Red Bull showcased a striking redesign with its RB20 at Sakhir, impressing observers with consistently rapid long runs, reaffirming their status as F1’s leading force.
Meanwhile, Ferrari turned heads with the SF-24, boasting a more balanced and stable performance, addressing some of the pace struggles witnessed in the 2023 season. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz grabbed attention with impressive lap times, indicating promising developments for the team.
Lando Norris acknowledged the formidable competition posed by both Red Bull and Ferrari, suggesting that McLaren might find themselves trailing behind at the upcoming season opener. Despite this, Norris expressed confidence in McLaren’s progress, noting significant improvements compared to previous seasons.
“In terms of progress, absolutely, we’ve taken a step forward,” Norris stated. “We’ve made significant improvements. However, determining our standing relative to others remains uncertain. We’re in a decent position, having had a solid car towards the end of last season.”
Acknowledging the gap between Red Bull and Ferrari, Norris emphasized the extensive work required for McLaren to close that distance while also highlighting the lessons learned during testing to implement improvements before the season begins.
During testing, McLaren’s MCL38 encountered minor issues, hampering Norris’s track time to 145 laps over three days. While not catastrophic, these setbacks limited valuable long-run opportunities for Norris.
Reflecting on the challenges, Norris commented, “Yes, we faced a few setbacks over the past few days. While not ideal, it’s not the end of the world. We missed out on some high-fuel long runs, which would have been beneficial for our preparations.”
Despite the setbacks, Norris remained optimistic, acknowledging the wealth of insights gained during testing while expressing a desire to capitalize on these lessons moving forward.
