McLaren has encountered difficulties on fast tracks during the 2024 F1 season. Oscar Piastri (via imago)
McLaren has displayed a much stronger start to the 2024 season in comparison to their struggles early on in 2023. Woking is currently ahead of Mercedes and holds the third position in the constructors’ championship. However, there is a belief that the team is not extracting the maximum advantages from the high-speed circuits anymore.
The high-speed circuit of the [insert circuit name] did not provide McLaren with a significant advantage over their competitors. The MCL38 performed slower than anticipated, resulting in the team missing out on valuable points and a potential podium finish. Consequently, it has been acknowledged that McLaren’s performance in high-speed circuits is not exceptional.
What has become evident in recent races is that high-speed circuits are no longer exclusively beneficial to us.
Piastri recalled McLaren’s performance in the previous season and the advantage they had at high-speed circuits back then. However, this season has been different, and the team has struggled to perform well on fast tracks. Nevertheless, this has not had a significant impact on the team’s overall performance thus far.
So, let’s say perhaps the advantage we enjoyed at some of the high-speed circuits last year, I don’t believe we enjoy it to the same extent anymore.
In addition to McLaren, Ferrari has shown significant improvement compared to their performances in 2023. As a result, the Australian driver praised the Italian constructor. McLaren is currently trailing Maranello by 51 points in the constructors’ championship, which means Woking will need to introduce mid-season upgrades to close the gap with the Scuderia.
Furthermore, Piastri acknowledged that Red Bull remains strong, as the ground-effect era has highlighted their strengths. He also mentioned that Aston Martin has made notable improvements in high-speed performance. Consequently, the competition among the top five teams is expected to intensify as the season progresses.
McLaren aims to secure a podium finish, if not a race victory, at the upcoming sprint weekend of the [insert race name]. The team only has one practice session to finalize the setup for their car. Additionally, it is worth noting that this circuit is being used for the first time in five years, and Piastri will be making his debut on the Shanghai track.