McLaren not only won accolades on the track but also praise off of it with Nico Rosberg revealing the Woking team’s rivals were “really impressed” with the team’s 2024 F1 challenger, the MCL38.
McLaren went into the 2024 season admitting they still had key areas to work on when it came to the MCL38 as team principal Andrea Stella highlighted the need to improve aerodynamic efficiency, mechanical grip and tyre wear.
Nico Rosberg: You hear that from the rival teams…
Although they were on the board in the opening race of the championship, a feat they did not achieve a year prior, Lando Norris in sixth place was 48 seconds down on race winner Max Verstappen with Oscar Piastri a further eight seconds back.
McLaren went on to introduce their first big upgrade package at the Miami Grand Prix, bolting a new floor onto the MCL38 with Norris winning the Grand Prix.
The Woking team were the clear winners in the development war as they didn’t put a foot wrong with their in-season developments while even Red Bull made a misstep with their Hungarian Grand Prix floor.
Part of the secret to that success was the team’s decision to keep the same floor from Miami to Mexico, instead developing other areas of the car to find added downforce and pace. It paid off as they bagged six wins and 666 points.
The team won the Constructors’ Championship by 16 points ahead of Ferrari to clinch their first championship title since Lewis Hamilton’s Drivers’ success in 2008.
Even their rivals were impressed with the MCL38 according to 2016 F1 champion Rosberg.
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“All areas are working, you hear that from the rival teams,” he revealed as per F1Maximaal.
“The geometry of the car maximises the tyres, the aerodynamics. Every part of the car is at the limit actually. They have really maximised everything.
“The other teams are really impressed by the technological progress McLaren have made, and it’s just incredible performance.”
Despite their success in the F1 2024 championship, McLaren won’t just be sticking with the tried and tested this year as CEO Zak Brown has revealed they will be taking a few “risks” with their 2025 challenger.
“We will compete with four top teams,” the McLaren chief insisted to De Telegraaf. “I can divulge that we are going to develop the car considerably.
“I am impressed by how brave the team is in terms of plans for next year. We are really going to make a lot of changes.
“In Formula 1, you also have to take risks if you want to be the best. I don’t think you have a choice.”
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