Lando Norris has singled out Ferrari as McLaren’s principal challenger for the constructors’ title as Formula 1 heads towards an intense three-way battle at its core for only the second time since 2012. Lando’s assessment comes just three more races before season’s end is upon us and all eyes will turn towards them as championship racing comes to a conclusion.
The Final Stretch: McLaren’s Strategy
McLaren has been an example of consistency this season amid often unpredictable team performances. The introduction of the Miami upgrade package bolstered their MCL38 considerably and propelled it to lead the grid; but mistakes from within their team kept Ferrari within striking distance, creating a competitive threat versus McLaren for championship glory. Furthermore, unlike Red Bull where Sergio Perez often struggles in supporting Max Verstappen effectively; Ferrari’s driver pairing of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have secured multiple victories thus far to emphasize how strong their partnership truly is at this season’s conclusion.
Norris Overlooks Red Bull as a Threat
Norris has made it clear that McLaren’s main concern is not Red Bull, but rather Ferrari. Acknowledging the crucial upgrades to the SF-24, Norris views the Italian team as the primary challenge to McLaren’s championship hopes. “There’s almost no focus on Red Bull,” Norris stated, emphasizing the importance of focusing on McLaren’s own performance and execution.
Crucial Upgrades and Race Incidents
As McLaren and Ferrari race towards the Las Vegas Grand Prix with only 36 points separating them, championship racing remains close and exciting. Ferrari plans on unveiling several updates as part of its aggressive development trajectory – these could prove key in providing significant advantage during final stage races but their effectiveness depends on effective optimization.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have taken note of Ferrari’s comeback since Monza. A DNF from Carlos Sainz may give McLaren some breathing space in terms of standings; but with Qatar’s sprint race looming large on their schedules, any chance at victory remains wide open.