McLaren enters 2024 optimistic that they have continued their good growth from last year but are concerned about Red Bull’s potential performance.
Lando Norris gained more points than any other driver last season, except Max Verstappen, after McLaren improved their chassis for the Austrian Grand Prix in July.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella stated that his team has “not seen diminishing returns” in developing their new car.
However, he fears the same will apply to the dominant champion, Red Bull.
Inside McLaren: Chief Andrea Stella’s Vision For Sustained Momentum
“Red Bull should be extremely competitive and we will see where we are and what kind of challenge we will be able to set on track,” she said.
Last year, Red Bull and Verstappen had the most dominant season in Formula One.
The Dutchman won 19 of the 22 races, with Sergio Perez taking two of the remaining three.
McLaren began 2023 as one of the slowest cars in the field, but by the second half of the season, it had emerged as a prominent contender behind Red Bull, thanks to a highly effective development strategy.
And McLaren believes that, while their new vehicle looks good, Red Bull will make at least as much progress with their new design.
Speaking at an event to debut McLaren’s 2024 livery, Stella said the team was able to build on the significant progress made in Austria and a following big improvement in Singapore in September.
“The gradient we established last year that led to the Austria and Singapore development, it seems like we can maintain it,” she added.
“In the background, we are already working on other advancements that we plan to release very soon throughout the season, and they appear to be extremely fascinating.
“In terms of the regulations themselves and the development at McLaren, we seem like a linear gradient of development can be maintained.”
However, he pointed out that Red Bull stopped improving last year’s car unusually early in the season, which could be a bad sign for their 2024 performance.
“Competitiveness on track depends on what the opposition has done,” she remarked. “When we consider Red Bull, one factor raises concerns about what will happen in 2024: they have yet to significantly develop their automobile.
Inside McLaren: Chief Andrea Stella’s Vision For Sustained Momentum
“So, have they cashed in, gathered developments, and will they capitalise on the next year’s car? Here’s my theory.
“I can’t believe Red Bull was not in a position to create their car. They may have decided not to deliver improvements, but this could indicate that their [development] gradient has continued.”
McLaren enters 2024 with one of the strongest driver lineups on the field, featuring Australian Oscar Piastri alongside Norris.
In an outstanding maiden season, Piastri won the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix, becoming the first F1 driver before Norris, and signed a contract extension with McLaren until the end of 2026.
Norris’ contract ends a year before that, and McLaren is determined to extend it with the British driver.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown stated, “My primary role is to put the right people in place and provide him with the necessary resources and support.” That’s Andrea and the entire squad.
“When you want to win the World Championship again, you need management, technology, infrastructure, and two grand prix drivers. We have all of these in place.
“We have Lando under contract for another few years. Of course, we have a continuous dialogue with him.
“He is starting to think through [his future], as we are – 2026 is not far away and we recognise that being able to retain Lando and Oscar is a key element and something that is a high priority for us.”
Brown returned to an issue he has discussed several times recently, voicing worries over Red Bull’s connection with their young team.
The season-long rebranding of Alpha Tauri, who will reveal their new identity in the upcoming weeks, is leading them to a situation in which they are taking as many parts for their vehicle as is legal.
Inside McLaren: Chief Andrea Stella’s Vision For Sustained Momentum
While this is comparable to Haas’ arrangement with Ferrari in 2016, Brown is concerned that their second team may gain an unforeseen edge given Red Bull’s dominance and the budget limitation that limits every team’s investment.
“I’m concerned over the Alpha Tauri-Red Bull alliance,” he remarked. “Alpha Tauri is, from what I gather, heading to the United Kingdom, which will assist both teams. This A/B squad and co-ownership raises serious concerns about the sport’s health and fairness.
“When these rules were implemented, the sport was in a different place. There was a significant divide between folks like us, who had large budgets, and the smaller teams. And now everyone is almost near the cap, if not already there.
“So everyone is playing with the same size bat, to use a baseball analogy, and hence [sharing parts] is unnecessary. However, it may provide someone with an unfair edge, and as a sport, we must address this issue as soon as possible.
“I would like to see us focus on that as an industry before it gets to where F1 once was, which is very out of balance because people are playing by the rules but a different set of rules.”
SOURCE – (BBC)
