McLaren surge in 2024 a ‘very big surprise’ for Red Bull – Wache

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache admits that McLaren’s incredible improvement over the course of the 2024 season came as “a very big surprise” for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

The Bulls campaign last year began with utter dominance, with Max Verstappen winning four of the first five races and appearing poised for another commanding championship-winning season.

However, the tides shifted at the Miami Grand Prix, where McLaren unexpectedly took center stage, emerging as a formidable challenger and becoming the benchmark outfit on the grid.

A Turning Point in Miami

Lando Norris’ maiden Grand Prix victory in Florida marked a pivotal moment in the season, not only for McLaren but also for its rivals.

While Verstappen finished second, Norris showcased a pace that challenged Red Bull for the first time all year.

“We didn’t change the car; we didn’t change the way we set up the car, so it looked like it’s more the others that did a big change instead of us,” Wache told Motorsport.com.

“But to be fair, in Miami we should have won the race. However, we were not the quickest anymore. We were even, and clearly something changed in terms of what was done, especially by McLaren.”

The race coincided with McLaren debuting a substantial upgrade package on Norris’ car. The changes included updates to the front wing, front suspension, floor, sidepods, engine cover, rear suspension, and beam wing.

• Read also: Red Bull reveals root cause of RB20 struggles in 2024

The changes transformed the team's performance, reducing tyre degradation and enabling McLaren to outperform Red Bull on several occasions in the following races.

“They were able to have less tyre degradation than everybody else, and their package seemed to work very well afterwards,” Wache observed.

“I don’t know what they have done; you have to ask them and not me.”

Red Bull's Stability Amid Controversy

The Miami weekend also saw Red Bull face speculation about the removal of a controversial braking system following the Chinese Grand Prix.

While rival teams questioned whether Red Bull's performance drop was tied to this alleged system, Wache was adamant that the team’s car setup and behavior had remained consistent.

“I know about ourselves and what we have done with the car,” Wache asserted. “The behaviour of the car was similar to what we had in China.”

The minor floor-edge upgrade introduced in Miami, he explained, was a weight-reduction measure rather than a performance-enhancing component. “

“The car didn’t change, just to make it clear,” he insisted. “There was also nothing fundamental in the car set-up either that could explain why we were slower.”

A Season of Surprises

Red Bull’s early-season upgrades, including updates in Suzuka and China, performed as expected. Yet, McLaren’s performance leap in Miami proved a game-changer.

“In Miami, we were more or less there, but during the race we saw that McLaren found the sweet spot in terms of their performance,” Wache said.

The upgrades McLaren introduced were not visually dramatic but proved highly effective. Wache emphasized the holistic nature of McLaren’s progress.

“We were more surprised by the step of the others,” he said. “Also, if you see what they have done [with updates], it was not massive… it was more that the whole car came together, so it was a very big surprise.”

The Season’s Endgame

McLaren's newfound form saw the team rise as the consistent front-runner, with Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri regularly challenging for wins.

Meanwhile, Red Bull struggled to maintain its early-season momentum. Verstappen fought valiantly, but Sergio Perez’s underwhelming performances left the team unable to sustain its constructors' championship lead.

By season’s end, McLaren clinched its first constructors' championship in 26 years, a testament to the team's mid-season surge.

Red Bull, despite a strong start, slipped to third in the standings.

Ultimately, team papaya’s success serves as a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in Formula 1, even for a team as dominant as Red Bull.

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