F1 strugglers McLaren need a result in Australian Grand Prix or they could face losing young Brit star Lando Norris
McLAREN will commemorate their 60th anniversary this year – but there is not much to celebrate about their start to this season.
It is a worrying time for Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, as they sit bottom of the constructors’ championship without a single point.
Oscar Piastri, the Aussie at the centre of that tug-of-war with Alpine last year, goes into his home race this weekend in 19th place in the drivers’ championship.
He’s ahead of only one driver – McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, the vastly talented Brit, who finds himself languishing in last place.
There is no escaping the fact McLaren are in a bad shape on track.
Norris, who has a long-term contract with the team, has continually faced questions about his future with McLaren.
Until now he has put on a brave face, saying he always knew that the team were gearing up for 2024 – and had faith in the construction of their new windtunnel – with a view of fighting for the title in 2025.
Yet it begs the question, can he – or more like will he – be prepared to wait until then? Norris is a winner and it is no secret that he was once courted by Red Bull.
He is smiling now, but will that still be the case if we reach the mid-season point and McLaren are not improving?
I doubt it. If anything, their results show they are going backwards.
Of course, the optimistic will rightly point out that it was a mechanical issue that stopped Piastri in Bahrain and Norris’s Mercedes-supplied engine was at fault for his pitstops every 10-laps.
In Saudi too, a first lap contact with Piastri saw a wing endplate fly into the air and subsequently damage Norris’s car.
Brown has responded swiftly by axing James Key, who had been with the team since 2018, saying it was a change that has been needed “for some time”.
In the reshuffle David Sanchez will return to McLaren from Ferrari – but not until January 2024 – meaning his arrival will not be felt until midway through that year.
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By that point, it could be too long for Norris to wait for the improvements.
I desperately feel that McLaren need a solid result in Melbourne this weekend, otherwise the pressure – and the question marks – will continue.
FORMULA E
PEOPLE keep on telling me that F1 is boring now that Max Verstappen is winning – well maybe they should tune in to Formula E.
The racing this season has been excellent, there is a different winner every race and now there is some real needle between the drivers.
After they collided in Brazil, title contender Jake Dennis labelled Dan Ticktum a “plonker” who is racing “in his own little world”.
Ticktum is no stranger to controversy and once overtook 10 cars under safety car conditions to catch and crash into a rival.
“It’s just a target on my back now,” said Dennis. “That’s two races now where I’ve been driving my own race and some plonker 100 metres behind just forgets to brake and just smashes into me.
“It’s just typical. I don’t know what else I can do. I don’t know what he was thinking; I’ve seen the onboard and he’s like in his own little world.
“I’m pretty annoyed with Dan, I don’t know what the situation is with that but he just forgot to brake and smashed into me.”
Bring it on!
MOTOGP
SPARE a thought for poor MotoGP rider Marc Marquez, who will miss the Argentina GP following his crash in Portugal.
The Spaniard, who has been plagued by injuries, broke the thumb of his right hand when he collided with RNF rider Oliveira on Sunday.
Marquez underwent an operation in Madrid where he had two screws inserted to realign his thumb and will not be fit enough to race in Argentina on April 2nd.
Marquez has not been able to complete a full season without injury since 2019 when he won his sixth title.
WSERIES’ MAJOR PLANS
WSERIES – the all-female open-wheeled racing championship is still alive and hoping to attract new investment to go racing this year.
The series was cut-short last season after the Singapore GP when an investor pulled out and since then, F1 have launched their own academy targeting female racers.
However, the WSeries CEO, Catherine Bond Muir, has been trying to bring in new funds so the championship can continue.
MEMORY LANE
JENSON BUTTON made his NASCAR debut and finished 18th at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
The 2009 F1 world champion was driving a Ford Mustang during the 68-lap race where he went up against Kimi Raikkonen, who was also making his debut in the series. The Finn finished in 29th place.