Beating all odds in 2020, McLaren managed a P3 finish in the constructors’ championship. The Woking-based team was behind just Mercedes and Red Bull. The dream run, however, lasted for just that one season as have struggled to replicate that form ever since. Forget about replicating it, they are currently in the middle of a constant downward spiral. Can the chemistry between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri break the curse?

After the glorious 2020 campaign, the Papaya team finished 4th in 2021 and then 5th in 2022 in the constructors’ standings. As fans wished to see them bounce back in the current season, all hopes came crashing down when team boss Zak Brown gave an update on the development of the car. Even before the season began, Zak told that the team was running behind the targets they had set for themselves. Eventually, they ended up fielding an undercooked product for the first three races and the results promptly reflected that.

McLaren will reap the rewards of their gamble once Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri start to gel

In an ideal scenario, every F1 team strives to strike the perfect balance of a lineup of an experienced driver and a young driver. However, when McLaren decided to let go of Daniel Ricciardo, they also let go of their experienced driver. Instead of replacing him with another seasoned campaigner, they brought in a rookie, Oscar Piastri. That is despite the fact that Lando is still learning the tricks of the trade.

In a recent episode of the F1 Nation podcast, journalist Natalie Pinkham said, “Oscar feels to me from the outside looking like he’s really kept his head down and is working hard. It is difficult to see what the dynamic is truly like [between Oscar and Lando], I think that will evolve through the year. In terms of the organizational changes in the team, a bit like Ferrari. It certainly feels like a year of transition. I think they’ll start to reap the benefit of that ‘24 onward.”

Read More: “Norris Is in Trouble”: Oscar Piastri Destroys Lando in an Easy Test That Leaves Fans Worrying for the British Star

Podcast co-host Tom Clarkson agreed with Natalie and cited other reasons why it will take some time for McLaren to start showing results for the work they’re putting in.

Can McLaren bounce back before Norris grows tired of the continued failure?

McLaren recently made some big changes in their top management. They let go of their technical director, James Key, and brought in Ferrari’s engineer extraordinaire, David Sanchez. Sanchez will take over as in charge of chassis design, but his tenure will start in January next year. They also have a wind tunnel in the making which will be functional by the end of this year. Undoubtedly, all this will improve their performance, but is Lando willing to wait for that long?

Clarkson said, “I think for Oscar Piastri, that doesn’t matter as he’s learning the ropes in Formula 1. For Lando, different kettle of fish. I think he’s desperate to get his hands on a good car, he knows he’s good enough to win, he nearly did that a couple of years ago in Russia. He wants to win races, he sees himself on a par with Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, all the rest of those young guns. And he just doesn’t have the equipment. How long is he prepared to wait?”

Watch This Story: Will Lando Norris Switch Teams From the Miserable McLaren – What are his Options?

Do you think the Briton will stay loyal to his team if they continue on their bad run for another 2 years? Or will the desperation of that top spot get to him?