McLaren put in an incredible amount of effort in 2023, rising through the ranks to become the second-fastest team on the grid. With the onset of the 2024 season, hopes from the team were to stay in close competition with Red Bull. However, things have been vastly different. Despite the team’s struggles, Andrea Stella remains hopeful of McLaren picking up a win this year. Speaking during the pre-race press conference in Shanghai, Lando Norris addressed Stella’s claims while detailing why he believes McLaren won’t win a race “any time soon.”
“Not any time soon that’s for sure. I think we can right place, right time. If we improve the car how we need to.”, said Norris.
Norris added McLaren knows the issues with the car, and they know what they need to improve. Should the Woking-based team be able to do that, Norris believes Stella’s words are indeed true.
However, the possibility of the same remains a big “if” for Norris. The 24-year-old claimed if they can overcome the challenges they’ve faced for the last “many years,” he is confident McLaren can have a few good races in 2024.
So far, McLaren has had a mixed bag of affairs this season. They have had a tough time keeping up with Ferrari and Red Bull while making easy work of Aston Martin and Mercedes. Given the same, the team from Woking sits in P3 with 69 points and a podium finish, courtesy of Norris. In their bid to achieve a resurgence in 2024, the Chinese Grand Prix stands as the next hurdle.
Amid Lando Norris’ caution, Andrea Stella looking to ‘limit damage’ in China
Inching closer to the Sprint and Race sessions in China, Andrea Stella remains wary of McLaren’s problems this season. High-downforce circuits have been a strong suit for McLaren for a while now, and they thrive under such conditions.
However, the car has persistently faced issues with the low-speeds, allowing others to take advantage of the same. The 3.3 miles (5.4 km) track in China is riddled with hairpin turns and long straights. This means that hard braking from high speeds to low speeds will be a general theme of the race.
Moreover, the opening section of a lap around the Shanghai International Circuit features a snaily, tight section of corners from Turns 1 through 4. The section demands a combination of slow speeds on long corners, which falls right in the weak spot for McLaren. Given the same, Stella is most worried about the first part of the track. “I have to say that of these first part of the season, China is the track that worries me the most from a competitiveness point of view.”
Hence, Stella looks at the race in China as a means of “damage limitation” for McLaren. However, the Italian engineer is confident things will improve for his team in the second half of the season. He hopes the race in Miami will be the start of a better stage for McLaren in 2024.
