McLaren is set to introduce additional upgrades after the summer break in their pursuit to surpass Red Bull and claim the Formula 1 championship in 2024, according to McLaren boss Andrea Stella. The team’s progress, coupled with Sergio Perez’s struggles, has resulted in a reduction of the gap in the Constructors’ standings to 42 points with 10 rounds remaining. McLaren’s success has continued since the introduction of a comprehensive development package in Miami, which propelled Lando Norris to his first victory. Despite Red Bull’s efforts to accelerate updates prior to the recent shutdown, McLaren achieved a 1-2 finish. However, Stella expressed surprise at McLaren’s ability to remain competitive without significant new additions since the Miami upgrade. He anticipates the team will introduce multiple new parts in the second half of the season, building upon the developments already accumulated.
McLaren has the fewest wins compared to the top four teams in the championship, as the team has expressed disappointment in squandering multiple chances in recent months.
Despite Max Verstappen receiving a penalty and starting 10 places back at Spa-Francorchamps, it was Mercedes who took advantage while Norris bemoaned a mistake at the beginning that cost him.
However, with Oscar Piastri extending McLaren’s streak of podium finishes to 10, Stella saw McLaren’s weekend in Belgium as a positive development as it closed the gap on Red Bull.
“You can find instances where if we had a flawless weekend, then I would say potentially yesterday we could have qualified one or two positions higher,” he added.
“I don’t believe we could have beaten Red Bull yesterday [in qualifying], we didn’t have enough traction to do so.
“Then today, with the small issue with Lando, the minor hiccup at the pit stop [with Piastri], the truth is that no one has a perfect event, it’s simply impossible.
“I think we are actually quite content with the level of consistency and strength we possess as a team.
“The only team where the drivers have scored points at every single event, tremendous reliability thus far, I’ve lost count of how many consecutive points we’ve earned.
“10 consecutive podiums, numerous opportunities to perform better, but the overall picture showcases a very formidable and unwavering team. And this should be emphasized.
“Today, I still believe it’s important that we gain points on Red Bull, because if you had told me before the race, ‘Are you going to gain points on Red Bull?’ I’m not so certain.
“Because I was anticipating Verstappen to make his way through, and if you look at last year’s race, Perez finished around 10 seconds, 15 seconds behind Verstappen for a 1-2 finish.
“So, we gained 8 points, now 42 points behind, I focus on the positive, and we continue to seize the opportunities.”
