P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren will need "another 12 months" to fix F1 weaknesses
McLaren has made significant progress since the beginning of last year, largely due to mid-2023 upgrade packages that led to a fourth-place finish in the season. The team started the 2024 season on par with their previous performance, battling Mercedes for third place, with Ferrari’s improved race pace posing a challenge. Lando Norris secured McLaren’s first podium of the campaign in Australia after Max Verstappen’s rare retirement, followed by teammate Oscar Piastri finishing fourth. The team’s 2024 challenger, the MCL38, retains weaknesses that McLaren aims to address with upgrades planned for the Miami or Imola rounds in May. Team principal Andrea Stella explained that further development over the next 12 months is needed to strengthen areas like long-corner performance and DRS efficiency, with upgrades expected around race six or seven to enhance overall performance throughout the season. Stella emphasized that addressing weaknesses is a normal part of car development and not a sign of issues at the factory, attributing the need for improvement to the complex nature of evolving all aspects within the constraints of the budget cap.
