McLaren continues to close the gap to Red Bull, but not with the urgency many would like. While Sky Sports’ Natalie Pinkham believes McLaren’s 2024 season might be a buildup toward a more serious title challenge in 2025, Nico Rosberg thinks the Woking-based team might not get another chance.
Red Bull, despite starting the season strong, encountered balance issues with the RB20. Meanwhile, McLaren, with its upgrades, became the fastest car on the grid. However, the Woking-based team has squandered many opportunities to outscore Red Bull, leading Rosberg to call them out.
“I really think they should be impatient,” Rosberg said on the Sky Sports F1 podcast. “…seize the moment, maximize the moment, pounce on Red Bull’s weakness and go for it. You never know in F1 if you get a second chance.”
Ferrari and Mercedes are also making strong strides, and if McLaren becomes too complacent, they could risk losing out on the title and even P2 in the standings. Rosberg urges McLaren not to wait for the “perfect opportunity” before making their move.
nico can’t stand the way mclaren handle team orders LMAOOOO pic.twitter.com/7RgdheH5Wt
— asha (@aussiebritz) August 31, 2024
At the Italian GP, McLaren’s refusal to issue team orders led to Lando Norris losing a position and disrupting the team’s strategy. Starting from a 1-2, they finished 2-3, which, while not bad, was a missed opportunity to gain an advantage over Red Bull.
The gap to the Austrian outfit currently stands at eight points, but if it regains its form, McLaren could come to regret these missed opportunities.
Rosberg’s comments make even more sense because Red Bull and Ferrari are out to take McLaren’s biggest advantage away from them.
Red Bull and Ferrari want flexi-wing ban
Despite being on opposite ends of the spectrum in Monza, Red Bull and Ferrari teamed up to get Mercedes and McLaren’s front wings outlawed. Both teams have raised concerns about the flexibility of these wings, arguing that they do not comply with the technical regulations.
#F1 | The FIA has confirmed no Formula One team is in breach of the technical regulations regarding their front wing designs after Red Bull and Ferrari raised concerns about Mercedes and McLaren’s front wing designs. pic.twitter.com/IUkZhG21W1
— deni (@fiagirly) September 3, 2024
McLaren is currently on track to dethrone Red Bull, and Mercedes has unlocked significant potential from its latest upgrade package, which focused on a revised front wing and floor.
If the front wing is banned, McLaren and Mercedes could lose one of their biggest advantages. As a result, Rosberg believes that now is the crucial moment for the former to make a decisive push for the championship.
