While Max Verstappen may be beyond them for now, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has said Ferrari and Mercedes appear to be “within reach” of the MCL38.
McLaren achieved a remarkable outcome in Bahrain as both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured points, resulting in a double points finish. Their car performed exceptionally well in the intense battle among the closely-packed competitors, trailing just behind Red Bull during the season opener last weekend.
McLaren set sights on Mercedes and Ferrari in competitiveness stakes
Stella mentioned that McLaren has achieved a significant improvement of 1.8 seconds per lap during the qualifying session in Bahrain, compared to the corresponding time in the previous season. This remarkable progress is attributed to their extensive upgrade plan for 2023, and the stability of regulations for the upcoming 2024 season.
Despite the progress made by other teams, McLaren is now competing from the beginning of the season, rather than making a substantial performance leap in the latter half of the previous season.
Stella, the team principal, acknowledged that the current World Champion is not currently their main focus. However, she emphasized that their attention is firmly directed towards Mercedes and Ferrari, as they are expected to be strong contenders for the title of the best team after the leading one. Stella even hinted at the possibility of including Sergio Perez from Red Bull in this equation at a later stage.
During a media session in Bahrain, Stella clarified, “The gap to Max is not the primary factor we consider at the moment.”
I am focusing on closing the distance to Mercedes and Ferrari, as they appear to be within striking distance.
We will assess our car’s performance more accurately in Jeddah, as the circuit layout there is expected to be more favorable for us. After observing both Bahrain and Jeddah, we will be able to make a proper evaluation of our competitiveness.
In 2023, Bahrain proved to be a highly successful race for Red Bull, as they effectively leveraged the unique qualities of their car.
Notably, they were the sole team in the previous year who managed to utilize the soft tires during the race. Similarly, this year, they once again demonstrated their superiority by being the only team capable of employing two sets of soft tires due to their exceptional control over tire degradation.
Due to the distinct strategy and tire usage, I am currently not focusing on Max. If anything, Perez might be the next contender.
After the Mercedes and Ferrari, we have Perez and then Max. There are a few stages to go through before aiming for victory, but these stages are not insurmountable. This is an encouraging takeaway from this weekend.
Leave a Reply