In a recent race at the Lusail circuit, McLaren accomplished something remarkable. They became the first team to outpace Red Bull in a Sprint race this season, with Oscar Piastri leading the charge and finishing ahead of Max Verstappen. What’s even more impressive is that, just 24 hours later, McLaren secured the second and third spots at the chequered flag, marking their second consecutive double podium result in Grand Prix racing.
First Aston Martin, Now Ferrari for McLaren?
This impressive performance isn’t a fluke. It’s the result of McLaren’s hard work and the significant upgrades to their MCL60. These improvements have not only propelled them to become the second and third fastest on the track, just behind Max Verstappen, but they have also positioned McLaren merely 11 points behind Aston Martin in the Constructors’ Championship.
Yet, some voices in the Formula 1 community are encouraging McLaren to set their sights even higher – on Ferrari. The F1 Nation podcast host, Tom Clarkson, believes McLaren should be more ambitious and aim for third place, which currently belongs to Ferrari.
“They’re 79 points behind Ferrari, five races to go, two of those [with] a Sprint, I think it’s achievable,” said Clarkson after the Qatar Grand Prix.
McLaren’s Response: Ambition and Dedication
McLaren driver Lando Norris shares this ambition. Despite being initially 70-plus points behind Aston Martin, they’ve closed the gap significantly. Norris believes chasing Ferrari is doable, especially given their strong recent performance.
“It’s doable. I think so,” said Norris. “A couple of races ago, it was 70 something to Aston. Fernando said we’re overconfident as well. I think we’re just doing a good job. Not just in terms of pace, but we had a 1.8-second pitstop, which is pretty impressive from the guys.”
Norris praises the entire team’s hard work and commitment, emphasizing their consistent taste of success as a motivating factor. The team is hungry for more victories and eager to maintain their impressive streak.
Closing the Gap
McLaren’s journey to the top is a testament to their dedication and determination. They went into the summer break trailing Aston Martin by a significant margin. However, they’ve impressively reduced the gap to just 11 points, with Ferrari now in their sights, trailing by 79 points. Notably, they’ve managed to shave off 47 points from Ferrari’s advantage in the last two Grands Prix.
