Lando Norris has admitted that McLaren are “not in a nice position” despite still holding a championship lead over Scuderia Ferrari after the Maranello team’s much-improved recent form has seen them speed ahead of their rivals on-track.
The fight between Formula 1’s two most successful teams – McLaren with 20 combined titles and Ferrari with 31 – has been very close and intense during the 2021 Formula One season as they look for a place behind the untouchable duo of Mercedes and Red Bull in the Formula 1 Constructor Standings, a third place that would mean much-wanted momentum for next season, not to mention an important prize money boost.
McLaren have arguably had more eye-catching results in 2021, with more podium finishes and even a race win this season (at Monza), yet the Maranello team has been able to significantly reduce the gap in the last few events. The improved performance has been possible mainly as a result of an upgraded power unite and at the United States GP, the first race where Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were able to use the new Power Unit without taking a grid penalty and in dry conditions, the SF21 cars were markedly faster than the papaya, despite the fact that Daniel Ricciardo managed to salvage fifth behind Charles Leclerc. The warning signs are certainly there.
“The last few races they’ve been very fast,” said McLaren’s Lando Norris, who finished eighth in Austin. “We’ll have to push hard, try and find some extra little things for improvements. At the moment they have the edge on us, both in Qualy and in the race and that’s not a nice position to be in so late in the season. We definitely need to try and find something to try and counter the attack.” – he explained.
McLaren finished third last season and are very much a team on the up given their low points with Honda, and kept their slender lead in the standings thanks to Ricciardo.
“The only way we’re going to beat them is to make our car as fast as possible,” Daniel Ricciardo said, in a recent interview forSky F1. “Both of them were in front of me on Sunday and that was certainly a focus and I knew the first lap was crucial, that’s why I was so pumped up getting Carlos. We’ll just keep chipping away. Hopefully we’re quicker in Mexico.” – the Australian concluded.
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