The McLaren Formula 1 team, recognisable by their distinctive orange livery, currently claims the third spot in the 2024 constructors’ standings. They have managed to outperform themselves by 55 points and two places compared to this time last year, outpacing the likes of Mercedes and Aston Martin. Incredible as it may seem, their current standing sets them in the fierce contest trailing behind the formidable teams of Red Bull and Ferrari.
Notably, Ferrari has proven to be a strong contender to Red Bull this season, a position previously held by McLaren during the 2023 season. The tireless development work put into the off-season by the Ferrari team allowed them to overcome McLaren‘s strong performance on high-speed circuits like Suzuka a year ago. A fortnight ago, the Scuderia managed to snatch a podium finish at the same track, securing a spot after McLaren‘s Lando Norris, and front-runners Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Post Suzuka, McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella, noting this uphill battle, spoke to the F1 Nation podcast expressing absolute faith in the team. Stella is confident that if the team can emulate their impressive development trajectory from 2023, securing a win this season isn’t far-fetched.
Responding to Stella’s assertive comments at the pre-event press conference held at the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend, Norris appeared taken aback, at least initially. He responded humorously stating that such a drastic improvement for McLaren to score 2024 victories doesn’t seem feasible in the imminent future, saying “Not any time soon – that’s for sure!”
Nonetheless, Norris is not all pessimism and doubt. Despite the jest, he is adamant that with the right strategy and suitable conditions a McLaren win is far from impossible. Conversing about the recent Suzuka race he noted that the team didn’t run into too many issues, stating that “Honestly, there weren’t too many frustrations.” He asserts that they could’ve potentially ended up a spot higher had they executed a flawless race strategy.
However, Norris accepts the current situation where the team is selectively outpacing other teams but consistently lags behind Red Bull and Ferrari. Acknowledging the room for improvement, he supports Stella’s optimistic view that McLaren could indeed win races this year if they work hard on improvements.
In order to actualise this, McLaren is prepared to introduce its first significant upgrades for the MCL38 at the upcoming Miami F1 round, with the possibility of two prominent development packages to follow later in the season. Despite the daunting challenge, Norris remains hopeful for some good races, saying, “But, if we can, then I’m confident we can have some good races.”