The team based in Woking had a better start to the 2024 Formula 1 season compared to the previous year. Although not exceptional, their performance has been good enough to secure points in the races in Jeddah and Bahrain.
In Bahrain, Norris finished ahead of his teammate Piastri, but it was the latter who secured fourth place in the Saudi Arabian GP. Norris, on the other hand, took a risk by staying out on track during the Safety Car period, but it didn’t work out and he ended up in eighth place.
In the McLaren team report, Stella commented on the race in Jeddah, stating: “We achieved another good result here in Saudi Arabia. Oscar had a consistent performance throughout the weekend and capitalized on his good qualifying position to finish fourth. He drove flawlessly and was involved in some intense, but fair battles.”
“We decided to adopt different strategies for Lando during the Safety Car, hoping for a favorable situation in case of another Safety Car or red flag, which is not uncommon in Saudi Arabia. It was a calculated risk that paid off,” explained Stella.
“Unfortunately, there were no more Safety Car or red flag incidents, meaning Lando potentially lost some positions compared to where we could have finished. However, it was still a commendable result and Lando drove exceptionally well. We take the positives from the first two races and acknowledge that development will be crucial throughout the season. We are pleased to be in a tight battle for a podium and are aware of the areas where we need to continue working and improving the car,” Stella concluded.
After finishing in fourth place, Piastri expressed his satisfaction, saying: “I believe we extracted the maximum potential from this race and executed our plan effectively. It was a bit frustrating to be stuck behind Lewis Hamilton for a long time, but considering the circumstances, I think we scored the highest amount of points possible this weekend. I am excited to compete in Melbourne, my home race, and I can’t wait to race in front of Australian fans at my local circuit.”
Norris, who successfully defended his position against Lewis Hamilton at the end of the race, described it as a decent race. “We experimented with our strategy, but ultimately, it didn’t work out as we hoped,” he lamented. “However, it was a commendable effort and I believe it was the right decision at the time, as we were considering all options for the team. The car had a reasonable pace today, so we may have missed out on some points, but I think we did our best. We took a calculated risk and, although it didn’t pay off today, it could have! So, I am still satisfied. Today’s pace was quite strong, so there are positive signs for the future. Let’s move on to the next race,” Norris concluded.
While Mercedes had a slight advantage over McLaren in Bahrain, the latter seemed to reverse the situation in Jeddah and even surpassed Aston Martin.
