McLaren is simply not ready to win the F1 title
Comments made by McLaren's leadership and its drivers show that the British team perhaps lacks faith in itself to win the 2024 title.
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Andrea Stella and Lando Norris (via IMAGO)
The 2024 F1 season has witnessed a close fight at the front of the grid. Reigning world champions, Max Verstappen and Red Bull face a real threat from McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. However, it seems that the Woking-based team has put itself on the backfoot in this tight battle.
McLaren has made stellar progress over the past year. The British team caught up with Red Bull’s pace this year and arguably has had the fastest car in multiple races. Yet, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri only have a single victory each to their names. On the other hand, Max Verstappen has bagged seven victories so far.
With 10 races remaining in the 2024 season, Norris and McLaren still have a real shot at defeating Verstappen. However, it seems that the British team might not be ready to become world champions in the pinnacle of motorsport.
McLaren’s ‘learning to win’ mentality could be fatal in the title fight
Before the summer break, McLaren has claimed that Lando Norris and the team were still learning to win in Formula 1. This statement was met with backlash from critics. As it is a shocking statement to come from a team that sees itself as contenders for the world title.
The Woking-based team has only started winning regularly again this season. However, McLaren needs to adapt and absorb this pressure. The team cannot publicly admit that they still don’t know how to win, its a real sign of weakness.
Lando Norris has only made matters worse by claiming that he doesn’t have what it takes to be a world champion. Many would argue why is he still racing in F1 if he doesn’t believe in himself? This lack of self confidence might be the reason for his on-track errors that have costed him heavily this year. On the other hand, Oscar Piastri seems to be a more confident driver, albeit he is behind Norris in the standings.
It seems that the 2024 season might be a big wake-up call for McLaren. It is the first time since 2012 that the British team is facing the heat of a title battle, this time with a completely transformed leadership. As such, the Woking-based squad might be forced to learn their lessons this year and try again in 2025.
In case you missed it:
- Max Verstappen needs to win his home race to regain momentum for the title fight
- Will Charles Leclerc be sidelined by Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari arrival?
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Armaan Agarwal
(2310 Articles Published)