McLaren reached a fourth and eighth place in Jeddah thanks to the efforts of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
McLaren started the current season on a better note compared to the previous year. In the first half of 2023, the team with the distinctive Papaya livery struggled to score points. However, they picked up the pace in the second half of the season and managed to secure a respectable fourth position in the constructors’ championship.
Although the start of this season has been an improvement, McLaren still faces challenges to position themselves where they aspire to be. The team principal expressed optimism that the changes they have made will pay off by the sixth or seventh race.
During an interaction with the media, the team principal mentioned that McLaren has historically struggled with low speed. In preparation for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the team made some adjustments to the MCL38 and observed both positive and negative results. The team takes into account the track characteristics when implementing improvements.
After an incident during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, several teams opted to pit when the safety car came out. However, one of the few drivers who chose to stay out was [driver’s name]. Although this strategy did not prove beneficial in the long run, as [driver’s name] eventually had to pit and dropped to eighth place.
In the race in Jeddah, McLaren decided to adopt a different strategy. Every new strategy has its advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes, unforeseen circumstances can turn a seemingly favorable strategy into a disadvantage. Despite not achieving the desired results in Jeddah, Lando Norris is content with his decision, as he believes it was a step in the right direction.
