Lando Norris has given Lewis Hamilton cause for concern after revealing what he believes to be the 2024 F1 pecking order.
Lando Norris believes that there is a ‘clear top two’ in terms of car performance heading into the 2024 season opener in Bahrain. The McLaren ace singled out Red Bull and Ferrari as the two standout teams on the grid, predicting that his own squad will mix it with Mercedes and Aston Martin during the first few rounds of the campaign.
McLaren were in a rough position 12 months ago when they arrived in Bahrain with the slowest car, but in 2024 they will be expecting to fight in the top half of the field when the lights go out on Saturday
This, however, will still be frustrating for the 24-year-old Brit, who signed a new long-term contract extension in January off the back of a sensational end to 2023. Norris was on the podium seven times last season as McLaren established themselves as the most consistent challengers to Max Verstappen, but the papaya team may have taken a relative step back.
“We have a rough idea of where we are at but we don’t know where we stand,” Norris explained during Wednesday’s driver press conference when quizzed over the state of play at the top end of the grid.
It’s clear there is a top two then a bunch behind with Mercedes, Aston Martin and us. We’re in a much better position than last year and that’s the most important thing.”
If Norris’ forecasts are accurate, Lewis Hamilton could face even more disappointment in the future.
The seven-time world champion has not won a race in over two years, as Mercedes has struggled to secure a victory in the challenging 2023 season.
Hamilton acknowledged the challenges Mercedes was dealing with when providing his evaluation, mentioning that the team had a positive atmosphere and was highly focused.
He expressed his excitement at the time of year when everyone works together diligently. The team is highly motivated and has a stronger foundation to work from this year.
Despite facing some challenges that are being addressed, their starting point is an improvement from the last two years.
They are content with their progress so far but acknowledge that they still have work to do in order to reach their desired level.