McLaren has made significant progress over the past 18 months and now appears to be the primary contender to Red Bull in the world of Formula 1.
Lando Norris, the McLaren driver, wants to emphasize the team’s remarkable journey as he reflects on recent battles for victories. He secured his second-ever career pole position at the 2024 Spanish GP and has engaged in fierce competitions with Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
Earlier in the 2024 season, Norris achieved his first Formula 1 race win at the Miami Grand Prix. In the last seven races, he has reached the podium on five occasions, with the exceptions being a fourth-place finish in Monaco and retirement due to a collision with Verstappen in the recent Austrian GP.
With teammate Oscar Piastri also performing impressively, expectations for McLaren have soared. Norris believes it is crucial to maintain perspective.
“We must acknowledge the positives because we have just emerged from consecutive challenging seasons,” Norris shared with select members of the press.
“It is necessary to remind ourselves of the extent of our struggles and the progress we have made. It is easy to forget that quickly. This knowledge motivates everyone in the team, as we compare last year’s struggles with our current position.”
Despite McLaren’s prestigious history, the team has not won the Constructors’ Championship since 1998 and experienced a decline in recent seasons. However, their fortunes began to change in the middle of the 2023 F1 season.
It took until the ninth race of the 2023 season for McLaren to secure a top-five finish. Since then, they have consistently competed at the front of the grid.
Norris clarified that while McLaren should still aim to win races, they must also recognize the relative nature of their progress and behave like a team striving for victories and championships.
“It is important to remind everyone of this, but at the same time, everything is relative,” Norris continued.
“Whether we are fighting for first or tenth place, the knowledge that we could have made better decisions and potentially won a race adds significance to each win. When fighting for tenth place, it may only be a matter of one or two points. However, when fighting for second place and realizing ‘I should have won the race,’ it stings even more.
“But I am encouraged by this knowledge because it fuels our motivation to enter the next race weekend with the mindset of making up for the previous one.”
