Lando Norris Predicts Mixed Fortunes for McLaren in Upcoming Races
Following his victory at the Australian Grand Prix, Lando Norris acknowledged that the 2024 season calendar will present both opportunities and challenges for McLaren’s MCL39. While some circuits will push the limits of their car, others are expected to highlight its strengths even more than the dominant performance seen in Melbourne.
McLaren made a strong impression at Albert Park, where Norris secured his first career Formula 1 victory and demonstrated the team’s impressive pre-season pace. The MCL39 thrived in changeable weather conditions, allowing both Norris and Oscar Piastri to move through the field quickly once the track dried.
During the race, Norris built up an 18-second lead over Max Verstappen within just 26 racing laps, before a Safety Car was deployed due to Fernando Alonso’s crash. Such a commanding performance has raised concerns among McLaren’s rivals that the team might be poised to dominate the season. However, Norris remains cautious, suggesting that their strong showing in Melbourne may not be replicated at every circuit.
McLaren’s Strengths and Weaknesses Across Different Tracks
After the race, Norris shared his thoughts on McLaren’s performance expectations for the remainder of the season. When asked whether there would be circuits where the team might struggle, he admitted that some tracks could expose weaknesses, while others would suit the MCL39 even better than Albert Park.
> “I do, but I think we’ll have both. I think we’ll have tracks where we will be even better, and I think we’ll have a couple where we’ll struggle,” he explained.
Norris emphasized that McLaren has developed a more well-rounded car compared to previous seasons, making it competitive across different track layouts.
> “We’ve definitely made our car much more balanced across all types of circuits – high speed, low speed, high downforce, low downforce. We’re competitive at most,” he said.
However, he also pointed out specific weaknesses that McLaren has struggled with in the past, particularly on low-grip tracks.
> “We were good last year, especially in the second half of the season, but Vegas was woeful. In fact, we were shocking.”
He cited Las Vegas as an example of a problematic circuit, where McLaren suffered from front-end instability, tire graining, and a lack of rotation—issues that could resurface at similar venues.
> “There are other tracks along those lines where we did struggle quite a bit. But these low-grip tracks like Vegas, we really struggled. It highlighted our issues with the front of the car – the graining, the lack of rotation.”
Despite these challenges, Norris remains optimistic that the team is actively addressing these weaknesses, though he acknowledges that progress will take time.
Bahrain Exposed McLaren’s Low-Fuel Weakness
Although McLaren performed well in pre-season testing, Norris mentioned that Bahrain could be another challenging circuit, despite their confidence before the season opener.
> “Even in Bahrain a couple of weeks ago, we came out confident, but everyone was hyping us up a lot,” he admitted. “Mainly just because our high-fuel pace was very strong.”
However, the team struggled in low-fuel conditions, which could be a concern in qualifying sessions at certain tracks.
> “But on low fuel, we were struggling. We were not as quick as some of the others. Even if we took all our fuel out and maxed the engine mode, I don’t think we would have been quicker.”
This inconsistency suggests that McLaren still has work to do, and Norris admitted that if the team were to race in Bahrain again, he wouldn’t feel confident about securing a victory.
Optimism for China and Future Races
Looking ahead, Norris is optimistic about McLaren’s chances at the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix, which will be a Sprint weekend. His confidence is based on last year’s performance in Shanghai, where he managed to split the dominant Red Bull cars, despite driving the less competitive MCL38 at the time.
> “I’m confident that when we go to China next weekend, we can be very strong, because we were strong there last year with not a very good car.”
This mix of realism and confidence reflects Norris’ understanding of McLaren’s evolving strengths and weaknesses. While some circuits may challenge the MCL39, others could offer the perfect conditions for it to excel. As the season progresses, McLaren will be looking to capitalize on its advantages while working to minimize struggles on difficult tracks.