Lando Norris and the McLaren team are expected to deliver a performance that could surpass Red Bull in Formula 1. Red Bull and Max Verstappen have been dominating the sport since the second half of the 2022 season. Verstappen’s winning streak from the historic 2023 season has continued, as he won the first two races of the 2024 season. However, he faced a setback at the Australian GP due to mechanical issues that forced him to retire.
Due to Red Bull’s dominance, Norris believes that no other team will be able to catch up to them until the 2026 season, when new regulations will be implemented. He believes that even this year, Red Bull’s advantage is so significant that it will lead to bigger differences on the track in the 2025 season. Norris stated: “I think for things to really change, you need to wait until 2026. Right now there’s really nothing between the power units of the teams, but much more between the cars. I hope that Red Bull, being the team they are, always have an advantage because they are ahead. I think this could potentially be a big change for all teams, including power units, probably being one of the most important things.”
Norris also highlighted that Red Bull’s aerodynamic advantage is the key to their speed, rather than the power unit. With rumors of upgrades from Ferrari and McLaren themselves, it remains to be seen if Red Bull and Verstappen can maintain their dominance.
Norris expressed satisfaction with the overall improvements made to the MCL38. However, he has concerns about driving at Zandvoort, his local track, which exposes the weaknesses of the car. Zandvoort is known for its low-speed nature, with 6 out of the 14 corners being low-speed. It will be a challenging track for McLaren, and only time will tell if they can solve their issues with low-speed corners before the race at the end of August.
