2023 was a season of turnarounds in F1. From Aston Martin’s shocking multi-second gain over the offseason, to AlphaTauri going from the back of the grid to fighting for points, there were multiple teams who found pace seemingly out of nowhere.
Out of all ten teams in F1 last season, perhaps the one with the most impressive gain was McLaren.
The team from Woking was unable to maintain their place as a top four team in the sport after the regulation changes in 2022. A season of inconsistency left many questions for how the team would fare in 2023.
It didn’t start well.
McLaren missed multiple development targets over the offseason, putting the team behind in the early stages of the season. Just as the outside noise was reaching its loudest, McLaren flipped a switch.
A series of midseason upgrades starting in Austria turned McLaren’s MCL60 into a podium contender out of nowhere.
This may seem similar to the gains made by Aston Martin. But there were two factors that made these improvements unique.
First, these were midseason upgrades, which can be significantly more complicated to introduce compared to having an entire offseason to prepare. Second, unlike Aston Martin, McLaren was able to sustain their podium capability, even improving as they introduced follow up upgrades.
Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri took full advantage of the upgrades. Norris finally looked comfortable in a car deserving of his elite talent. For Piastri, he looked extremely impressive in his rookie season, which was highlighted by a Sprint win at Qatar.
But perhaps the most encouraging part of all this is the room for improvement.
With 2024 being the third consecutive year under the regulations introduced in 2022, diminishing returns in development become more probable.
For McLaren, however, there is an internal belief that their 2024 car will be able to build off the gains made by the MCL60.
Andrea Stella, McLaren’s Chief of Formula 1, has said the team’s data for efficiency, downforce, and drag were, “far from plateauing.” Combine this with the reports that development for the upcoming season is on plan, and McLaren finds themselves with a significant amount of optimism going into the season.
And if that wasn’t enough, Lando Norris signed a multi-year extension with the team in January. Norris’ contract was set to expire after 2025, and the rumor mill was swirling about whether the young star would look to go elsewhere.
McLaren’s early lack of performance made this plausible. But with the team now looking like a clear contender, those rumors disappeared.
Now, a new contract ensures Norris will remain with the only F1 team he’s ever driven for.
Will McLaren have enough to compete with Red Bull? Probably not. But regardless, the team still has their best chance to fight for P2 in the team standings in a long time.
Stay tuned each week for more news and analysis from the world of motorsport
“Follow” the The Game Haus on X for more motorsport coverage, as well as other sports and esports.
“From Our Haus to Yours!”
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
