Max Verstappen, from Holland, driving for Red Bull Racing RB20, is leading the pack in the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. Andrea Stella, team principal of McLaren, believes that Red Bull’s decision to prioritize resources for the 2024 season early on has given the impression that their Formula 1 rivals are falling behind. McLaren, which made significant progress last year, was expected to be the closest competitor to Red Bull. However, it is Ferrari that has stood out as the main challenger, with five podiums and a one-two finish in Australia, currently comfortably in second place in the championship. Nevertheless, McLaren is still in the fight and took advantage of a less than ideal weekend for Ferrari in Shanghai, securing second place with Lando Norris.
Stella is confident that McLaren is on an upward trajectory, despite Red Bull’s focus on developing the RB20 car, which may give the impression that they have regressed. When asked if McLaren can establish themselves as the second team, Stella stated that their development in recent years has been more significant than any other team. He believes that Red Bull did not progress much last year, as they were heavily invested in the early work for the innovative design of their car. Developing such a car requires months of redesign. Stella acknowledges that McLaren may have lost some ground in the short term, but this is because they made significant gains while Red Bull was not actively developing their car. Stella emphasizes the importance of looking at long-term progress, as McLaren is on a strong trajectory. He believes that if they continue their development over the next 12 months, they have the potential to catch up to Red Bull.
Stella previously mentioned in Japan that McLaren needs to replicate last season’s development to compete consistently with Ferrari. He reiterates that the team will introduce improvements to the MCL38 car at the next race in Miami, aiming to reduce the small gap between them and Ferrari. Stella acknowledges that development is a constant battle in Formula 1, with teams always looking to improve their cars. He highlights that other teams, such as Sauber and Haas, have already introduced improvements and have seen improvements in their performance. Stella emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement and states that McLaren is fully committed to this approach.
