McLaren breaks down timeline for major upgrade of 2024 challenger

McLaren managed a fourth and an eight place finish in Jeddah courtesy of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

McLaren breaks down timeline for major upgrade of 2024 challenger

Andrea Stella (via IMAGO)

McLaren has had a better start to the ongoing season compared to where they were last year. During the first half of 2023, the Papaya-colored team barely managed to score any points, it was during the second half of the season the team picked up the pace and managed to end the campaign in a respectable fourth position in the constructors championship. 

This season’s opening was better for them than the last one, but the team is still struggling a bit to place themselves where they wish to be. According to McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, the team has made some changes, and hopefully, by the sixth or seventh race, it will start receiving the rewards for it.

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While speaking to the media of the same, he added, 

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We have some minor things that will come for Australia and hopefully for Japan, but they will be [delivering] a few milliseconds. And then hopefully, within the first third of the season, we will have a major upgrade. It's going to be for around race six or seven.
Andrea Stella said: motorsport.com

McLaren’s key weakness has always been with low speed. According to Stella, the team had made slight changes in the MCL38 ahead of the Saudi Arabian GP and has seen some positive and negative outcomes. Stella believes certain upgrades are made while taking the track and its characteristics into consideration. 

McLaren’s Lando Norris believes the team’s strategy during Jeddah was the ‘correct one’ 

During the Saudi Arabian GP, after the crash of Lance Stroll, many teams decided to take a pit stop as the safety car arrived at the scene. Yet, Lando Norris was one of the very few drivers who decided to stay out during that timeline.

Lando Norris
Lando Norris (via IMAGO)

However, that strategy didn’t help in the long run, as he was later obliged to make a pit stop that dropped him down to eighth position. He told the media after the race, 

Sometimes I feel like we're a little bit safe. And it's nice to be a little bit more aggressive and try something different. So I'm happy with our decision. It wasn't the best one, or let's say the correct one. But that's in hindsight. So I'm still happy with how we tried to execute it all.
Lando Norris said: motorsport.com

During the race in Jeddah, the team decided to opt for a different strategy, every new strategy comes with its pros and cons. Sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances, a strategy that might look like the best at the moment could prove to be the worst. Despite not securing the results the team wanted in Jeddah, Lando Norris is content with his decision as he believes it was a step in the right direction. 

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