Lando Norris claims McLaren needs ‘two big steps’ to close the gap to high-flying Red Bull

Lando Norris managed a sixth place finish at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Lando Norris claims McLaren needs ‘two big steps’ to close the gap to high-flying Red Bull

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

The McLaren F1 team had a fascinating outing during the Bahrain Grand Prix. From starting the race in seventh and eighth place to also finishing among the top eight, their outing proved that they are currently the fourth-fastest team on the grid.

Mercedes and Ferrari looked slightly better in terms of pace in comparison to McLaren in Bahrain. However, the two mighty Red Bulls operated in a league of their own and secured a dominant 1-2 finish.

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Lando Norris had first-hand experience of everything that went on during the 57-lap race and based on that, he has said, as reported by Motorsport:

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There's a big step between us and Ferrari on a circuit like this and then another step from Ferrari to Red Bull. We've got two big steps to make up but starting with one would be good.

The young Brit ardently feels that his team has some catching up to do to the lights of Ferrari and then the all-conquering Red Bull F1 team. To put things into perspective, Max Verstappen won the Bahrain GP by a margin of over 22 seconds over second place, Sergio Perez. In Bahrain Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren were left tussling among themselves while Red Bull disappeared into the distance.

McLaren has big expectations of the MCL38

While Lando Norris has left no stone unturned in admitting that McLaren has some catching up to do with Red Bull, he and the whole papaya team have huge aspirations for their 2024 challenger. They desperately want to close the gap to the Milton-Keynes-based team.

Oscar Piastri Lando Norris Zak Brown
Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, and Zak Brown (Via IMAGO)

However, despite Zak Brown and Co’s mega push toward success, all their effort could turn out to be in vain, considering how dominant Verstappen proved in Bahrain. The RB20 is an improved version of the RB19, the car that won Red Bull 21 out of the possible 22 races last year, Mclaren on the other hand, was only able to score a few podium finishes.

McLaren as an outfit is on an upward trajectory, with a bright army of personnel, that includes potential future world championships like Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. With one race down, the focus has shifted to Saudi Arabia, and considering this, the papaya army will have high expectations of their team.

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