McLaren, like many other teams on the grid, is expected to introduce significant car enhancements at this weekend`s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.
The Imola race, being the first European round of the season, is a typical venue for teams to debut major new components. This timing allows sufficient development time, and the event`s proximity to team factories eases logistics.
Despite the team`s performance this season, Lando Norris has expressed his anticipation for the upcoming car upgrades.
This is because Norris, currently trailing his teammate Oscar Piastri by 16 points in the driver standings, has found the handling of his McLaren challenging, particularly during single qualifying laps.
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has stated his hope that the forthcoming upgrades will make the MCL39 easier for Norris to drive.
Asked about the potential impact at the Miami Grand Prix earlier this month, Norris commented, “I certainly think it will help.”
He added, “I honestly don`t know the exact timeline… there`s also a mixture of things that will slowly come and be implemented over time.”
Norris also emphasized his personal efforts, saying, “But I also don`t want to rely solely on that myself. I`m working on things separately, which I hope will provide a better solution than just waiting for new parts. However, it`s positive that we are working together as a team to understand these issues.”
Although Norris significantly outperformed Piastri last season, the Australian`s recent form has seen him gain ground and establish himself as a strong competitor relative to his teammate.
Norris added, “It`s clear there have been changes compared to last year in how the car behaves and how I can extract lap time and perform.”
“So, it`s a combination of factors. I need to be patient with some aspects, some being more significant than others, but it requires time. I`m just keeping my head down and continuing to push myself.”
Does the MCL39 Suit Piastri or Has He Adapted Better?
While the McLaren has demonstrated strong pace over race distance, both drivers have sometimes struggled to extract peak performance in qualifying, finding the MCL39 challenging to handle on low fuel.
Compared to last year, when he held a clear advantage over Piastri in qualifying, Norris has fared worse this season, with errors in consecutive races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia leading to grid positions of sixth and tenth, respectively.
When asked if this year`s car is better suited to Piastri`s style, Norris replied, “It`s very difficult to answer. I think there are specific aspects that prevent me from getting the necessary feel, and that feel is what allows me to drive at my peak level – to achieve pole positions and perform at the highest standard in racing.”
He clarified, “We`re talking about small details. It`s not suddenly impossible to drive. It`s just when margins in qualifying are measured in hundredths or thousandths of a second, that`s the kind of difference I`m referring to, nothing more.”
Norris couldn`t provide a simple yes or no answer, suggesting that Piastri might adapt more naturally. He also noted that while it`s a driver`s responsibility to adapt to the car, there are always compromises, and the team works to help drivers maximize its potential.
“But it`s clear there have been some changes, and whether that has simply suited Oscar or his approach, or if he`s just doing a better job at adapting, is not something I need to figure out or waste my time on.”
“It has also affected my performance slightly more, and I haven`t been able to perform at the level I reached at the end of last season, which I believe was my personal best.”
