The McLaren F1 Team come into 2021 formula 1 Season with renewed optimism of a strong year after switching to Mercedes Benz Power and the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo.
McLaren ended 2020 third in the Constructors’ Championship and after an encouraging, seemingly trouble-free pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit, they go into the new year with the aim of making further progress and perhaps their first race win since 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix.
What happened in 2020
2020 couldn’t have started much better for McLaren, with Lando Norris secured his first podium and the fastest lap at the season opener Grand Prix of Austria. Thanks to a penalty for Lewis Hamilton‘Norris had the difficult task of bridging the gap between himself and his compatriot, and the fastest lap on the final lap earned him a remarkable third place.
Norris had some very solid performances throughout the year, with a fourth place in the Italian and Bahrain Grand Prix, and fifth place in the Styrian, British and Abu Dhabi Run.
Teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. also stood on the podium last year when the Spaniard was close to winning the Italian Grand Prix before being forced to finish second Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda‘s Pierre Gasly.
Early on, Sainz led the Grand Prix of Portugal as a few patches of rain made the track a difficult race. He finished fourth in the Sakhir Grand Prix as well as a fifth place in the Austrian, Eifel, Turkish and Bahrain Grand Prix.
Only eight points separated the teammates at the end of the season, with Sainz winning the teammate fight in sixth in the drivers’ standings and Norris in ninth. However, their combined score was enough to make the BWT Racing Point Formula 1 team and Renault DP World F1 Team Third place in the constructors’ standings, her best result in the overall standings since 2012.
Lando Norris secured a podium in 2020 but is aiming for more in 2021 – Photo credit: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images / McLaren F1 Team
What has changed at McLaren …
Perhaps the two biggest changes at McLaren in the off-season were the driver and engine departments. The departure of Sainz to Scuderia Ferrari was quickly offset by the signing of Ricciardo, and he is ready to begin a seemingly fun but determined partnership with Norris.
The Australian is a multiple race winner in Formula 1, although it has now been more than two years since Ricciardo was on the top step of the podium. What McLaren achieves with Ricciardo, however, is a determined, never-giving racing driver with high ambitions to become world champions.
Another massive change has taken place in the engine department: the team parted ways with Renault after three seasons in order to return to power at Mercedes-Benz for the first time since 2014. McLaren and Mercedes had a fruitful relationship in their previous partnership and there will be optimism within Woking that good times are upon us again.
The only negative is that the return to Mercedes power meant that McLaren was forced to use their two development tokens to adapt the MCL35M to the new power unit. This could make them a little vulnerable elsewhere.
Daniel Ricciardo joins McLaren after two years at Renault – Photo credit: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images / McLaren F1 Team
What to expect in 2021 …
When it comes to pre-season testing, the McLaren team looks strong on the way into the new campaign. Both Ricciardo and Norris are enjoying positive days behind the wheel of the MCL35M in Bahrain.
McLaren wants to become a real top team again and hopes that the MCL35M will give them another step towards race win and podium finish.
There’s no reason McLaren should finish at least third in last season’s Constructors’ Championship in 2021, and if the car is as good as it seemed at first sight in Bahrain, then they could be battling for race wins and several podiums this year.
Lando Norris can expect to battle for podiums in 2021 when McLaren’s form moves into races in pre-season testing – Credit: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images / McLaren F1 Team
