P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The fight behind Red Bull and Max Verstappen is tight with four teams in the mix – but one was able to break free in 2023 but could not maintain it at the start of 2024. What is going on at McLaren?
Last year at this time, McLaren was struggling at the back of the Formula 1 field, openly admitting to missing internal targets and going through a reshuffle with key personnel changes. The season started poorly with reliability issues and a lack of performance, but upgrades gradually improved their competitiveness, with strong showings at high-speed circuits. Despite a turnaround in the second half of the season, McLaren finished fourth in the Constructors’ championship, looking to challenge Red Bull in the following year. However, in the first two races of 2024, McLaren’s results have been mixed, indicating a gap to Red Bull in terms of performance. The team acknowledges specific weaknesses in low-speed corners and is working on addressing them to remain competitive.
