately losing out by just two points, a margin so small it could have gone either way.

Featuring real driver radio clips, race commentary, and in-depth analysis, this episode explores McLaren’s road back to the top, the psychology of teammate rivalries in a title-winning team, and what the 2026 regulation changes could mean for the future of Formula 1. Is this the beginning of a McLaren dynasty, or the peak before another reset in the sport’s ever-shifting competitive order?

About the Series: Over ten episodes, Grand Pricks explores every 2025 Formula 1 team in depth, unpacking the drama, decisions, and defining moments, both on track and behind closed doors. Starting from last place in the Constructors' Championship to first, we reveal the stories you didn't see on race day.

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The countdown to the 2026 Formula 1 season is officially on, and the sport is on the brink of one of the biggest changes in its modern history.

With the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne just around the corner, this episode of Grand Pricks breaks down the F1 2026 regulation changes in a clear, beginner-friendly way that works whether you’re a long-time fan or someone trying to get into Formula 1 for the first time.

We explain what’s changing with the new 2026 power units, how the revised aerodynamic rules are expected to impact racing and overtaking, and why sustainability and efficiency are shaping the future of Formula 1. Most importantly, we look at what this regulation reset actually means for performance, team strategy, and the competitive order.

We also dive into everything we learned from pre-season testing in Barcelona and Bahrain, analysing which teams looked fastest on single-lap pace, who impressed on long runs, which teams struggled with reliability, and whether testing data gives us any real indication of where teams stand heading into the opening race of the 2026 season.

With rumours circulating in the paddock about a potential technical loophole, we debate which team could exploit the new regulations early and gain a crucial advantage in the 2026 Formula 1 championship battle.

And because this is Grand Pricks, none of it comes as a dry technical lecture. Expect chaotic energy, pop-culture analogies, dramatic impressions, and regulation explanations that actually make sense, including discussion of Lewis Hamilton’s alleged Kim Kardashian era.

We wrap things up with our F1 2026 predictions, debating who could dominate this new era of Formula 1, which midfield team might break through, and whether the regulation overhaul could completely reshuffle the grid.

If you’re an F1 fan or someone trying to understand Formula 1 before the 2026 season begins, this episode is the perfect place to start.

Subscribe to Grand Pricks for weekly Formula 1 analysis, post-race reactions, technical explainers, and all the on-track and off-track chaos throughout the 2026 season.

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The Mercedes Formula One Team entered the 2025 Formula 1 season under immense pressure. Still struggling to master the ground-effect regulations introduced in 2022, the team faced a defining transition year. For the first time in over a decade, Mercedes lined up without seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who made his high-profile move to Scuderia Ferrari, leaving a leadership vacuum at Brackley.

That vacuum placed George Russell firmly in the spotlight. Tasked with becoming Mercedes’ lead driver, Russell faced the biggest test of his Formula 1 career. Alongside him was teenage prodigy Kimi Antonelli, promoted as part of a bold long-term gamble that could either accelerate the rebuild or expose the team’s instability.

Instead, Mercedes delivered its strongest campaign of the post-2021 era. Russell secured two race victories and nine podium finishes, demonstrating consistency and control under pressure, while Antonelli emerged as one of the standout rookies of 2025 with three podiums of his own. Together, they powered Mercedes to second place in the Constructors’ Championship, re-establishing the team as a genuine front-runner.

Off track, the drama was just as intense. Speculation mounted when Team Principal Toto Wolff was linked with a potential pursuit of Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing. Contract rumours swirled around Russell before he ultimately secured an extension, raising questions about team hierarchy and long-term stability.

With sweeping new Formula 1 regulations arriving in 2026, the biggest question now looms: can Mercedes convert momentum into dominance and return to championship-winning form?

Featuring real race commentary, driver clips, and in-depth performance analysis, this episode breaks down Mercedes’ 2025 season and what it all means for the future of the Silver Arrows.

About the Series: Over ten episodes, Grand Pricks explores every 2025 Formula 1 team in depth, unpacking the drama, decisions, and defining moments, both on track and behind closed doors. Starting from last place in the Constructors' Championship to first, we reveal the stories you didn't see on race day.

New episodes weekly. Subscribe now.

Follow us on socials:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@grandprickspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grandprickspodcast/

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