April 1, 2024 4:55 pm
Photo: XPB Images
Lando Norris recognizes that the difference between McLaren and Red Bull is not a surprise, but he welcomes his team’s progress. For the British driver, Ferrari is the one that impressed the most in Formula 1 in 2024.
Last season, McLaren staged one of the biggest comebacks in the history of the category. From a team struggling to reach the points at the beginning of the year, it became a frequent podium finisher in the second half of the season. The team benefited from the initial mistakes of Ferrari and Mercedes, which brought incorrect concepts to their cars and had development limitations due to the spending cap.
However, Ferrari reacted very well. The current season’s SF-24 has proven to be the most competitive car to take on Red Bull, scoring podiums in the first three races, including the one-two in Australia.
Norris recognizes the evolution of the Italian team, but believes that McLaren’s proximity to the leaders is positive. “The difference to Red Bull was expected,” said Norris. “They stopped development last year and focused on 2024. Being close to them is a good sign. Ferrari is the one who impressed the most. They took a big step, perhaps the biggest from one year to the next. But for us, staying close is encouraging.”
Despite this, the driver highlights McLaren’s ambition. “We always want more and fight at the front. We took a step, but we were unable to solve all the problems of recent years. Now we are working even harder towards this,” he added.
Norris finished third in Australia and sees McLaren’s evolution with optimism. “Could I be happier? Yes. We all could. But let’s start the season in a good position and with a lot to improve. It’s to smile, because we’re doing well and we can get even better. If we compare it to twelve months ago, the situation is completely different. We surpassed our competitors by a huge leap. It gets harder and harder the closer we get to the top, but we have a long way to go. I’m happy with the progress and with the team’s effort to continue evolving”, concluded the British driver.
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