Lando Norris and the McLaren team are expected to deliver a performance that can surpass Red Bull in Formula 1. Red Bull and Max Verstappen have dominated the sport since the second half of the 2022 season. Verstappen’s winning streak since the historic 2023 season has continued, as he won the first two races of the 2024 season. However, he faced a setback at the Australian GP due to mechanical issues that forced him to retire.
Due to Red Bull’s dominance, Norris believes that no other team will be able to catch up to them until the 2026 season, when new regulations will be implemented. He believes that even this year, Red Bull’s advantage is so significant that it will lead to bigger differences on the track in the 2025 season. Norris stated: « I think for things to really change, you need to wait until 2026. Right now there’s really nothing between the power units between the teams, but much more between the cars. I hope that Red Bull, being the team that they are, will always have an advantage because they are ahead. I think this could potentially be a big change for all teams, including the power units, probably being one of the most important things. »
Norris also highlighted that Red Bull’s aerodynamic advantage is the key to their speed, rather than the power unit. With rumors of upgrades from Ferrari and McLaren themselves, it remains to be seen if Red Bull and Verstappen can maintain their dominance.
Norris a exprimé sa satisfaction concernant les améliorations générales apportées à la MCL38. Cependant, il a des inquiétudes concernant la conduite à Zandvoort, sa piste locale, qui met en lumière les faiblesses de la voiture. Zandvoort est connu pour sa nature à basse vitesse, avec 6 des 14 virages étant à basse vitesse. Ce sera un défi pour McLaren, et seul le temps dira s’ils pourront résoudre leurs problèmes avec les virages à basse vitesse avant la course fin août.