McLaren’s Stunning Comeback: From Midfield Struggles to F1 Glory
What a season it’s been for McLaren! While Lando Norris may have fallen short in the drivers’ championship, his McLaren team is on the verge of achieving something truly historic. With just two races left in the Formula 1 season, McLaren leads Ferrari by 24 points in the constructors’ championship. If they can hold on, it will mark their first constructors’ title in 26 years. That’s right—26 years! With a maximum of 103 points still up for grabs, the battle is far from over, but McLaren’s resurgence has already been nothing short of remarkable.
Should McLaren seal the deal in the upcoming races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, it would be their biggest triumph since Lewis Hamilton clinched his first drivers’ title with the team back in 2008. But how did McLaren go from being a struggling midfield team to a championship contender in such a short time? Let’s dive into the incredible story of their turnaround.
The Foundation of a Comeback
At the start of the 2023 season, McLaren’s current position seemed almost impossible to imagine. The team struggled in preseason testing, and both Norris and rookie teammate Oscar Piastri failed to score points in the first two races. Red Bull, Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Mercedes all looked miles ahead. But behind the scenes, McLaren was already laying the groundwork for a transformation.
One of the first major moves came after the second race of the season. McLaren parted ways with James Key as technical director, replacing him with a trio of department heads in a new structure designed to bring clarity and efficiency. This bold restructuring was spearheaded by team principal Andrea Stella, who had taken over from Andreas Seidl at the end of 2022. Stella, a former Ferrari engineer who worked closely with Fernando Alonso, has been widely credited as the driving force behind McLaren’s resurgence.
“Andrea is leading by example—his thoughtfulness, his communication, his transparency,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown said earlier this year. “He’s not political. He’s a team player. No one works harder than Andrea. He listens to people, he listens to their perspectives. He takes everything on board.”
Key Changes That Made the Difference
Stella didn’t stop at restructuring the technical team. McLaren also made some high-profile hires, including Rob Marshall from Red Bull and David Sanchez from Ferrari. While Sanchez’s tenure was short-lived, Marshall’s impact as chief designer has been pivotal. Additionally, McLaren’s new wind tunnel, which became operational in late 2023, has been a game-changer in their development process.
The first major breakthrough came at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, where McLaren introduced a significant upgrade package. The results were immediate, with the team vaulting up the grid. While Red Bull remained dominant for most of the season, McLaren’s upgrades set the stage for their 2024 campaign.
2024: A Season to Remember
The 2024 season didn’t start with a bang for McLaren. At the Bahrain Grand Prix, Max Verstappen cruised to victory with a 48-second gap over Norris, who finished sixth. But everything changed at the Miami Grand Prix. McLaren introduced a raft of updates, including a redesigned front wing, new floor, and revised suspension geometry. The result? Lando Norris claimed his first-ever F1 victory that weekend.
From that point on, McLaren became a genuine contender. Norris consistently delivered strong results, even forcing his way into the title conversation with Verstappen. While Verstappen ultimately secured the drivers’ championship, McLaren’s rise in the constructors’ standings has been the real story of the season.
- Since the Miami Grand Prix, McLaren has outscored Red Bull by 152 points.
- Lando Norris has scored 282 points to Verstappen’s 293 during that span.
- McLaren now leads Ferrari by 24 points in the constructors’ championship.
Challenges Ahead
Despite their success, McLaren isn’t without weaknesses. The team struggled with front tire graining in Las Vegas, an issue that has plagued them for years. “There’s some McLaren characteristics that we have improved over time,” Stella admitted. “But some of these inherent limitations still sometimes pop out.”
Looking ahead to Qatar, the high-speed corners and warmer temperatures should play to McLaren’s strengths. To clinch the constructors’ title this weekend, McLaren needs to outscore Ferrari by 21 points and avoid being outscored by Red Bull by eight points. It’s a tall order, but not impossible.
Can McLaren Finish the Job?
Andrea Stella remains cautious but optimistic. “The level of the top teams in Formula 1 in 2024, in my view, is unprecedented,” he said. “We go to Qatar knowing that we need to maximize the potential of the car. If we do that, the car should perform well.”
Whether they seal the title in Qatar or Abu Dhabi, one thing is clear: McLaren’s journey from midfield mediocrity to championship contention has been nothing short of extraordinary. And for fans of Formula 1, it’s a reminder that anything is possible in this sport.
Originally Written by: Laurence Edmondson
