Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has tipped McLaren to potentially challenge the top three teams in 2020.
The Woking-based squad improved massively from the end of 2018 to end this year fourth in the Constructors’ standings largely thanks to the results of Carlos Sainz.
Indeed, the Spaniard would score his first Formula 1 podium in Brazil and McLaren’s first since 2014, and the Austrian claims that could be a more common occurrence next year.
“We have always defended the standpoint that by letting the regulations alone, performance convergence would happen – at least there’s a high probability that convergence happens rather than throwing the dice and introducing something new and I think we have seen that,” he commented in Abu Dhabi.
“It’s fair to say that there are three teams capable of winning races today and probably winning championships if things are being put together.
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“McLaren has massively caught up, probably the steepest performance slope of all teams and will be there or thereabouts, in my opinion.
“So, yeah, I see this very much as being a much tougher season. I don’t think we are going to see the kind of 10 race wins or 12 race wins per team for next year any more – but obviously we will be trying everything to optimise our weaknesses and continue to perform well.”
Speaking after Sainz had inherited third at Interlagos, however, McLaren boss Andreas Seidl claims the ability to score that kind of result regularly is still some way away.
“We need to get all the pieces in place over the next months and years which we think are important to getting back up again,” he was quoted by F1i.com.
“For sure, the ’21 regulations coming into place, especially a budget cap will help us, but still especially the three teams in front of us they’re simply there because they do a better job and there’s no automatic mechanism that gets us there.”
The German also believes McLaren still have to be wary of those midfield teams they beat in 2019, such as engine supplier Renault.
“I make sure within the team that we keep up this respect for every other team that we are fighting with at the moment because everybody’s trying hard to year by year to improve,” he explained.
“All of these teams that are in the paddock have great people working for them and great talents. So it’s a very complex sport. This is why you can never take something for granted.
“It’s important to stay humble, keep our heads down, and not get carried away with the step we could make from last year to this year.
“We have to simply keep working hard in order to make sure we become better as a team.”
