McLaren has had a long and fruitful season this year. But did they do everything they should have done to maximise points for both their drivers? Max Verstappen does not think so.
During the 2024 season, we saw a total of 7 drivers win multiple races. But in the end, McLaren came out on top and took the Constructors’ title. Despite having the strongest car on the grid, Lando Norris was unable to beat Max for the Drivers’ Championship. Verstappen has given the reason for this defeat for Lando.
Max Verstappen thinks McLaren should have done better in 2024
After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen sat down with Viaplay where he talked about McLaren’s performance during the 2024 season.
“They should’ve handled that more effectively as a team,” Verstappen said. “They clearly had a very good car this year, but they had a lot to learn about consistency. They did well in the Constructors’ Championship, but in the Drivers Championship, they could’ve been better prepared.”
Max is not wrong here. Despite having the best car for most of the season, McLaren made several errors on the pit wall that cost them valuable points. These mistakes can be tracked all the way back to the Canadian Grand Prix where Lando Norris lost the race to Verstappen. There were several similar errors throughout the season which cost points for both the McLaren drivers.
McLaren have taken the Constructor’s Championship for the first time since 1998!!
They had to fight Ferrari hard for it though…#F1 #AbuDhabiGP
Read all about it in the article below 👇https://t.co/fut0Tu2ozS
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) December 8, 2024
There is a huge possibility that the Drivers’ Championship could have gone down differently if McLaren had avoided these mistakes. But this is all new to McLaren. The last time the team won the Constructors’ Championship was all the way back in 1998. A lot has changed since. The team itself is not the same anymore.
Given that the team is new to competing for the Championship, they will make these mistakes. But they certainly cannot be repeated. Heading into the 2025 season, McLaren already has several challenges from the regulations and the other teams. They cannot afford to make mistakes again.
McLaren’s challenges for the 2025 season
Now that McLaren has won the Constructors’ Championship, they will pour everything they have to continue winning into the 2025 season. Next year, they will aim to win not only the Constructors’ title but also the Drivers’ title with either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri. But this won’t be easy.
Since they won the Championship in 2024, McLaren will receive the least amount of aerodynamic testing time for the 2025 season. This means they cannot spend too much time in the Wind Tunnel and CFD Simulator while the other teams will be given more time. These were the regulations that were introduced back in 2021. This will affect the team’s ability to bring upgrades to the car.
Let’s not count out the other teams who will be looking to dethrone McLaren in 2025. Red Bull will be giving it all they have to take back the Championship. They could even have a new driver lineup that could boost their performance next year.
Ferrari will be on the attack next year with their new all-star lineup. With Lewis Hamilton joining the team to partner with Charles Leclerc, Ferrari will arguably have the best driver pairing in 2025.
Given these challenges, there is no doubt that McLaren will have an uphill battle trying to defend their title. Whether they are successful or not, one thing is for sure. We are in for one exciting season in 2025. Who do you think will win the Championships in next year? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
