13 January 2024 , 11:22
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McLaren's team principal Andrea Stella admits that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will struggle to compete with Red Bull this year.
Red Bull's No.1 driver Max Verstappen won his third consecutive world title in 2023 by a ridiculous margin. Verstappen finished a staggering 290 points ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez in second, having won all but three of the 22 races staged last year.
Verstappen's domination ensured Red Bull boasted 451 points more than Mercedes in second in the Constructors' Championship. Ferrari finished third, with McLaren in fourth and Aston Martin in fifth. The gap between Red Bull and McLaren was 558 points.
Although McLaren struggled to compete with Red Bull, they still enjoyed some success in 2023. Brit Norris achieved seven podiums to finish sixth in the Drivers' Championship, while Aussie Piastri got on the podium twice in his debut Formula 1 campaign.
Yet Stella thinks McLaren are still a long way from challenging Red Bull for the title. "Even an outstanding driver like Verstappen is right now can only do what the car allows him to do," the McLaren chief told Auto Motor und Sport. "We have to say to ourselves, 'The combination of Verstappen and Red Bull is faster than us. We have to beat them'."
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Stella added: "It is impossible that our car, no matter which driver was in the cockpit, would have been as fast as Red Bull in the second part of the stints. The Red Bull treated the tires better. You can separate the car from the driver."
Andrea Stella knows it'll be tough for Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to close the gap on Red Bull (Getty Images)Do you agree with Andrea Stella? Let us know in the comments below!
Yet Stella accepts Verstappen is one of F1's best drivers and believes he moves his superior car "with perfection". The three-time champion is the overwhelming favourite to win this year's championship after finishing so far ahead of Perez last time out.
Stella explained: "Where Verstappen makes the difference is that he can always deliver this extremely high standard. Even under the most difficult circumstances... Verstappen shows what this Red Bull can do when moved with perfection."
This year's F1 season promises to be historic. It's the first time in the sport's history that all 10 teams remain unchanged from the final race of the previous year. A record-breaking 24 races are also planned for 2024, with six sprint races pencilled in.
The campaign will start with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 2 and end with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 8. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix will return on May 19 after flooding cancelled last year's race, while the British Grand Prix is scheduled for July 7.