Things are looking up for McLaren after Lando Norris produced their best result of the season at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Lando Norris is still the only driver not in a Red Bull or Ferrari to finish on the podium this season, discounting Lewis Hamilton’s fine effort during Saturday’s Sprint Race which doesn’t officially count towards his tally.
Reflecting on the race for Sky Sports F1, former world champion Damon Hill was talking about the Woking-based team’s fortunes.
Heading into the start of the season, McLaren would have been hoping to build on their incredible mid-season upgrades in 2023.
They appeared to be on a par with Mercedes during the first couple of races and slightly ahead of Aston Martin, although the Fernando Alonso effect can’t be ignored as he’s able to get the very best out of any car he drives.
However, in Australia, Norris took advantage of Max Verstappen’s retirement to return to the podium and was once again the best of the rest in Japan.
He went one step further in China and now McLaren are eyeing Ferrari to be the quickest team behind Red Bull this season.
Damon Hill thinks McLaren is in such a strong position right now that they should start thinking about whether they can lure Adrian Newey away from Red Bull.
The chief technical officer’s future with the Austrian outfit has been questioned this year due to the internal politics within the team.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine
Damon Hill wonders if McLaren could try and sign Adrian Newey
There appears to be an unwritten rule in Formula 1 that wherever Adrian Newey goes, success tends to follow.
The 65-year-old has a dozen Constructors’ Championships to his name and even more driver’s titles to match.
The latest set of regulations have suited his expertise perfectly and no one has been able to get near Max Verstappen as a result.
For that reason, other teams on the grid have been considering trying to sign Newey.
Aston Martin have been pushing to sign Newey and at one point thought that Max Verstappen might follow him.
Newey is also a target for Ferrari and the thought of Newey teaming up with Lewis Hamilton is very interesting.
However, Hill has suggested that Newey might look at the progress McLaren are making and wonder if that’s the best next step for him.
He might finally be the man to help Lando Norris secure that coveted maiden race victory.
Adrian Newey could make all the difference to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Reflecting on the race, Hill said: “I just wonder, what would happen if Adrian [Newey] was looking around and was thinking about McLaren as a team to go to.
“They’ve already shown that they’re going in the right direction, they’re definitely a team on the make.”
McLaren have already made big strides forward off the track and Hill’s suggestion to bring in Newey would take them to another level.
CEO Zak Brown is believed to be a level above his colleagues in other teams when it comes to negotiating deals.
That’s why McLaren’s cars have more sponsors than most and has helped the fund the team’s progress.
They also have two drivers who are signed up for the foreseeable future, something that is very rare in the paddock right now.
Newey could end up working with both drivers if Helmut Marko gets his way as he would like to work with Norris and Piastri at Red Bull.
It would be fascinating to see if Newey can do it all over again at another team ahead of 2026’s regulation changes.
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