Can McLaren Keep the Momentum and Challenge RedBull in 2024?
McLaren’s 2023 F1 campaign was a roll-a-coaster one as they experienced ups and downs throughout the season. However, they were able to achieve a significant improvement after the summer break, being a dominant challenge to the dominant Red Bull team. Statistically, the Woking-based team was able to record nine podiums and one sprint race victory at the end of the season. The pace and aerodynamic performance of that MCL60 were really good in the latter part of the season and resulted in injecting some serious energy into McLaren.
So, the upcoming year holds immense promise for McLaren, emerging as the top contender to take on Red Bull in 2024. But will they able to continue the current momentum into next season as well? McLaren is gearing up for a major performance boost with substantial technical upgrades and strategic hires from top-tier teams like Ferrari and Red Bull. The infusion of talent and the implementation of advanced technologies, including a new wind tunnel and simulator, are poised to elevate the team's capabilities.
If McLaren is able to deliver a powerful challenger, both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have the potential to challenge Max Verstappen as all these drivers are in the same calibre in terms of talent.
However, according to the latest update coming from the McLaren factory in Woking, they are yet to make some adjustments to the 2024 McLaren beast to unleash its full potential.
But in parallel to this update, McLaren CEO, Zak Brown has warned that the team will not be able to reach its full potential in the upcoming season.
We have everything we need, but we need a little bit more time.
The upgrades were not done with some of our latest technology, and we’re now in our wind tunnel, we have our new simulator, our new manufacturing unit, so that is quite exciting for us because we haven’t benefited from those.
We’ve got great people back at McLaren but we do have a couple of big hires that start in early January but of course, our 2024 has already been started.
We will have everything in place come January but 2024 has already started, so I think it will be 2025 before we’ve fully maximised everything, but I feel good about the ’24 season.
It’s been an awesome effort by Andrea and the entire team. The upgrades have been fantastic.
The drivers are doing a great job, we’ve got great power coming out of our Mercedes power unit, so it’s been a wild ride.”, he added further, explaining the scenario of delaying their title-winning campaign up to 2025.
Other than CEO, McLaren team Boss, Andrea Stella also says he doesn't want to set unrealistic expectations for 2024 because then "reality comes to you in a violent way". All these statements come with a negative impression about their 2024 season, breaking the hearts of McLaren fans.
But on the other hand, these statements made by McLaren officials may be due to the unnecessary stress built around the team at the beginning of the 2023 season. Even though, everyone talks mostly on how to attack Red Bull, the Woking-based team has a real challenge than that. Other top teams like Ferrari and Mercedes also underperformed a lot in the 2023 season. So, these teams are also doing their best to challenge the title in the upcoming season. That means the fight at the front for McLaren could be a very close one in 2024 and should come with a more competitive and reliable package to keep the current momentum of the team unharmed.
