(Motorsports news) Having failed to meet its winter development goals, McLaren had a terrible start to the season, with neither driver earning a point in the first two races. However, the team, driven by a three-phase car update implemented after the Austrian Grand Prix, emerged as the second-quickest team, trailing only the dominant constructors’ champion, Red Bull.

McLaren was able to pass Aston Martin, in an early success race, for fourth place in the standings thanks to those advances. Furthermore, according to Norris, McLaren still has a lot of room to grow. “For us to overtake Mercedes, for us to overtake Ferrari in terms of speed,” he stated. After two years of trailing them, they haven’t really made any progress while we have made significant strides, and there are still many areas where we know we can do better. We’re having a nice time.

“We located the important components, but there are still a few pieces missing from the puzzle. We know which way to go, which is why I’m so proud of the entire team. “I was already dreading the season if we were in Bahrain right now and I looked ahead.” It was therefore unexpected for us to leave with 7 podiums and all the wonderful experiences we had.

The 2024 season will mark the debut of McLaren’s new internal wind tunnel, and two high-profile hires—Rob Marshall from Red Bull, responsible for engineering and design, and David Sanchez from Ferrari, handling car concept and performance—will formally begin in their roles as technical directors. The team’s ability to sign Norris to a new deal is contingent upon these additions and McLaren’s significant advancements. His current contract is set to expire at the end of 2025.

Aston Martin, Mercedes, and Red Bull are all potential suitors. However, the British man is especially excited about the upcoming year in Woking. He went on, “I’m thrilled.” We would have been in second place in both the constructors’ and drivers’ championships if we had begun the season exactly as we did in the middle of 2023 with the upgrades. “I am aware that things don’t always go that way. However, we’re headed in the right direction. That’s my main point here.

We’ve added a few new employees. The men will arrive in ’24. Therefore, we might not have all they could provide to us in the car right away. However, there are some things that we already know. “From the progress we’ve made over the last four, five, or six months, we’ve already learned a lot.” We’re finally on the right road and know which way to go, which excites me. “I simply want the season to get off to a good start. I’ll be much more thrilled if we can get off to a strong start in Bahrain.

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