Red Bull has been absolutely dominant this season with their mighty RB-19. They are currently on a 15-race winning streak, while their star driver, Max Verstappen, is having a ten-race winning streak. However, Verstappen is soon to face massive competition from his best friend Lando Norris, and this is all because of the upgrade package McLaren have brought off late, as per German media Auto Motor Und Sport.
McLaren made a mighty jump in mid-season with their MCL60s this season. From being a team that was barely on the points, they are now almost neck-and-neck with Red Bull and basked in point finishes. Although the Austrian team already had a huge advantage with their RB-19, they are still no team to catch them.
2nd row, happy with that! pic.twitter.com/4OmCGosOna
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) September 16, 2023
This cushion helped the defending champions keep their dominance intact. Otherwise, it would have been a tough job to remain dominant due to McLaren’s resurgence, and therefore, Norris would have befitting replies for Verstappen.
How did McLaren cope with Red Bull?
The start of the season was very brutal for McLaren, as they were without points after the first two race weekends. They began to grab a little from the following race weekends. However, the Austrian GP saw a massive turnaround as the Papayas began to roll out their first upgrade.
It was Norris’ car that got the first upgrade package at the Red Bull Ring. The package worked well, and it was soon brought into his teammate Oscar Piastri’s car in the following race. This took the McLarens directly into the top three with Verstappen.
Norris has finished P2 behind Verstappen twice now, and he will expect to cut that distance to claim a victory in the future.
P4 for LN4! 🫡#SingaporeGP 🇸🇬 pic.twitter.com/y8ogejm45O
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) September 16, 2023
Admittedly, it was around the aerodynamics where the Papayas made massive progress. Since they had a draggy car, they improved their aerodynamics, which gave them immense pace. However, they are still to find balance in the car after they have improved their slow corners.
Does McLaren have enough pace to beat Red Bull yet?
As things stand, the MCL60 is still the inferior car when it goes head-to-head against the mighty RB-19. This is because the Austrian challenger has the edge when it comes to straight-line speed and a mammoth DRS advantage.
Nevertheless, Lando Norris and McLaren are improving rapidly, and in the long term, they can easily be the team to beat and be right at the heel of Red Bull.
At the ongoing Singapore GP, Norris qualified in P4, and therefore, he will fancy a podium finish from here.
In the Constructors’ championship, McLaren stands in P5 with 115 points. Even though they have gotten the better of Alpine, their immediate rivals, their late start saw them fall behind the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari, and Aston Martin.
