After a below-average start to the 2023 season, collecting just 17 points from seven races, McLaren found their mojo right before the summer break. The Woking-based outfit worked hard and has produced a car capable of competing for the podium places. Lando Norris has particularly benefited from these improvements, earning back-to-back second-place finishes. While the British driver has appreciated the latest modifications to the car, Motorsport Italy reports Norris is still not a fan of the MCL60.
The latest rule changes have not been kind to McLaren, who have struggled to produce a car that is good in all aspects of a race. Norris has been open about the fact he doesn’t like the latest gen cars because they can only be driven in a certain way. When going into a corner, the MCL60 is slower than most cars on the grid. Norris also says the car is not fast enough to make a U-turn, as a result of which, the Bristol-born driver had to alter his driving style.
Norris was much more comfortable driving a car under the older regulations, as it gave him better control over his driving style. Hence, despite the car being able to produce a fast speed on the straight, the 23-year-old is far from impressed by it.
Lando Norris hasn’t fallen in love with his MCL60
While talking to Motorsport, Norris told them about how he has had a tough time adapting to a McLaren car built around the latest regulations. Even though the car acts well during high-speed straights, it is the low-speed corners that trouble him. Thus, with his hands at the wheel of a car that’s not nearly well-rounded enough, Norris has developed hostile feelings towards it.
“It’s not a way I currently like. I’ve had to adapt. I still have to adapt a lot as a driver. The MCL60 is a long way from the car I’d like to drive.”
Norris isn’t the only driver to have a problem with the car. Even his teammate, Oscar Piastri, doesn’t enjoy driving the MCL60. Norris revealed how he and his teammate complain about the same things after the race. The car demands Norris to drive it in a way he is not comfortable with.
Norris hasn’t lost faith in McLaren
Most aspects of driving the MCL60 have been troubling Lando Norris consistently. The 23-year-old would love to have a car that he can drive at minimum speed while making a U-turn and come flying out once he is on the straights. However, given the limitations of the car, he has to make a V-turn to maintain his car’s speed while also keeping it under control.
Regardless, Norris believes McLaren has a fast car on their hands, especially on a wet surface. The car behaves perfectly fine in a straight line, too, giving them an edge over the rest of the field when battling for a position in such a situation.
Sergio Perez, said he expected to see Lando Norris more often on the podium 👊
“I think from where they were in Bahrain, or not even in Bahrain before Silverstone – the step that they made these last two races on very different tracks layouts…”#F1 #Formula1 #McLaren #Redbull pic.twitter.com/2soTMlUeZQ
— McLaren F1 News 🏴🇦🇺 (@TheMcLarenZone) August 11, 2023
Before an impressive turnaround in performance, Norris admitted he was thinking of possibly leaving the Woking-based outfit. However, after taking back-to-back second places in UK and Hungary, the British driver has decided to stick to his current team, foreseeing a long-term association.
