SUMMARY
- Ferrari and Red Bull emerge as frontrunners, leaving McLaren struggling behind in the F1 season opener.
- McLaren faces a challenging situation, with Lando Norris acknowledging the team's need for significant development to match competitors.
While Red Bull and Ferrari have been at the top of the grid lately, McLaren seems to be struggling far behind. The first race of Formula 1 in Bahrain provided a clear image of the leading competitors. Red Bull dominated the race with steady speed, establishing themselves as a threat. Their outstanding long-run performance with the RB20 reinforced their status as the clear favorite for the title.
Ferrari also showcased significant progress from the previous season. Their SF-24 appeared well-balanced and stable, suggesting they have addressed the race pace issues that plagued them in 2023. This newfound balance combined with strong performances from drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who secured the fastest lap times, positions Ferrari as a serious threat for second place.
Ferrari poses a menacing challenge to McLaren in 2024
McLaren, however, finds itself in a precarious position. While initial results from Bahrain suggested they might challenge Mercedes, Lando Norris acknowledges the team needs significant development to bridge the gap to Ferrari and ultimately, Red Bull. The Suzuka race exposed this flaw, with Norris finishing behind both Ferrari drivers.
red bull ferrari difference: 21pts
ferrari mclaren difference: 51pts
mclaren mercedes difference: 35ptsmercedes could DOUBLE their points and still wouldn’t reach mclaren. what pic.twitter.com/ClnYFyDm46
— luna💌 露娜 (@F1REAKS) April 7, 2024
As the season progresses, the battle for second place behind the dominant Red Bull promises to be a fierce competition between McLaren and Ferrari. Both teams will need to push their development efforts to the limit if they hope to challenge the championship leader. With the latest updates that were brought about ahead of Japanese GP, Prancing Horse seems to be a threat to reckon with.
Not very long ago, Norris pointed out the flaws with the team as he stated, “There’s still plenty of races at the end of last year that we were not even close to being the second fastest team. So I would never say yeah, we were the second fastest, and now Ferrari have jumped us or anything like this.” He highlighted that, in the previous season, McLaren was not the biggest opponent to the reigning champions, which makes a Ferrari jump appear realistic.
McLaren can outshine Ferrari in F1
While McLaren displayed a commendable resurgence towards the tail end of 2023, a closer look at the data suggests they require significant strides to challenge the Scuderia. After the end of the first four races of the new season, the Woking-based team received their best performance in Australia with a P3 and P4 finish by Norris and Oscar Piastri respectively.
Andrea Stella about the MCL38 in China:
🗣”Where I’m a little bit more prudent is that there’s so much low speed and so many hairpins that definitely should not be the best track for us at this stage of the season.
So, I think China may be a bit of a damage limitation for us” pic.twitter.com/Z4w1GLxd2D
— McLaren News | 🇬🇧 🇦🇺 (@McLarenF1_News) April 8, 2024
Engine data suggests a slight horsepower deficit for the Mercedes power unit in the McLaren compared to the Ferrari power unit. While the exact figures remain confidential, sources suggest a potential difference of around 10-15 horsepower. This necessitates an acceleration in the development of upgrades for the MCL38 if they hope to close the gap with Ferrari.
However, the British outfit McLaren boasts a formidable driver pairing in Norris and Oscar Piastri, and their pit crew remains one of the fastest on the grid. These strengths cannot be understated. Additionally, an alliance between Honda and Aston Martin in 2026 could provide insights and potential future collaborations for McLaren.
Consistent pace, effective upgrades, and potentially some crucial support from Mercedes are essential if McLaren wants to turn the tide.