Lando Norris’ 2024 F1 season so far: Has it lived up to expectations?
26 April 2024A high bar was set for McLaren and Lando Norris at the end of the 2023 season. From the British Grand Prix onwards, the Brit recorded seven podium finishes and scored the most points of anyone behind the indomitable Max Verstappen.
So far in 2024, Norris has recorded two podiums from five races and while his second place in the Chinese Grand Prix could signal a turning point, it seems McLaren may be struggling compared to where its pace was at the end of last year.
Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, an important weekend for McLaren, we thought we’d put the first five races of the 2024 season under the microscope to see where the pace, and indeed the shortfalls were for Lando and the team.
READ MORE: A British Grand Prix Homecoming to Remember
A reserved start at the Bahrain Grand Prix
The rampant speculation of pre-season testing finally came to an end during qualifying in Bahrain. With that, came a sense of deflation for Norris and McLaren, as he lined up seventh for the race, some four-tenths away from pole.
Race pace of the papaya cars was more encouraging, as both Lando and Oscar overhauled the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso in the early stages. But in clear air, they were still unable to make an impression on the Red Bulls or George Russell’s Mercedes highlighting there was work to do.
Lando fended off seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the final stint to bring home sixth at the flag, marking a solid, if slightly underwhelming season opener for the team.
RACE RECAP: Fierce fighting at Ferrari, Verstappen back on top in Bahrain
Battling Brits in Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix proved a challenging event for the 24-year-old. In qualifying, his lap was just four hundredths shy of that of his team-mates, leaving Lando to start the race from the third row of the grid.
As the lights went out, Lando held position but opted to stay out during an early Safety Car. Although now in the lead, the field behind had a tyre advantage so the Red Bulls and Charles Leclerc wasted little time in relegating him to fourth.
With just over 10 laps to go, he finally pitted for fresh Softs. As was the case in Bahrain, Hamilton loomed large in his mirrors, but the young Brit utilised the McLaren’s high-speed cornering capabilities to keep the Mercedes at bay. A distant eighth was the final result while Piastri’s fourth-place finish gave cause for optimism.
RACE RECAP: Brits battle it out as Bearman sparks sensation in Saudi Arabia
A turning point in Melbourne
After the first two race weekends of the season, McLaren seemed to be the fourth-fastest team and very close to the pace of the Mercedes. That was about to change at the Australian Grand Prix, however, as the team brought its first upgrade package to the Albert Park Circuit, bringing them into contention with Ferrari. In Qualifying, Lando would come within four-hundredths of the Red Bull of Perez, placing him fourth on the grid – his highest starting point in 2024 so far.
It was no Saturday fluke, either. Having held position at the start, Verstappen retired elevating the #4 driver to second. The undercut was powerful in Australia, though, and Piastri and Leclerc managed to leapfrog Lando during the first phase of stops.
With fresher tyres on board, Lando had pace and was released by Piastri to chase down Ferrari. Although he was unable to mount a challenge to the Scudera, McLaren kept the scarlet cars under pressure for the duration, highlighting the performance gain from the updates.
READ MORE: Everything we learned from F1’s opening three races of 2024
The Japanese Grand Prix: Fighting with Ferrari
That upturn in form continued into the Japanese Grand Prix as well. At just three tenths off the pole time in Qualifying, Norris was now Red Bull’s closest pursuer as he lined up for the race in third.
Lando held third through both the original race start and the red flag restart before heading into the pits for an early stop. Ferrari may have got the better of him through the middle stints, but Lando eventually finished in fourth, just three seconds shy of Carlos Sainz at the flag.
RACE RECAP: Red Bull redemption, Sainz proves his worth and Tsunoda banks points at home in Japan
A statement of intent at the Chinese Grand Prix
The Chinese Grand Prix weekend was an important one in the Brit’s 2024 campaign. He showed throughout the event that none of the hunger we’ve seen in previous seasons has left him.
Not only did he take Sprint pole in a treacherous Sprint Qualifying session, but he also braved it out around the outside of Turn 1 of the Sprint. Ultimately, he couldn’t get the move done and dropped to seventh, which is where he stayed until a pitstop for Fernando Alonso elevated him to sixth at the flag. Full marks for effort at Turn 1, eventually yielding a disappointing result, but the Grand Prix was still to come.
Starting fourth, Lando held firm until Lap 7 when he dove to the inside of Shanghai’s famous hairpin claiming third from Alonso. With pitstops under the Safety Car at the race’s midway point, the McLaren got past Perez to move into second. From then on, the Red Bull was unable to threaten Norris who secured second at the flag – his joint-best finish in Formula 1.
RACE RECAP: Norris secures second in Shanghai as both Mercedes Brits score points but fury for Ricciardo
The intra-team battle: Norris vs Piastri
Four out of five races have gone the way of Norris so far this season, with the exception of the at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
As it stands, the British driver has the advantage, but that’s not to say Piastri has lost any of the pace and maturity that earned him plaudits in his rookie season. Lando certainly won’t have it all his own way this year.
READ MORE: The Rise of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri
The remainder of the season
McLaren’s downfall in 2023 was the first half of the season. With a significantly stronger start than 12 months ago, the Woking-based team has a much higher baseline from which to springboard from in the coming races.
Minor upgrades have already been brought to the MCL38, but the first major upgrades are slated for as early as Miami. If they are as transformative as the upgrades brought to the British Grand Prix in 2023, we could see McLaren overhaul Ferrari and even close in on Red Bull.
