Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes driver, expressed his satisfaction seeing his former team, McLaren, regain competitiveness in Formula One, despite it coming at his own expense.
During their home Grand Prix, McLaren's Lando Norris outperformed Hamilton to secure second place, even momentarily leading the race and overtaking Red Bull's dominant driver, Max Verstappen, at the start.
Norris attributed McLaren's impressive performance to their ability to maintain their pace while others struggled.
This turnaround is remarkable considering McLaren's early struggles in the season, where they failed to score points in five of the first eight races.
Hamilton, acknowledging McLaren's resurgence, referred to their car as a "rocket ship" following an aerodynamic upgrade and congratulated both Norris and McLaren, highlighting that McLaren was his family and where his F1 journey began.
The last time McLaren clinched a championship was in 2008, with Hamilton as the winning driver.
Interestingly, McLaren's car seems to resemble what Mercedes could have had, as they both use Mercedes engines.
However, McLaren's aerodynamic package, reminiscent of Verstappen's dominant Red Bull, has propelled them forward. McLaren's recent upgrades, first utilized by Norris in Austria, have significantly improved their performance.
Prior to these upgrades, McLaren had accumulated a mere 17 points all season, but now they have 59.
In contrast, Mercedes has faced challenges since opting for a design focused on small, sleek side pods for their 2022 car.
While this approach initially appeared daring, it may have limited Mercedes' ability to make improvements and hindered their ability to keep up with innovations from teams like Red Bull that have more conventional designs.
At the British Grand Prix, McLaren showcased a chromed livery, reminiscent of the Silver Arrows era, when McLaren, equipped with Mercedes engines, achieved championship success in the 1990s and 2000s, including Hamilton's first F1 title in 2008.
McLaren's promising performance extended beyond Norris, as his rookie teammate Oscar Piastri secured a strong fourth-place finish.
Norris believed Piastri could have even claimed third place if not for an ill-timed safety car that disrupted his strategy.
McLaren's rise in the constructors' standings to fifth, surpassing Alpine, marks a significant achievement after their legal dispute with Alpine over the rights to Piastri for 2023.
While McLaren's high-speed performance garnered praise, Norris admitted their car remains challenging to drive in slow-speed corners, making it unsuitable for the upcoming race in Hungary, where slower speeds prevail.
Norris acknowledged that despite their excitement, challenges lie ahead, and people might question McLaren's performance at certain tracks.
