McLaren are back at the sharp end of Formula 1 after a decade and a half of back-of-the-field and mid-field life, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri capable of fighting for pole position and race victories on a regular basis but by their own admission they have more work to do.
The McLaren MCL38 has been a match for the Red Bull RB20 in Max Verstappen's hands, so the pace is there, the reliability is strong. So what's gone wrong? Nothing really, other than when battling with Red Bull and Mercedes (and Ferrari when they are not AWOL) is different to rubbing rubber with Saubers, VCARBs and Aston Martins.
The top two F1 teams during any season, have tended to know how to win races regularly. McLaren do not, and that's where there is work to be done according to none other than their team principal Andrea Stella.
In his preview of the forthcoming Hungarian Grand Prix, Stella admitted as much: “Last week we took time to celebrate a successful triple header where we returned with three trophies and two Sprint race trophies.
"We’re encouraged to keep improving to ensure we keep the pressure on the competition. We’re prepared and looking forward to returning to the Hungaroring circuit. However, there’s more to be done,” declared McLaren's team principal.
“With the British Grand Prix over, we’re now past halfway into the 2024 season. It’s a good time to reflect on how far we’ve come," Stella continued.
"We’re in good standing [P4] in the F1 Constructors’ Championship, thanks to both our drivers and the incredible team we have at McLaren, and have outscored our closest competitors over the past few events. That consistency is important if we are to challenge at the very top of our sport," added the Italian.
Norris: We’re ready!
The boss's sentiments are Norris shared by Norris: “It was good to have some time to recharge and reset after a busy couple of weeks. I was back at the MTC with the team to celebrate the last three races. While at the factory, I was able to jump in the Sim and go over everything we’ve learned ahead of Hungary."
“I’m looking forward to returning to Hungary. Qualifying is important here, as it isn’t an easy track to overtake at, but we’ll be competitive. It’s incredible to be in a position to lead a Grand Prix, but there is some more work to do. We’re ready!” declared Norris, ahead of his sixth Hungarian GP.
That work is for Norris and Piastri to get better service, in the pit lane and strategy calls. Too often they have turned sure victory into defeat, normally by Verstappen but of late Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are also getting in on the act.
Heading to Budapest for only his second Hungarian GP, Piastri is bullish: I’m heading to Hungary off the back of two strong weekends in Austria and Great Britain where I’ve been happy with my driving. We had some missed opportunities at Silverstone but it was clear that there was good pace in the car and that is encouraging.
“The Hungaroring is a track that I had success at in the junior formulae so I’m looking forward to returning. The whole team is going into this race with a lot of confidence and motivation," added Piastri who has yet to win a Grand Prix, although he does have a Sprint Race victory to his name.
Norris will be looking for the kind of magic he found at the Miami Grand Prix earlier in the season, and double his F1 win tally to two but, as he and the team well know, there's work to be done.
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