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Newly re-signed McLaren driver Lando Norris is confident that the team will be in the mix for race victories in 2024, but is patient for a championship challenge.
Bahrain-owned McLaren turned heads last season by going from struggling for points to regularly fighting for podiums, with highly effective upgrades being implemented following a technical reshuffle.
The newly re-signed Norris came close to scoring McLaren’s first Grand Prix win since 2021 on several occasions, taking six P2 finishes, while team mate Oscar Piastri managed to triumph in the Qatar Sprint race.
“It’s both the team’s goal and also just a personal goal that I’ve always had,” he said of his and McLaren’s constructors’ and drivers’ title ambitions. “Am I convinced I’m capable of doing it? Yes. Am I convinced the team is capable of doing it? Yes.
“I don’t think it’s just last year and how we turned things around, I don’t think that’s the only thing I would say that’s convinced me. It’s just everything that goes on day to day, people that are here, work ethic, mentality, approach to everything.”
McLaren last won the constructors’ championship in 1998, while Lewis Hamilton in 2008 is their most recent drivers’ champion.
Pushed on when he feels McLaren could challenge for titles, Norris called it “a difficult question” to answer, but hopes the team’s momentum means it is close.
“There were moments we were close to winning races last year, and a few races we were not miles away from a Red Bull,” he added.
“We’re the closest we’ve ever been (to winning a race) since I’ve been here and for many, many years, but fighting for a championship is a bigger step. If you ask me do I think I can win races this year, I’d be inclined to say yes, but to go straight into winning the championship, I think that’s another level.
“(It’s a step) both for myself, (as) racing at the very top is not something I’ve necessarily done for a while, but also for the whole team. For everyone here at the factory it’s a different kind of level and excitement, for mechanics a different level of pressure and excitement.”
He continued: “Do I think we’re ready to challenge them? Yeah, absolutely. In those situations, and there’s opportunities where we’ve been fighting against Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, going against them head-to-head in strategy, pit stops, all of those things, and the majority of times we’ve executed them extremely well.
“When it comes to pressure, I think everyone is in a very good position, but as soon as you mention fighting for a championship, everyone’s mentality changes a little bit. But I feel I’m ready to go against Max Verstappen and Lewis and fight against them.”
McLaren will hit the track with their new F1 challenger at Silverstone on February 14, having already presented the livery that will adorn Norris and Piastri’s MCL38s, and are gearing up for the pre-season testing in Bahrain from February 21 to 23.
