Many people anticipate that McLaren will be the primary contenders against Red Bull in the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Lando Norris believes that Red Bull can be defeated in 2024, and team principal Andrea Stella supports McLaren’s ability to challenge them, particularly towards the end of the Formula 1 season. However, Stella acknowledges that McLaren may face difficulties early on.
Dan Fallows, Aston Martin’s technical director and former head of aerodynamics at Milton Keynes, caused a stir at the AMR24 launch by stating that he believes Red Bull can be beaten in 2024, following their cost cap penalty.
After their 2024 car made its debut at Silverstone, Norris and Stella were asked if they think they can compete with the reigning double drivers and constructors’ champions, considering McLaren finished 558 points behind in 2023. Norris responded by saying that Red Bull is indeed beatable, citing their close competition in certain moments of the previous season. However, he acknowledges the challenge of consistently outperforming them throughout an entire season.
While Red Bull dominated the constructors’ standings in the 2023 season, McLaren’s performance improved significantly after implementing a revolutionary upgrade at the British Grand Prix. From that point onwards, Red Bull only outscored McLaren 483-273, and McLaren emerged as the best of the rest on the grid. They aim to carry that momentum into 2024.
McLaren managed to defeat a Red Bull driver 13 times during the season. However, concerns arise across the grid that Red Bull will maintain their advantage in 2024, as Adrian Newey’s design team halted major development on the RB19 early on.
Oscar Piastri emphasizes the need for caution, as McLaren is not only fighting against Red Bull. He believes that other top teams will also make progress.
McLaren hopes for a better start to the 2024 season compared to their disappointing performance at the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix. Despite facing technical issues, Norris managed to finish 11th in qualifying but ended up two laps down after multiple pit stops. Piastri retired from the race due to an electrical fault after just 13 laps. However, with key developments still in progress, their early races may not accurately reflect McLaren’s performance in 2024.
Nonetheless, McLaren’s performance improved significantly in the second half of the 2023 season, with nine podium finishes and a sprint race victory. Stella emphasizes this upward trajectory and expresses confidence in McLaren’s development rate for the 2024 season. However, he acknowledges that Red Bull and other top teams will also make significant improvements, making it uncertain if McLaren’s development rate will be enough to challenge them.
According to the Source total-motorsport.com