McLaren, like many other teams on the grid, is anticipated to introduce substantial car upgrades at the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola this weekend. The Imola circuit traditionally serves as the first European venue of the season, making it a common location for teams to unveil significant new components after having sufficient time for development since the initial flyaway races. The logistical benefits of being closer to team factories also ease the introduction of these parts.
Despite McLaren`s strong performance overall in the opening races, Lando Norris has admitted he is eagerly awaiting these upgrades. He currently trails his teammate, Oscar Piastri, by 16 points in the driver standings and feels the need for car improvements to boost his personal performance level.
Norris`s anticipation stems from the challenges he has faced with the McLaren`s handling characteristics this season, particularly when pushing for performance over a single lap in qualifying, compared to Piastri.
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has expressed hope that the planned upgrades will indeed make the MCL39 car more forgiving and easier for Norris to drive at the limit.
Speaking about the potential benefits at the recent Miami Grand Prix, Norris commented that he “certainly” believes the updates will help. He added, however, that he wasn`t fully aware of the precise development timeline, noting that “a mixture of things” would be implemented gradually over upcoming races.
Crucially, Norris emphasized his intent not to rely solely on the team`s developments. He stated he is “working on things separately” regarding his own driving and approach, hoping his personal efforts might provide a quicker solution than waiting for car components. Nonetheless, he acknowledged the value of the team`s collective work to understand and improve the car.
While Norris held a distinct performance advantage over Piastri throughout the majority of last season, Piastri has demonstrated strong form recently in 2024, leading to the current points difference and establishing a clear internal battle within the team.
Norris explained that there are clear differences in how the car behaves this year compared to last, affecting his ability to extract maximum lap time and performance. He described his situation as a “mixture of things” requiring patience, as some necessary adjustments are more significant than others and take time. He concluded by saying he would “keep my head down and keep pushing myself” to improve.
Assessing the MCL39`s Suitability for Piastri vs. Norris`s Adaptation
Although the McLaren has shown strong race pace at times this season, both drivers have occasionally found it difficult to achieve peak performance in qualifying sessions. The MCL39 has proven challenging to handle on low fuel when pushing for optimal lap times.
Compared to last year, when Norris typically had the edge over Piastri in qualifying, the dynamic has shifted. Norris specifically highlighted errors he made in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia which led to compromised starting positions (sixth and tenth respectively), indicating struggles with the car`s limit under pressure.
When asked directly if the 2024 car`s characteristics are better suited to Piastri`s driving style, Norris found it hard to give a simple answer. He explained that “certain things” in the car`s feel and feedback prevent him from driving at his absolute best – the level required to challenge for pole positions and perform at the very highest standard in races.
He clarified that these are “small things,” not making the car suddenly undriveable, but critical when qualifying gaps are measured in hundredths or thousandths of a second. This precision, he stated, is the focus of his current concerns.
Norris suggested Piastri might have a “more natural ability to adapt” to the current car`s nuances. While acknowledging that adapting to the car is fundamentally a driver`s job, he noted that compromises exist, and the team`s role is also to help the driver maximize the package. He admitted he couldn`t definitively know whether the car purely suits Piastri better or if Piastri has simply done a superior job of adapting, nor did he feel the need to spend time figuring that out.
He concluded by stating that these changes have “hurt me a little bit more,” preventing him from consistently reaching the performance level he displayed at the end of last season, which he considers the best he has ever driven.
