McLaren has not been at their usual best in the last few seasons. However, from the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, the British team showed a significant rise in their performance as they are now regarded as one of the respected powerhouses in F1. Papayas’ Lando Norris has managed to secure podium finishes despite having so much competition. However, according to team principal Andrea Stella, the MCL60 was not suited for the Singapore GP track, as reported by Junaid Samodien and James on Pit Debrief on X, formerly Twitter.
During the 2023 Singapore GP, Norris showed the incredible pace that the Papayas have. The British driver managed to keep two aggressive Mercedes at bay despite being at a disadvantage.
PTWOOOOOOOO ❤️ pic.twitter.com/9HOmKRAjG9
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) September 17, 2023
This wouldn’t have been possible without the upgrades the Woking-based team brought this season. With the upgrade package, the Papayas are now a great contender for a GP win this season.
Despite having disadvantage, McLaren pulled off a podium
After the Marina Bay Circuit race podium, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has opened up on his team and the capability it has this season. During this conversation, he also shared the fact that undermines the achievement of the MCL60.
Speaking about it, Stella said as per James on Pit Debrief, “You know you’ve got strengths of the car at places like Silverstone, those results were good. In theory [Singapore] shouldn’t have suited our car.”
P4 for LN4! 🫡#SingaporeGP 🇸🇬 pic.twitter.com/y8ogejm45O
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) September 16, 2023
Even though Stella and co. are yet to pick up a win this season, the Singapore GP podium has proven to be an important step forward for McLaren. That, too after claiming a podium in an uncharacteristic ground.
What’s next for Lando Norris and the Papayas?
After two seasons of enormous underperformance, McLaren Racing has finally made a comeback. Even though they are still far away from matching the mighty Red Bull, their recent upgrades have been nothing but commendable.
The Papayas made significant progress when it comes to straight-line speed. This improved their overall pace and therefore enabled them to have great qualifications and, subsequently handsome race positions.
Given how they have built their car so far, it will help them to have a stronger car in the next season. However, it will still be a matter of checking if they will finally be able to challenge Red Bull in 2024.
