McLaren, like many teams across the grid, is set to introduce significant car upgrades at the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.
This event marks the beginning of the European leg of the season and is traditionally the point where major new components are introduced. Teams have typically had ample time for development by now, and logistical issues are minimized given the proximity of Imola to team factories.
Despite McLaren`s strong start to the season, having won five out of six races and established a commanding 105-point lead in the Constructors` Championship, Lando Norris has expressed his eager anticipation for the planned upgrades.
Norris`s anticipation is due to challenges he has faced with the handling of his McLaren, particularly during single-lap qualifying efforts, compared to his teammate Oscar Piastri. Piastri currently holds a 16-point advantage over Norris in the drivers` standings.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella commented that he is optimistic the forthcoming upgrades will make the MCL39 more manageable for Norris to drive.
When asked about the potential impact of the upgrades earlier this month at the Miami Grand Prix, Norris stated: “I certainly think it will help.”
“I honestly don`t know the exact timeline of things. There`s also a mixture of things that will slowly come and be implemented over time,” he added.
“But I also don`t want to rely on that myself. There are things I`m working on separately, and hopefully that`s a better fix than waiting for other bits to come. But it`s good we`re working as a team and trying to understand these things.”
While Norris comfortably outperformed Piastri last season, the Australian has shown stronger recent form, currently sitting ahead of Norris in the championship standings.
Norris further explained: “It`s been clear that there have been differences from last year in how the car works, how it acts, and how I`m able to get lap time out of it and perform.”
“So, a mixture of things. I have to be a little patient with some things – some are bigger than others – but it takes time. So I just keep my head down and keep pushing myself.”
Does the MCL39 Suit Piastri Better, or Has He Simply Adapted?
Although the McLaren has clearly demonstrated excellent pace over race distances, both drivers have sometimes struggled to extract peak performance in qualifying, finding the MCL39 challenging to handle with low fuel.
Compared to last year, when Norris often had the edge over Piastri in qualifying, Norris has faced more difficulties this season, including errors in consecutive qualifying sessions in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia which resulted in lower grid positions.
Asked if the current car is better suited to Piastri`s driving style, Norris found it difficult to provide a definitive answer. He explained: “I think there are just certain things which don`t allow me to feel what I need to feel and those things are what allow me to drive to the level that I can drive at – to get pole positions and to drive at the highest level in racing.”
“We`re talking about small things. It`s not like it`s impossible to drive all of a sudden. It`s just when we`re talking about qualifying split by hundredths of a second, thousandths of a second, that`s what I`m complaining of and nothing more than that.”
“It`s not one I can probably just give you a yes or no answer to. I think he`s maybe more naturally able to adapt. And I also think it`s a driver`s job to adapt to whatever car they get given, but there are compromises, and the team are also there to try and help you get the most out of the car.”
“But it`s clear there have been some changes and whether it`s just suited Oscar or Oscar`s way, or him doing a better job at adapting, that`s not for me to kind of know or try and figure out or waste my time on.”
“It`s also hurt me a little bit more and I`ve not been able to perform at the level that I was at the end of last season, which I think is the best level that I`ve been.”
Wesley Dunham 
Gilbert Pendleton