Norris Admits McLaren Is 'Very Long Way Behind' Red Bull And Ferrari

Saturday, 24 February 2024 at 22:00

Lando Norris asserted McLaren made significant progress throughout the winter break but suggested his team is a "long way behind" Ferrari and Red Bull.

Going into the 2024 season, Lando Norris hopes to achieve his first-ever Grand Prix victory. But to be able to do so, he needs a fast enough car, and the question is: will McLaren have a competitive car in 2024?

The Papaya team finished the most recent season as the second or third-fastest team on the grid, and it was hoping to maintain its position at least, but more so to improve it at the start of the season.

Read also

Marko Assesses Red Bull's Position Compared To Mercedes, Ferrari And McLaren

Asked about the progress of his team during the pre-season testing at Bahrain International Circuit, the 24-year-old McLaren F1 driver told the media:

"Do I think we've taken a step forward? Absolutely. "Do I think we've made a lot of things better? Yes."

The positive thing for all McLaren fans is that Norris feels confident his team has made great progress. On the other hand, comparison to the progress of others is what will matter the most.

"But you just never really know at the end of the day where we stand compared to the others. I think we're in a good position. We had a decent car at the end of last season."

While the Briton's positive feedback concerning McLaren's development progress raises expectations, he was quick to temper them as he asserted that Red Bull and Ferrari will be a long way ahead of the Papaya team. He concluded:

"I think we've definitely taken some steps in the right direction, but I think it's still a very long way behind Red Bull and a long way behind Ferrari. So, plenty of work for us to still try and achieve, but also plenty of things that we've learned over the last few days for us to implement before next week."