Even though Ferrari have their eyes set on battling Mercedes for second place in the Constructors’ Championship, there is another team that they need to be wary of, and that is McLaren. Lando Norris believes that the Woking-based outfit have the potential to topple the Prancing Horse for third in the championship despite the huge 79-point gap at the moment. The Briton cited McLaren’s recent domination over Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin as a reason for why Ferrari should be worried.
McLaren have been outstanding in recent races as they have managed to reduce the gap to the Silverstone-based outfit from about 70 points to just 11 now. Both Norris and Oscar Piastri have been delivering results constantly, and their double podium at the last race in Qatar was a testament to the same.
THREE PODIUMS IN A ROW BABY! pic.twitter.com/VsPJqSlzQp
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) October 9, 2023
In stark contrast, Aston Martin has had a disastrous run recently. The team has just managed 15 points in their last four races, with Alonso registering the side’s last podium all the way back in August.
Hence, it seems that it’s only a matter of time before McLaren pips Aston Martin to fourth in the championship. Now, it will be interesting to see if the Woking-based outfit can overtake Ferrari for third or not.
Lando Norris believes McLaren can beat Ferrari in constructor’s championship
Since McLaren have been outstanding recently, Lando Norris believes there is every chance his side can beat Ferrari for P3 in the Constructors’ Championship. While speaking in a recent interview (as quoted by formulapassion-pro.ey.r.appspot.com), the Briton said, “Are we at -79? It is feasible. I think so. A couple of races ago we were 70-something points from Aston Martin“.
After stating the same, the 23-year-old also took a jibe at Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso by adding, “Fernando also said we were too sure of ourselves. I think we are doing a good job, not just in terms of pace. We had a 1.8-second pit stop, which is pretty impressive on the guys’ part“.
With McLaren just 11 points behind fourth-placed Aston Martin now, the Woking-based outfit are now looking further ahead to third-placed Ferrari. Since McLaren have been flying recently, Ferrari may need to look over their shoulder and keep the team from Woking behind rather than looking ahead to beating Mercedes to second.
Can McLaren challenge Ferrari for third place?
McLaren have been buzzing in confidence after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured the team’s first double podium finish in Qatar. The team have registered more than 100 points in their last three races and now have a realistic chance of even beating Ferrari to third place in the Constructors’ Championship.
Moreover, since the upcoming Grand Prix in the United States is another sprint race weekend, McLaren will once again fancy a good points-scoring finish. The Woking-based outfit have done well on most sprint race weekends, and the Circuit of the Americas track could also suit their strengths.
Now, since Red Bull have already won the Constructors’ Championship this season, it will be interesting to see how far ahead McLaren can move. With just five races remaining in the 2023 season, the teams will have to be at their absolute best to ensure that they have the best chance of finishing as high as possible in the championship.
