While Max Verstappen won yet another race this past weekend at Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The story really sits with McLaren and Lando Norris and their late charge in the Grand Prix. McLaren has shown clear signs of progress over the last few rounds after having emerged from the ashes of a program heading for the bottom of the table just a few years ago. Lando Norris led the way for McLaren in a sensational race that almost saw him best Max Verstappen in the closing laps of the race.
It was clear that Norris had the tire advantage leading into the closing stages of the race. Norris was cutting 3 tenths a lap with just 10 laps to go. Mathematically he should have passed Verstappen by Verstappen had other plans. Verstappen put on a master class in defense never allowing Norris the opportunity to strike. Despite falling short Norris was very happy with the finish. “Another great weekend for the team,” Norris said. “I fought hard right until the very last lap but we just lost out a little bit too much to Max in the beginning. One or two more laps and it would have been beautiful – but just wasn’t meant to be today.
We’ve been competitive all weekend and I think we’re at the point where we’re able to fight Ferrari and Red Bull consistently. We must get used to that – the team is doing a very good job so it’s great that fighting at the front is now business-as-usual. We just need to keep focused on improving. It’s still a surprise to say it’s frustrating to not win, but after last weekend and the improvements we made, it’s what we should start to expect.”
Piastri Also Find Success
Oscar Piastri finished P4 in todays race which means McLaren have solidified themselves as a front runner in the battle for the teams that can bring the battler to Red Bull. McLaren has secured almost double the points of Mercedes this year in what has been a statement and testament to the teams willingness to take a gamble on upgrades which can make or break a car. Andrea Stella, Team principal at McLaren said, “A positive day at Imola and the first time in 2024 McLaren have emerged as the highest-scoring team. P4 for Oscar came from good strategy and good pace, allowing him to gain a place on a day when it was not easy to. P2 for Lando was a very strong result. It was a surprise to be in contention for the victory at the end of the race. It came about as a consequence of how sensitive the tires were today. In the first stint, Max did a better job of managing the Medium and after the stops, Lando did a very good job of managing the Hard, resisting the temptation to overdo it when Leclerc was catching up. It paid off at the end with strong pace and being in the hunt for the victory.
“Everyone at McLaren has worked very hard to make these results possible, and they have my thanks for the upgrades that have arrived over the last few weeks, but also for the commitment, the hard work, and the quality of that work. We need to keep improving the car. If we can do that, we’re going to be in a good position for the future.”