Mika Hakkinen believes that McLaren could topple Red Bull to become world champions in 2024, thanks to its drivers — Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri — and the incredible upgrades it has brought throughout the season.
On Unibet’s website, the two-time F1 champion wrote about the Dutch GP, and how McLaren being disappointed with Piastri’s P4 finish was a clear indicator of the expectations his former team set. This came even though Norris dominated Max Verstappen comprehensively, winning by a 22-second margin.
Lando stamped his authority to beat Max Verstappen on his home ground by a season-topping margin.
Here’s how. ⬇️
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) August 28, 2024
Keeping that aside, Hakkinen pointed out that the gap between McLaren and Red Bull in the standings is not too big anymore. “McLaren is now only 30 points behind Red Bull Racing in the World Championship for Constructors,” he wrote. “Which means that McLaren can absolutely win that title.”
Hakkinen added that Red Bull would be wary of McLaren’s ability to score consistent points. Both Norris and Piastri are competing at the front regularly, whereas Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez is yet to get back to his best, despite a relatively positive showing at Zandvoort where he finished P6.
“Personally I believe that Lando and Oscar now represent a stronger, more consistent driver line-up,” Hakkinen further wrote.
The Finn insisted that unless Perez becomes as consistent as Piastri, Red Bull would find it very difficult to hold McLaren off.
The Woking-based team gradually became the fastest on the F1 grid, after first bringing in upgrades to Miami three months ago. Red Bull, meanwhile, developed issues with its balance, which made the RB20 difficult for Verstappen to drive.
As things stand, McLaren is catching Red Bull up by around 10 points a race. And at this rate, the British team could pass Red Bull at the United States GP in October.
