Following the season opener in Bahrain, McLaren finds itself trailing behind Ferrari and Red Bull in terms of race pace, indicating the need for significant advancements to bridge the gap.
Lando Norris, finishing sixth in Sakhir, acknowledges the sizable performance disparity between McLaren and its rivals, particularly Ferrari and Red Bull.
“There’s a big step between us and Ferrari on a circuit like this and then another step from Ferrari to Red Bull,” Norris commented, emphasizing the necessity for McLaren to take two substantial leaps forward.
While Norris remains optimistic about closing the gap to Ferrari, he recognizes the challenge posed by Red Bull’s dominance.
“To Ferrari? Yes. Again, at certain tracks, we’re going to do it and at certain tracks, we’re not,” Lando Norris explained.
Despite Red Bull’s apparent superiority, Norris believes Ferrari can occasionally apply pressure, as demonstrated by Charles Leclerc’s strong qualifying performance in Bahrain.
Acknowledging Red Bull’s strength in race pace, Norris also highlights the competitiveness between Ferrari and Red Bull, noting that they can engage in close battles.
McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, views Ferrari and Mercedes as attainable targets but awaits a clearer assessment at the upcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“The gap to Max, it’s not necessarily the main parameter we look at. I’m looking more at the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari, which seem to be within reach,” Stella stated.
Stella anticipates a better understanding of McLaren’s competitiveness after the Jeddah race, emphasizing the need for improvements in low-speed performance.
Key to McLaren’s progress will be enhancing its low-speed performance, an area where specific aerodynamic adjustments are being made to complement overall improvements across various speed ranges.
“We did an overlay of qualifying in 2023 and in 2024 and we go 1.8 seconds faster,” Stella explained. “We improved at every speed.”
McLaren’s pursuit of Ferrari and Red Bull will require continued development and refinement across all aspects of its performance to achieve its competitive ambitions in the Formula 1 championship.
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