Lando Norris and McLaren's 2024 F1 season is a perfect stress test

Lando Norris and McLaren dropped another race win in Silverstone. This was not the first time it has happened this season, and by the looks of it, this won't be the last time. The F1 British GP was an entertaining race, but it also served as a magnifying lens that exposed the weaknesses of all teams and laid them bare in front of everyone to see what they were.

When it came to McLaren, the major deficiency was putting together the strategies during a race. This is one weakness that the team might not have even known, but it has come out in the open, and it does leave the team and the driver in a rough spot.

McLaren introduced its much-hyped upgrade in Miami this season, and what we saw was an instant jump in the pecking order. All of a sudden, this was a team that could fight for wins. Lando Norris made the best possible use of the safety car to jump everyone and win the race.

Since that race, McLaren has been in contention to win the races in Imola, Monaco, Canada, Barcelona, Austria, and Silverstone.

Unfortunately, it hasn't won even a single race since then. This has made McLaren the object of ridicule for a lot of teams. This has seen Lando Norris become the target of a lot of trolls.

This is, however, also the best thing that could have happened to both the driver and the team. In so many ways, the 2024 F1 season is a perfect stress test for both Lando Norris and McLaren before they get to the title battle in 2025.

McLaren and Lando Norris were not going to challenge for the title anyway

These losses will hurt both McLaren and Lando Norris, for sure. But there is one thing that both the driver and the team should be aware of: the 2024 F1 title battle was never happening anyway. The team could fight for the constructors title this season, and without a doubt, that is still on the table, but a battle against Max Verstappen was never going to happen.

By the time McLaren and Lando Norris got their hands on a car capable of fighting Red Bull and Verstappen, they were already too far behind in the championship. Hence, the worst-case scenario for the driver is to finish second in the championship while trying to help his team win the title.

That is the position Lando finds himself in right now, with a decent gap over the driver third in the championship.

For now, 2024 is a dress rehearsal

The 2024 F1 season is what one could call a dress rehearsal for both McLaren and Lando Norris. Both the driver and the team have now reached a certain level where they can compete right at the front of the grid every week.

The next step in all of this is going up against the very best and finding out where the cracks are. What are the areas that need work? Is it the strategic unit (it seems to be)? Is it the lack of ruthlessness while driving? Is the team cohesive in nature? Is it a lack of experience?

Or, most importantly, is it an amalgamation of all of these? When you're fighting at the sharpest end of the grid, you do not want to make mistakes. At the same time, the experience of fighting at the front of the grid is rare, and it only comes after years of actually doing it.

At the moment, McLaren and Lando Norris are going through a period of stress testing everything before the real fight of the 2024 F1 season.

Unlike Ferrari, no background politics will lead to an implosion

One thing that works for McLaren and Lando Norris as compared to a politically-fueled environment like Ferrari is that this team can afford time to learn. Unlike the Italian giant that got too excited and is now trying to find ways to make up for some of the lost development time, the British team does not have to do that.

McLaren and Lando Norris would obviously want to win this season, but they would also be aware of the fact that everything takes time. Winning takes time, and it takes a while to get to that place. What both the driver and the team need to do is be cognizant of the fact that all of this will take time, and what they need to recognize first is the need to improve.

It's a gift for Lando Norris and McLaren

Not many teams or drivers have had the privilege to dress rehearse a title battle. In 2024, both McLaren and Norris have been given this opportunity. It is now up to them how they use it and make the most of it.

They can take these failures to heart and implode. Or they can use this opportunity to get as ready as possible before the real battle begins in 2025.