Over the years, McLaren has gone from being a legendary team, to a backmarker, to fighting for podiums once again in 2023. The recent era of their progress has been spearheaded by the talent of Lando Norris, but despite being labeled as a generational talent, he hasn’t won an F1 race since making his debut in 2019. Now, McLaren looks like it is on the cusp of becoming a winning team again. Can Norris finally end this wretched streak, and win his first race in 2024?
In 2023, Norris stood on the podium seven times. He even came close to winning on some occasions, but the car just didn’t quite have enough to challenge the might of Red Bull. For a driver of his caliber, a championship winning car has to be delivered to fuel his ambition.
To ensure Norris doesn’t leave, CEO Zak Brown has emphasized his confidence in McLaren’s capabilities. Brown asserts that fostering a positive and supportive environment within the team can be a decisive factor in retaining Norris.
As quoted by Motorsport Week, Brown said at the unveiling of 2024 livery,
“He [Norris] was very impressed with what he saw in the second half of last year, he loves working with Andrea [Stella] and everyone on the team. So all we need to keep doing is keep giving him the environment he wants to be in, and then I’m confident he’ll stick around.”
In 2023, McLaren underwent a major turnaround midway through the season with both Norris and Oscar Piastri, playing pivotal roles in ensuring a strong revival. However, it was the team’s senior driver Norris who truly shone, delivering crucial points that propelled the team to a commendable P4 finish.
Andrea Stella is excited about the 2024 following the strong showings of Piastri and Lando Norris
Andrea Stella assumed McLaren’s leadership last year, showcasing an optimistic approach. This positivity was evident once more at the McLaren livery launch, where Stella elaborated on upgrades for the 2023 season. With a challenging start in 2023, McLaren, at one point, held the position of the second-slowest team on the grid, notably in Miami.
However, the introduction of a significantly overhauled MCL60 at the Austria GP marked a turning point, with continuous improvements throughout the season. With a comprehensive update package in the latter half, McLaren secured fourth place in the constructors’ championship.
Stella showcases his belief in the MCL38’s capacity for significant improvement. He said,
“So far I have to say we don’t see the diminishing returns, this obviously will have to be proven once we put the car on the ground.”
Stella further mentioned that the established gradient in wind tunnel development last year has translated into positive outcomes, notably at the Austria GP and later at the Singapore GP. This suggests the team’s ability to sustain development. Furthermore, he emphasized McLaren’s capacity to maintain a linear gradient in development, considering both regulations and overall progress.
Nevertheless while wrapping up the Italian engineer provided specific insights, suggesting that the team might reevaluate the worthiness of investments in certain areas of the car. In a nutshell, Stella believes that there’s untapped potential in the suspension, tires, and aerodynamics, requiring a strategic approach to capitalize on performance opportunities.
