In 2021, Daniel Ricciardo secured McLaren’s long-awaited victory for the first time in 9 years, when he took P1 at the Italian GP. However, according to Lando Norris, his recent podium finish at Suzuka with team-mate Oscar Piastri deserves more than Ricciardo’s victory, as reported by Motorsport Week.
McLaren is on the rise, they are more ambitious than they have been in the last decade or so. In fact, Norris and Co. are now eyeing to challenge Red Bull next season. The team’s performance at Suzuka demonstrated their ability to compete at the highest level and they are ready to compete for the world championship once again.
While Norris’ podium finish didn’t result in victory, in a season dominated by Red Bull, securing P2 and P3 was feat on its own. Norris surely thinks so. In fact, he considers his P2 and Piastri’s P3 in Suzuka to be their best result in years. He considers it to be better than their 1-2 finish in Monza two years ago.
According to Norris, their current progress is more appropriate because it is not based on external factors or luck. He believes things didn’t have to go his way this time, proving that McLaren had the momentum to challenge the racers.
Lando Norris: McLaren’s Suzuka podium more deserved than Monza
Norris, who joined McLaren in 2019, believes that his current achievement holds more merit than those from two years. The 23-year-old said McLaren’s performance at the Japanese Grand Prix holds greater significance because it was based on their genuine speed.
The British driver, stated, “Our first one since Monza a couple of years ago, a few years ago. But in a way, our most deserved in terms of we’re there on pure pace.” in an interview with Motorsport Week.
Lando Norris took advantage of his team-mate’s strong position on the first lap to overtake him, as he tussled with Max Verstappen. There was a point where Norris thought the gap to Verstappen could get even lesser. However, his progress was hampered by the speed of Sergio Perez slower in the second Red Bull car.
McLaren’s recent upgrades
McLaren recently introduced a new set of upgrades aimed at improving their performance. The upgrades were revealed at the Singapore Grand Prix and were intended to improve slow-speed cornering perform. While these changes did not help them surpass Red Bull, they did contribute to McLaren’s competitiveness on the track.
Despite these significant changes, McLaren’s performance did not elevate their ranking above Red Bull. While the upgrades improved flow conditioning and overall aerodynamic load, they were aimed more at improving performance at low speed.
Red Bull won the constructors championship with Max Verstappen leading the charge. Additionally, Verstappen is also on the verge of winning his third consecutive Formula One driver’s championship. The team can now rest a bit and this could open the door for McLaren’s long waited victory.
