P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren targets "race six or seven" for first major 2024 F1 upgrade
McLaren has shown significant improvement in 2024 compared to a year ago, challenging Mercedes for the title of the third-fastest team in races like Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Despite this progress, Ferrari’s resurgence has hindered McLaren from achieving podium finishes seen in the latter part of 2023. Legacy weaknesses such as low-speed behavior and modest top speed still persist within the team’s performance. McLaren is planning a major upgrade kit to address these issues around race six or seven, as confirmed by Team Principal Andrea Stella. Stella emphasized that while there is still room for improvement in understanding the MCL38, major gains are not expected until the new upgrade package is implemented. The Japanese Grand Prix next month at Suzuka is anticipated to provide a clearer picture of the grid hierarchy due to the track’s varied characteristics. Stella highlighted a key distinction in McLaren’s cornering performance, noting its strengths in instantaneous responses but weaknesses in sustained cornering, which Ferrari excels in.
