There are only three races left in the F1 season.
While much remains the same from 2024, with Red Bull leading the constructors’ championship and Max Verstappen at the top of the drivers’ standings, recent events have shaken up the field a bit. Mercedes is struggling, McLaren is doing well and Ferrari is steadily closing the gap on Red Bull.
And a fascinating battle has begun in the midfield, with Visa Cash App RB F1 Team currently in the lead thanks to Hiroki Tsunoda’s strong drive at the Australian Grand Prix.
With so much at stake and a short break until the Japanese Grand Prix, now is a good time to see where each team is at the moment. But rather than a simple review, we’ll take a look at the biggest issues facing each team right now.
So far, most of the questions have been about the negative aspects of bookkeeping. Earlier this week we looked at Alpine and asked how quickly a team in desperate need of progress could progress. He also asked if Sauber could solve the pitstop problems that have plagued them in the first three races of the season.
On Wednesday we find out whether Williams will face a hangover after everything they went through in Australia, whether Haas have really eliminated last season’s biggest gremlin, and, yes, how much the seats will be under Daniel Ricciardo. I asked if it was hot.
Thursday started with Aston Martin. Next, we turned to power unit supplier Mercedes. It’s certainly early, but is it already too late for the Silver Arrows?
Finally, we come to a more positive story.
McLaren.
McLaren: Can they stay red hot?
A year ago, most of the questions surrounding McLaren were negative. There was also talk of a “crisis” and a change in management. They left the Australian Grand Prix a season ago in last place. 12 points of the seasonIt all took place in Melbourne as Lando Norris finished sixth and rookie Oscar Piastri finished eighth.
But to say the double points result was an achievement would be to ignore the context of that afternoon in Melbourne. Charles Leclerc’s day ended after a collision on the first lap. George Russell’s Sunday drive ended early due to engine failure. The Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon collided on a late restart, leaving both drivers out of the points. Furthermore, Carlos Sainz Jr. also made contact with Fernando Alonso on the same restart and received a five-second penalty, dropping him from 4th to 12th.
With five candidates out of the race, McLaren suddenly moved into the points.
However, as you probably know, things have changed for the team since the summer. As Norris explained to me before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the days of just fighting for points are gone and suddenly McLaren is at the front of the field. As Piastri told me ahead of the first Las Vegas Grand Prix, by the end of the season they had moved up the standings and were aiming for wins.
reason?
CEO Zach Brown says it’s a faster racing car.
Coupled with what Brawn told me was “the best driver combination on the grid”, McLaren rocketed up the order. By the end of the season they were in fourth place, with an outside chance of catching Ferrari in third place. But while that didn’t happen, they did finish the season in fourth place, a far cry from where they started this year.
If you think winter layoffs will slow down your business, think again. McLaren started the year with the team’s first double points finish since 2021 in Bahrain, but it came at the end of a week when it became clear the MCL38 might not be going well. “It’s good to start the season with a strong performance here in Bahrain.” Team principal Andrea Stella said. After the race. “We were reliable and fast enough to fight with Mercedes today, which allowed us to score good points on a track that we know is not optimal for the characteristics of our car. .”
In Saudi Arabia, Piastri finished 4th and Norris 8th, another double points finish for the team. “We are looking at the first two races as positives, knowing that it will be a battle of growth throughout the season. I am happy that we are so close to a podium finish and we are looking forward to seeing where we continue to put in the effort and drive the car. We understand what we have to improve.” Speaking after the race in Jeddah, Stella said:.
Next came Australia, who took the team’s first podium. Norris started the race in third place and took his first podium of the season in the same position. Piastra started directly behind him in fifth place on the grid and moved up one place during the afternoon to finish fourth. It was also a double point finish, which was a huge accomplishment.
Instead of leaving Melbourne fighting for a scrap and falling to the bottom, they head on to their next destination. Japan is 3rd in the standingsThey are 38 points behind second place Ferrari, but 29 points behind Mercedes.
They then head to Suzuka, a track that suited them very well a season ago. Last year’s Japanese Grand Prix was held at the end of the year, and as a result, McLaren achieved a double podium with Norris in second and Piastri in third.
They have been working hard for the start of the season.
Can they stay this way?
