As Formula 1 ventures to the halfway point of the 2024 season, McLaren has pushed their rivals, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull, to their limits, taking points and a race win within Miami. But with this run of form of the Papaya-coloured team, has their race pace been enough to shatter the confidence of the raging bulls? Let’s break down the key moments that have led McLaren to evolve into a competitive car.
McLaren’s performance after Bahrain and Saudi Arabia
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After Bahrain and Saudia Arabia, McLaren found itself ahead of Mercedes but not at the pace of teams from Maranello and Milton Keynes. Both McLaren drivers could only secure a sixth and eighth in the season opener at the Bahrain Grand Prix. This means this result puts them in the mix with the Brackley-based team. And to add salt to McLaren’s ambitions, Lando Norris crossed the line 48 seconds behind race winner Max Verstappen, demonstrating how complex teams have worked during pre-season testing. McLaren also has to climb the mountain to reach the Red Bull level.
After the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the team from Woking accumulated 28 points, with their best result coming from their Australian protege, Oscar Piastri, who finished fourth in Jeddah. So McLaren’s hunt for podiums became achievable, but we need to act sooner rather than later to make an impact in the championship. This time, the team found themselves 32 seconds behind Red Bull. They were again showing that McLaren needed to show some intensity going into the season.
This ‘intensity’ would be played in the form of an Ace during the Miami Grand Prix weekend, but not just one Ace, but ten…
The 10 Reasons McLaren Became Terrifying
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The Woking team arrived in Miami, creating gossip amongst the paddock. Why? For what reason has McLaren generated so much interest? Ted Kravitz, Sky Sports F1’s pit lane commentator, delved into the MCL38, discovering 10 upgrades that have been integrated into Lando Norris’ car.
These upgrades included an entirely new front wing, updated front suspension geometry, revised front and rear brake ducts and winglets, a new floor, a revised sidepod inlet, and new bodywork, including a new louvre arrangement, were among the upgrades.
With these aces played, the expectation grew that Norris could challenge the Red Bulls. The short answer is yes.
But we wouldn’t see this motion take full effect as McLaren’s dominance in Miami was the upgrades, as well as Lady Luck. When Logan Sargeant and Kevin Magnussen collided, bringing out the safety car, Norris took full advantage at the front of the pack, but the safety car picked up the wrong driver, Max Verstappen. So, throughout the lap, Norris did not have to obey the safety car speed limit and gained the time to stop ahead of Max Verstappen and retain the lead of the Grand Prix.
When the Safety Car came into the pits, Verstappen had 24 laps to retake the lead of the Miami Grand Prix he had lost to the Safety Car period, but could not bear any fruit as Lando crossed the line to take his first-ever win within Formula 1. But this coveted win in Norris’ career would only serve to fuel an ever-growing fire to Lando’s ambition to win again.
Norris’ Spanish Charge
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There were times during the season when Norris got close to Verstappen, such as in Imola and Canada. But those two podiums would not demonstrate the sheer determination and calibre, not just of the MCL38 but of Lando Norris. As we saw at the Spanish Grand Prix, not only taking on the likes of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz but both Mercedes drivers of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. To go chase down the Raging Bull of Max Verstappen.
Starting on pole position, Norris lost the lead to George Russell and was relegated to third by Max Verstappen. But this did not anger the Brit, who kept his head in the bid to chase Max Verstappen. However, during the first round of pit stops, Lando lost five seconds to Verstappen as he was struggling to overtake George Russell, five seconds that proved crucial towards the end of the Grand Prix.
With fresher tyres and the ability to maintain the integrity of his strategy, the Miami Grand Prix winner took the fight on track. Carlos and Mercedes overtook them all on track with enough fight left to chase after Max. But this was not enough, as the Flying Dutchman stole the victory just two seconds ahead of Lando. McLaren could only commiserate as Red Bull celebrated. But this level of anticipation from McLaren would continue to the Red Bull Ring.
McLaren vs. Red Bull Going Forward?
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The Austrian became the potential staging ground for the rest of the season. As we saw for the first time, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen collide in the fight to take glory within the Styrian Alps, with the MCL38 drawing more damage from the incident.
Both Max and Lando stopped on Lap 52 for the showdown as the Austrian Grand Prix draws to a close. And the excitement up to then onwards was nail-biting. Lap 55, Lap 59, Lap 63, all opportunities Lando took to get ahead of the three-time world champion. And one lap later, disaster… Running up to Turn 3, Lando stayed on the racing line on the outside, but Max closed the door, left no more racing room, and they collided. Both limped back to the pits, with Norris coming out of the incident worse of the two. However, for Norris, it was game over. But for Max, it was damage limitations. This left Lando battle-scarred as he stated that he might lose respect for how Verstappen behaved during their heated battle.
The run of form since McLaren’s upgrade in Miami has put them into the mix, from fighting for third in the constructors to now becoming heated rivals with Red Bull aiming for the top step of the podium. This battle will continue to run its course, with McLaren itching ever closer to achieving more potential race wins this season away from Red Bull.
But will this be the only time McLaren or Red Bull draw blood? Only time will tell as Formula 1 prepares to return to Silverstone for Round 12 of the 2024 season.
If you would like to learn more news about the world of Formula 1? Then why not check out “Austrian Grand Prix: Hight Speeds in the Heart of Styria” or “Why Was Lando Norris Frustrated After the Spanish Grand Prix?”
Image Credit: Deposit Photos
