The McLaren team is looking at Red Bull Racing quite anxiously. The British racing team presented the new livery on Tuesday evening and hopes to be able to participate in the battle for victories with the new car. The fact that Red Bull barely made any upgrades last season is a major concern for Andrea Stella and Zak Brown. Both the team boss and the CEO of McLaren think that Red Bull has indeed found more speed in 2023, but has simply not brought it.
On Tuesday evening, McLaren presented the new car for 2024 out of nowhere. The British racing team obviously hopes to continue in the same way as last year. McLaren started the 2023 season in a dramatic manner, but managed to make a huge leap with one major upgrade. In the second half of the season, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri often participated in the battle for podium places. However, Red Bull was still too strong for the team from Woking.
The Austrian racing team is being looked at with a slanted eye. McLaren wants to attack Red Bull in 2024, but there are plenty of question marks. “When we think about Red Bull specifically, there is one element that obviously leaves everyone in doubt about what will happen in 2024 – and that is the fact that they haven’t really developed their car,” Stella is quoted by The Race. “So the question is whether they have withheld the developments and will use them in next year’s car.”
“I can’t imagine that Red Bull was unable to develop their car, but they may have decided not to make any upgrades,” is the theory of the McLaren team boss. Red Bull was miles ahead of the competition in 2023. In Abu Dhabi it became clear that the team did not need any updates to maintain its lead. ‘It seems like Red Bull haven’t developed the car to the level they could have. That could be an unpleasant surprise for all of us,” said CEO Zak Brown.
McLaren still has plenty of room for improvement
It may be that the RB19 was already so good that developments hardly bring anything. Stella knows that this is possible within a set of rules. ‘We have not reached that point yet. When you look at the car and the suspension, tires, aerodynamics; they all still have quite a bit to offer within these regulations.’ The team boss therefore hopes that the figures will continue to rise. “But it’s a slightly different story when it comes to competitiveness on the track, because it depends on what your opponents have done,” said Stella.
