Following a fantastic performance at Silverstone two weeks ago, Lando Norris claimed that McLaren would struggle and be ‘terrible’ in Hungary. This was because the Hungaroring is a slow-speed track compared to the fast layout of Silverstone. However, Saturday’s qualification result proved to be a very different story. Still, he insisted that despite being good at Hungaroring, they will suffer from disadvantages in the future.
The duo of Norris and Oscar Piastri qualified P3 and P4 for the Hungarian GP. This showed fans that McLaren wasn’t as terrible in Budapest as Norris felt they would be, thus bringing an end to his prophecy.
Norris and Piastri have been performing eceedingly well as of late, especially during qualifying. They showed how quick they were in Silverstone with a P2 and P3 starting position. Now, they have followed it up with another great result in Hungary.
Lando Norris reveals the mystery behind McLaren’s sudden pace
When asked about McLaren’s strong pace during the post qualifying press conference, Norris said that he was “surprised.” He added that it was a good surprise. At the same time, he also mentioned that the Hungarian track was not a slow-speed circuit, and as a result, they performed well.
Following this, the British driver was asked if his team was going to be competitive on every track. Answering this, the 23-year-old said as per F1 TV, “No, no definitely not.” He reaffirmed his stance by stating that they will be weak on slow corner circuits, something that he doesn’t think the Hungaroring is.
So close but so far! P3, great day and lovely position for tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/OrEUmSyxrs
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) July 22, 2023
Nevertheless, the young Brit is proud of his team’s work throughout the season. Given how they were struggling initially, delivering back to back top performances shows that they are heading to the front of the grid again. Interestingly, their results are also being compared to Mercedes, the team which supplies them with power units.
Norris compared McLaren’s performance with Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton’s pole position in Hungary shows that Mercedes too have made major strides in terms of development. This was his first pole position since the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP.
Comparing Mercedes with his team, Norris claimed that the Woking-based outfit made more significant improvement than their engine suppliers. But at the same time, the 23-year-old reminded everyone that a lot of work remains in their efforts to get better in the slower speed corners.
In the end, Norris praised his team once again. From fighting outside the points to being involved in podium discussions, it has been quite a journey for the team. Now Norris will be hoping to convert his P3 start into a first ever F1 win.
