Johnny Herbert believes McLaren, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris leading the charge, will remain the fastest team heading into the Miami Grand Prix, while also backing Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari and praising George Russell’s impressive form against Max Verstappen.
Herbert shared his thoughts ahead of Formula 1’s return to the United States, offering insight into key rivalries and the Formula 1 world championship picture for 2025 and beyond as the 'circus' sets up tent in Miami, where Norris won last year.
The former Formula 1 driver and Grand Prix winner expects upgrades across the grid to continue shaping the 2025 season but believes McLaren currently has the edge.
Herbert said: “All the teams will bring upgrades before or after Miami. But there’ll come a point where they stop investing in this year’s car to focus on 2026. Until then, everyone will push — and right now, McLaren looks like it’ll stay the quickest.
“Red Bull only dropped off last season because of the off-track noise. First with Christian Horner, then Adrian Newey leaving. But even with all that, they were still in the fight late into the year.”
Herbert: Hamilton was right to leave Mercedes
Reflecting on Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, Herbert believes it was a necessary change after a frustrating final year with Mercedes: “Last year, Mercedes was so up and down — one week they could win, the next they were nowhere near the podium,” Herbert said. “I think Lewis started to lose motivation, and it showed.”
He continued: “The one who never needed motivation was Ayrton Senna. He’d turn up late to testing and still win titles. Lewis needed that sort of fresh start, and Ferrari was the right call.”
Hamilton’s Sprint win in China showed promise, but Herbert noted that the seven-time world champion has struggled to build momentum since.
“In Australia, it was tough, then came the Sprint win — and you thought, ‘Okay, here we go.’ But since then, it hasn’t clicked,” Herbert said. “Charles Leclerc has had the better, more consistent season so far.
“Ferrari are third or fourth-best, just on the edge of the podium fight. But they need to jump up another level to really mix it with McLaren and Red Bull. Right now, Lewis is getting beaten by Charles. That’s the issue — he hasn’t done what Charles did when he joined and took control of the team from Sebastian Vettel.”
Herbert: 2026 is Hamilton’s final title shot
Herbert added: “Had Lewis stayed at Mercedes, he’d be under just as much pressure from George Russell. The move to Ferrari was the right one, but if we’re going to see the old Lewis, it’s now or never.”
With the next regulatory era fast approaching, Herbert believes the 2026 season will be Hamilton’s last realistic chance to secure an eighth world championship.
“2026 is Lewis’s last real chance,” he said. “He’s 40 now. Is he still fast? Yes. Is he in his prime? No. That’s gone. At the moment, Charles is doing a better job. Even if Ferrari build a title-winning car, Lewis has to beat Leclerc first. That’s the hurdle.”
Herbert praised Russell’s start to the season and believes the Mercedes driver is laying the groundwork for a strong rivalry with Verstappen: “I’m not surprised by George Russell’s pace this season: “He’s sharp, consistent, and proving a lot of people wrong. He’s got a smart head on him and he’s handling the pressure of having Kimi Antonelli as a teammate — the guy Toto Wolff is backing for the future.
“Right now, there’s a three-tenths gap between them, which is impressive from George. Yes, it’s Kimi’s rookie season, but he did thousands of kilometres of testing last year — he was ready.”
Russell vs Verstappen is unfinished business
Herbert continued: “I love Russell’s confidence. People call it arrogance, but all the greats had it. Senna, Schumacher, Alonso — you need that edge.
“And with George and Max, we’re seeing the beginning of a real rivalry. They’ve had incidents on and off track already, and it won’t stop anytime soon.”
Turning to Mercedes’ rookie, Herbert acknowledged Kimi Antonelli’s rapid progress despite doubts surrounding his F1 readiness.
“When Mercedes announced Antonelli, there were plenty of doubters,” he said. “His F2 campaign wasn’t stellar, his Monza crash raised eyebrows, and people were asking, ‘Is he really ready?’
“Well, those doubts are gone now. He’s shown maturity, resilience, and he’s absorbing the pressure — from inside the team and from himself.”
Herbert concluded: “He’s working well with George too, but make no mistake — the next step is beating him. That’s the goal. And from what we’ve seen so far, it’s not too far off.”
Latest News
Loading
