After Lando Norris’ maiden win in Miami last weekend, McLaren F1 CEO Zak Brown reflected on the turbulent times his side faced last season. Since the Woking-based outfit had one of its worst starts to a campaign, Brown has now explained how he risked losing his locker room.
When host Tom Clarkson asked him what he was most proud of, Brown replied, “I think last year’s turnaround. It was awesome to see how the team came together. I mean it wasn’t like we went from being okay to really good. It was a mess to really good and you know it is pretty easy to lose the locker room when you start the season that poorly.”
McLaren were the slowest car on the grid in the first two races of the 2023 season. Not only did both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri fail to score any points after the opening two races, but they also finished both Grand Prix at the back of the field.
However, what McLaren achieved from that point on helped them surprise the rest of the grid. From being a backmarker, they emerged as the closest challengers to Red Bull by the time the season ended. Norris showcased the potential of the MCL60 by registering seven podiums.
Meanwhile, Piastri also managed to register two podiums and a win in the Qatar GP sprint race. McLaren have now carried on this level of form to the 2024 season as well, and Norris’ win in Miami is just a reflection of how significantly the team has improved from the start of the 2023 campaign.
“We’re just getting started“: Lando Norris after his first win
The McLaren team have been buzzing with confidence after Norris grabbed his maiden career win in Miami. After his victory, the Briton took to social media and issued a warning to his rivals.
He wrote on Instagram, “After all of this, we’re just getting started.” Norris’ win in Miami is likely to provide further incentive to the entire McLaren team to continue working hard to improve the car’s pace, hoping they will register similar results in the future.
Is this a sign of good times by Lando Norris? pic.twitter.com/8aSl9Ykfrn
— F1 Library (@dnf_fastest) May 8, 2024
While Norris and McLaren are optimistic about the season ahead, they surely cannot forget the threat of Max Verstappen and Red Bull. The Dutchman managed to finish P2 in Miami despite not having the best of luck and a flawless drive that most fans have come to expect of him.
First, the timing of the safety car did not help Verstappen as it allowed Norris to have the chance of essentially getting a free pit stop. Secondly, the Red Bull driver also made contact with a bollard that ended up damaging his front wing.
Hence, while there still remains a question about whether Norris and McLaren won the race on merit, it certainly does not diminish the fact that they continue to be the closest challengers to Red Bull. Therefore, if McLaren were to continue improving the pace of the MCL38, they would hope to challenge Red Bull more often as the season progresses.
