Norris airs McLaren concern as it chases ‘endless trail’ of ideas

Lando Norris was upbeat about McLaren’s Suzuka performance, but still feels long-standing issues are hampering the team.

Lando Norris has revealed he is trying to find a “magic bullet” that could limit McLaren’s “losses” despite a promising practice day at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Although the MCL38 was tipped to perform at the high-speed Suzuka track, the package houses a long-standing weakness in slow-speed corners, with the hairpin and final chicane the major areas of concern for the team.

Norris recorded 10th and sixth in the two Friday sessions, which were disrupted by a red flag for Logan Sargeant crashing in FP1 and a rain-impacted second session, in which F1 champion Max Verstappen opted not to emerge from the Red Bull garage.

Oscar Piastri, Norris’s teammate, performed well in the two 60-minute sessions, finishing eighth and first.

Piastri, along with Norris and team boss Andrea Stella, is confident about the chances of the Woking team. However, Norris mentioned that the car is facing difficulties in specific areas.

Norris explained that the car felt decent and performed better than expected, attributed to the red flag on his best lap. However, the tires quickly deteriorated on the following lap.

“We find ourselves in a strong position, likely ranking as the third-fastest team.

The competition is fierce with Mercedes and Aston Martin, but Ferrari and Red Bull have a significant lead.” “I was using a lower downforce setup compared to Oscar, and it did not perform as well.”

We are meeting our projected performance expectations but facing challenges in specific areas.

Our main priority is to minimize losses in those areas to ensure a successful outcome.”

Norris has mentioned the challenges McLaren is facing as they try to catch up with leading competitors Red Bull and Ferrari.

Around six months ago, McLaren showcased an excellent performance at Suzuka during qualifying and the race. Norris finished in second place, coming in ahead of Piastri and behind Verstappen.

“In the present moment, Norris believes that McLaren is facing non-obvious challenges that are hindering their progress, leading the team to pursue various ideas, often without success.”

Norris stated that they adapt to various circumstances to test multiple options, each track presenting unique challenges depending on the tires and conditions. There is always room for improvement in search of the perfect solution.

The main issue facing them is a lack of downforce and stability in slow corners.

You can attempt to compensate for it, but it involves exchanging things rather than simply acquiring, making it challenging to keep up.

It becomes an unending cycle of weighing options and constantly wondering if something else would be better, which applies to every aspect of life.”

At times, it is considered optimal to let go and we consistently strive to grow and improve, which is our primary goal.