Rob Smedley feels McLaren tapped into their "magic" after recruiting ex-Ferrari team member
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The 2024 Formula 1 campaign has been one of McLaren’s most competitive in years. Ahead of the United States Grand Prix and with just six races remaining in the current championship, the Woking-based team now holds a 41-point lead over Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship, a scenario few would have predicted earlier in the season. McLaren, which had routinely trailed Red Bull by over 20 seconds in races, experienced a dramatic turnaround after introducing a significant aero upgrade package at the Miami Grand Prix.
That same weekend saw Lando Norris claim his maiden Formula 1 victory, marking a pivotal moment for the team. Since then, McLaren has consistently been the top-scoring team on the grid, thanks in part to strategic changes led by team principal Andrea Stella.
Former Formula 1 engineer Rob Smedley, who was Felipe Massa’s race engineer at the Maranello team, speaking on the *Formula for Success* podcast, credited much of McLaren’s recent form to Stella's leadership. Rob Smedley, who also worked alongside Andrea Stella during their time at the Italian side, praised the impact his restructuring has had, though he also expressed some skepticism over how quickly McLaren has risen to the top.
Rob Smedley believes that Andrea Stella has “unlocked” the team’s potential, but still finds McLaren’s rapid ascent remarkable.
"I don't think the previous management misstepped that badly, but if you take the current management with Zak and Andrea Stella, my ex-colleague from Ferrari, they have made some sensible decisions but it seems to have unlocked this magic," – the former Ferrari team member pointed out – “How on Earth they have gone from being three or four-tenths behind at the start of the season to be 20 seconds in front, how do you have that swing on the incumbent world champions? That for me is the enigma bit, how they have done it that fast." – the British automotive engineer who works for the Formula One Group added.
McLaren’s resurgence in performance has come at a time when Red Bull has experienced a noticeable decline, which they attribute to a floor upgrade introduced as early as the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix.
Red Bull's engineers are now focused on analyzing data from the last two races in an effort to identify and resolve the issue, hoping to regain momentum in their championship defense.
Helmut Marko remains optimistic that Red Bull can recover lost performance after the extended break between the Singapore and U.S. Grands Prix. However, team principal Christian Horner recently warned that any forthcoming updates might not yield the expected results.
As the 2024 Formula 1 campaign approaches its final stretch, a thrilling showdown is on the horizon. Lando Norris and Max Verstappen are poised to battle for the drivers’ title, with Ferrari and Mercedes also emerging as contenders for race wins and the Maranello team also hoping to be able to finish second in the 2024 Constructor Standings.
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