Only a few years have passed since that debut in 2019, but by now Lando Norris has already reached his fifth season as an official McLaren driver, a period of time in which he has had the opportunity to accumulate experience and compete with drivers of the caliber of Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo.
After the farewell of the Australian, in 2023 Norris took on the role of leader and most experienced driver of the team, as rookie Oscar Piastri arrived at his side, in his first year in the top category.
Although McLaren started this season with a car that hadn’t met its winter development targets, updates are slowly starting to arrive which should correct the weaknesses of the MCL60. The English single-seater does not digest the high temperatures, the wide-ranging corners and, as explained by the Team Principal, the phases in which the riders are neither on the accelerator nor on the brakes.
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL60, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL60
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
A new foundation arrived in Baku and other small innovations that provided the first positive results, even if the Miami round once again showed all the weaknesses of the single-seater, a sign that there is still a lot to work on.
Norris revealed his belief that McLaren is listening more to his indications and feedback than in the past thanks to the experience accumulated over the years.
When asked to talk about working dynamics with a rookie teammate and how it feels to be the veteran at Motorsport.com, the Briton explained: “It’s a great feeling. How does it feel? Honestly, as an honest answer, it’s not much different.
“I think the way I worked last year, and how I worked with Daniel, isn’t too different. Not many things change. They rely on me a little bit more because I know how we were in previous years, to see the development from last year to this year and things like that”.
The revised bottom of the Mclaren MCL60
Photo by: George Piola
“But other than that, we both give our take on feedback and what’s happening to the car, and what we want from the car, which is very similar. I wouldn’t say we have the same driving style, but our feedback and our complaints are generally always the same. So, I guess that’s a good thing,” Norris said.
Norris also said that Piastri is “very fast” and that he “probably pushed me a little more than in the last two years”, a clear reference to the difficulties Ricciardo had in adapting to the characteristics of the cars made by McLaren, if not for some sporadic signal of light, like the victory at Monza in 2021.
“[Piastri] He’s a lovely guy, down to earth, a regular guy, a hard worker and so on. So, he’s handsome, funny. Different, I think, from Daniel, but still fun,” added the Briton.
#Norris #McLaren #directions #development