There was optimism at McLaren heading into the Japanese GP at Suzuka. The team’s performance in qualifying, especially that of Lando Norris, meant that many thought a podium was possible. However, the MCL60’s pace across the entire GP highlighted that Ferrari is still one step ahead. McLaren now looks to the SF-24 as their benchmark for the upcoming races.
THE POST-RACE SENSATIONS OF NORRIS AND PIASTRI
“It was a tough race compared to the guys who had a good pace,” explained Lando Norris, referring to the riders who preceded him at the finish line.
“So everything went in the direction of Red Bull and Ferrari. It’s not nice to start in third place and then take steps back, but we tried everything we could. Charles did a good job for the entire duration of the GP.”
Statements that suggest that inside the garage we were not expected to also have to face the return of Charles Leclerc, who started from eighth position. Having ascertained this, McLaren decided to bring forward Norris’ first stop, but without reaping the desired results:
“We stopped in the pits first, which meant doing what Ferrari was doing. We’ll talk about it again if we could have done something better.”
Norris also said he was disappointed when looking at the comparison with the 2023 race: “Last year we finished at 19 seconds, now at 29…”
Regret also prevails on the pit side of Oscar Piastri, who expected a better Japanese GP:
“Not really fighting for the positions we expected. We didn’t have the pace of the cars around us, and we need to understand why.
“I made a mistake at the last chicane, locking up,” explained Oscar Piastri – reflecting on his late battle with George Russell.
“I think today showed that we still have work to do. We have not yet reached Ferrari’s level. It wasn’t the best weekend for me either, so I have to look from my point of view too.”
ANDREA STELLA: “THE RANKING REFLECTS THE LEVEL OF RACE PACE”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella also underlined the need to produce a faster package:
“I think the final classification reflects the pace order. We thought a podium was possible by stopping early. But as the race went on, we saw that the car didn’t have enough pace.”
Stella thus underlined how the focal point that allowed Ferrari to finish in front of its cars was to be relegated to an overall better pace of the red team. However, Stella outlined that the Maranello team still did an excellent job strategically.
“We know performance is not optimal, but there is work to be done, and updates are on the way.
“Charles did a good job with the one-stop. It was good for Ferrari to make the tyres last, but today, it wasn’t about a stop or two. It was about the pure pace of the car.”
