McLaren’s Championship Hopes Revived: Drawing Inspiration from Vettel’s 2013 Dominance
McLaren’s dominant display at the Dutch Grand Prix, courtesy of Lando Norris’s impressive win, has reignited their championship hopes in both the drivers’ and constructors’ battles. With nine races remaining in the 2024 Formula 1 season, McLaren is now just 30 points behind Red Bull in the constructors’ standings, having bridged the gap by 12 points over the weekend.
In the drivers’ championship, Norris has cut Verstappen’s lead by eight points and now trails by 70 points. Should he replicate his victory and fastest lap feat in the remaining races, it could be enough to secure the championship title. This might seem like a tall order, but McLaren is drawing inspiration from history, specifically Sebastian Vettel’s record-breaking run of nine consecutive wins in the second half of the 2013 season.
Vettel’s dominance during that period is a testament to the fact that a strong streak can make all the difference in the championship fight. After a tough first half of the 2013 season, Vettel took control of the title race, winning every race from the Belgian Grand Prix to the season finale, ultimately securing his fourth championship title.
Speaking after the Dutch GP, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged that the team has taken note of Vettel’s achievement and is using it as motivation to push for championship success. “We even talked and looked at what Vettel did in 2013 and we said: ‘we may do the same. Why not?’ We need to keep the focus. We need to think this is possible,” Stella said.
While Stella conceded that the team’s form at Zandvoort was partially due to track characteristics, he expressed his encouragement at the team’s performance, which exceeded their expectations. “I have to say it was very encouraging from a performance point of view… It was definitely beyond expectation in terms of qualifying performance, in terms of race performance, and to some extent, even the tyre degradation was very good,” he added.
Norris, however, is choosing to focus on the present, rather than getting carried away with championship aspirations. “I’ve been fighting for the championship since the first race of the year. There’s no sudden decision now. I need to do better. I’ve been working hard the whole year and I’m still 70 points behind Max. So it’s pretty stupid to think of anything at the minute,” he said.
As the Formula 1 calendar progresses, McLaren will be looking to build on their momentum, buoyed by their recent success and inspired by Vettel’s historic run. With the next race on the horizon, the team will be hoping to maintain their form and close the gap to Red Bull in both championships.
🔗 Source