Charles Leclerc broke his supposed Monaco curse by winning his home Grand Prix last Sunday. This victory was particularly sweet because Leclerc had faced several near-misses at his home race, even though he had started from pole position twice before. Now, McLaren hopes to draw inspiration from the Ferrari driver’s success to break their own curse at the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix.
Since 2014, McLaren has failed to score a single point in this race as pointed out by a statistic thread on F1’s subreddit. This string of bad luck started when McLaren renewed their partnership with Honda in 2015. Unfortunately, Honda’s engines didn’t perform well, leading to Fernando Alonso’s infamous “GP2 engine” remark during the Japanese Grand Prix that year.
McLaren haven’t scored points in Canada since 2014. That’s a streak of seven Canadian GP races without a top-10 finish.
byu/The_Chozen_1_ informula1
McLaren’s fortunes started to change when they switched to Renault engines in 2018. Although they showed some improvement, achieving a few 11th-place finishes in Montreal, they couldn’t quite make it into the points. Then, the Canadian Grand Prix was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On its return in 2022, McLaren yet again got tantalizingly close to scoring a point in P11. In 2023, Lando Norris was on track to score points but received a late-race penalty that knocked him out of the top ten, continuing the Woking team’s unlucky streak at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
However, McLaren’s recent form suggests they might finally break their Canadian GP curse. In the last three races, the papaya team has achieved one win and two second-place finishes. They have been one of the biggest turnaround stories in the recent history of Formula 1.
How did McLaren turn its fortune around so quickly?
This turnaround began mid-season in 2023 when McLaren introduced a significantly upgraded MCL60 at the Austrian Grand Prix. This new car, which featured a heavily revised floor and bodywork was immediately competitive, and McLaren went from scraping for points to fighting for podiums in a single race.
Their momentum continued into 2024, with a major upgrade at the Miami Grand Prix leading to Lando Norris’s maiden win in Formula 1. Since then, the Woking-based squad has been a strong contender, fighting for victories at both Imola and Monaco. These performances bode well for their chances in Canada.
“We can win more races this year”
Lando Norris has returned to the McLaren Technology Centre to celebrate his first win with the team, but he wants more pic.twitter.com/nuvdYsIiYv
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) May 9, 2024
The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, known for its long straights and subtle high-speed corners, could suit the MCL38 well. The car has shown strength in these conditions throughout the season, which could give them an advantage.
However, the track also features slow, tight sections with multiple chicanes, that have been challenging for McLaren. Lando Norris recently noted that the team has been working hard to improve in these areas and it could prove to be a big weakness come race weekend.
