Lando Norris was left frustrated after the chequered flag in Silverstone two weeks ago. Having taken the lead during the most difficult phase of the Grand Prix (with changing track conditions), Norris was not happy with a third-place finish behind his championship rival Max Verstappen and winner Lewis Hamilton. However, a recent statement from the Brit suggests that he is ready to make amends for the same at the Hungarian GP this week.
As Martin Brundle rightly said after the British GP, Norris should have won that race. However, a couple of poor strategy calls both from McLaren and Norris left him struggling for grip on soft tires in the final stint of the race.
Reflecting on the busy weeks during the triple header, Norris said that he feels ready for the Hungarian GP. “It was good to have some time to recharge and reset after a busy couple of weeks. I was able to jump in the Sim and go over everything we’ve learned ahead of Hungary.”
Lando Norris: “It was good to have some time to recharge and reset after a busy couple of weeks. I was back at the MTC with the team to celebrate the last three races. While at the factory, I was able to jump in the Sim and go over everything we’ve learned ahead of Hungary.”
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— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) July 15, 2024
Norris also spoke about the significance of qualifying in Hungary. Known for its tight and twisty nature, the Hungaroring is often compared to a street circuit due to its lack of long straights and abundance of corners. This makes overtaking particularly difficult on the 2.72-mile track. Hence, the starting position ahead of Sunday’s race becomes crucial.
Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri meanwhile, looks back on the British GP as a good race. As such, he has a different mindset heading into the Hungarian GP.
Piastri is confident of repeating his junior category heroics in Hungary
While Norris seemed a little downbeat after his British GP outing, Piastri was satisfied. The Aussie mentioned having “two strong weekends in Austria and Great Britain,” indicating that he felt that he performed well in both races.
Piastri felt happy about the “good pace in the car”. Plus, he is confident about performing well at the Hungaroring owing to his previous success there in junior categories. The whole team is going into this race with a lot of confidence and motivation,”
Oscar Piastri: “I’m heading to Hungary off the back of two strong weekends in Austria and Great Britain where I’ve been happy with my driving. We had some missed opportunities at Silverstone but it was clear that there was good pace in the car and that is encouraging.”
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— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) July 15, 2024
McLaren earned the most points in Silverstone (27) which closed the gap to Red Bull in the Standings. A few more weekends like that will put the Woking-based outfit in the driver’s seat to dethrone the reigning Champions.
