Red Bull emerged victorious in 21 out of 22 races last season, establishing their dominance in the championship. The only driver who managed to deny them a clean sweep was Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. Meanwhile, triple F1 World Champion Verstappen achieved a remarkable 19 victories. Norris, on the other hand, secured second place on six occasions and third place once. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, also had a strong performance, finishing as the runner-up in Qatar and even winning the Sprint Race. McLaren initially had a slow start but ended the season on a high note.
After testing the new MCL38 car at a wet Silverstone, the drivers were asked about their chances of competing against Red Bull. Aston Martin’s technical director, Dan Fallows, had previously expressed his belief that Red Bull was beatable, and the McLaren drivers agreed with this sentiment. Norris acknowledged that they had come close to beating Red Bull at certain points in the previous season but recognized the challenge of doing so consistently throughout an entire season. Piastri shared Norris’ optimism, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a strong rate of development. Additionally, Piastri pointed out that McLaren faced intense competition not only from Red Bull but also from Mercedes and Ferrari, especially in terms of championship points.
McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, anticipated that Red Bull would begin the upcoming season in Bahrain with an advantage due to their early focus on the new car. Despite the wet track conditions and unrepresentative tires during their first laps in the new car, both drivers expressed positive initial impressions. Norris felt comfortable right from the start and encountered no surprises, describing the experience as smooth sailing.
We look forward to seeing you there in Bahrain on March 2.
According to the Source grandprix247.com