The comeback from Miami
Last season ended with a memorable result for McLaren, which returned to the top of the Constructors’ Championship for the first time since 1998. A result that, for the Woking team, had seemed almost unattainable until the Miami GP, the sixth round of the 2024 championship, where the MCL38 upgrade kick-started the British team’s resurgence. This was marked by Lando Norris’s victory, followed by three more wins from the Briton (who later became vice-champion), along with Oscar Piastri’s two seasonal triumphs.
The next goal
Two drivers, starting with Norris, are now aiming not only to defend McLaren’s Constructors’ title but, above all, to achieve the ultimate goal of the Drivers’ Championship and end Max Verstappen’s dominance, which has remained unbroken since 2021. However, to do so, they must follow the ‘recipe’ provided by Team Principal Andrea Stella.
What did 2024 teach?
For the Orvieto-born engineer, although it may seem obvious, it is essential for McLaren to start the season on the right foot, avoiding a scenario like in 2024, where they became serious title contenders only mid-season. “I believe last season led to two main conclusions,” Stella explained to the media. “The first is that the biggest points deficit between Lando and Max was accumulated at the start of the season. This is my reference to the car’s performance because if we look back at Bahrain, we were probably the fourth-best car at that time until we upgraded the car in Miami. From then on, the gap between Max and Lando remained fairly constant. This is the first takeaway: we need to give Lando and Oscar a car that is immediately competitive for the podium.”
“The second key point,” Andrea Stella continued, “is that I saw Lando grow at a very fast pace over the season. He was already an incredible driver and proved it immediately in Miami. As soon as he had a car capable of winning, he delivered. He was very consistent: if we look at the number of podiums and, as I said, the points scored, from Miami onward, he matched Max’s points total. At the same time, the speed at which he learned from every situation that allowed us to grow as a team or as a driver was truly impressive. Take his on-track battles with Max Verstappen in Austria and Austin, and consider how quickly he adapted—by Mexico, he knew exactly what to do against Max. Similarly, in terms of driving and tire management in races, there are some examples: in Las Vegas, he completely changed his pace with the final set of tires after struggling with graining on the first two sets. He is learning very quickly and undoubtedly has all the qualities, skills, and mentality to become a world champion.”
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