Miami Grand Prix brought the desperately needed success to McLaren. Indeed, it was a comprehensive win with Lando Norris having a lead of over seven seconds against Max Verstappen. The Briton’s maiden victory brought absolute joy in the paddock as even rivals became a part of the celebrations.
Surely, McLaren‘s two-year-long win drought is finally over. But at the same time, it probably has brought them to the cusp of their renaissance. When these regulations started the Papaya team was probably one of the worst-performing teams.
However, their fortunes changed in the middle of last season. From barely fighting for crumbs, McLaren went to fight for podiums within weeks. Now, in 2024, they have maintained their trajectory and finally have their much-awaited win.
There’s no denying that McLaren has made the most amount of progress over the last two seasons. And with the recent hirings in the team and the installation of the new wind tunnel, McLaren looks prepared for its era.
Norris in the past has constantly reiterated that he has full faith in McLaren’s project. But what is their project and have there been signs all along?
McLaren: The return of the mighty giants
In 2021, Zak Brown mentioned that McLaren is going through infrastructural changes. The American earmarked 2024 as the year when his team would be competing against the top teams, and said they wouldn’t have any excuses not to perform then.
“I think it’s always dangerous to pick a point in time in which you should be going for it. What I will say is we will have caught up by 2024 with all of our infrastructure, most specifically the wind tunnel,” Brown told Autosport in 2021.
McLaren indeed fulfilled that prediction. With the entire season remaining, the Woking-based team can vie for the championship ahead. Seeing the new regulations also slowly creeping in, McLaren would want to be prepared for that too.
They already have made a marquee hiring from Red Bull in Rob Marshall last year. With a couple more prominent names, they have all the right people to make the dent in the paddock once again. On top of that, they have a great driver lineup.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri: The epic pair
There is no doubt about Norris‘ caliber. Even if there was, the 2024 Miami GP probably cleared that all out. On the other hand, Oscar Piastri is one of the biggest rising stars in F1, for whom, two teams went to court.
In 2023, they were arguably the best pair and if they are given a car that is capable of fighting for wins, then a good series of results can be expected. Thus, as of now, everything is going right for McLaren.
The only thing that can stop them is their rivals outshining them. Ferrari and Red Bull also have similar if not better resources. In the end, a little bit of luck is required to be at the top.
