A Tough Car to Tame
From the very start of the season, Norris has battled to get the most out of his McLaren. Sure, there’s plenty of potential under the hood, but it hasn’t been easy to unleash it. Dissatisfied with how things felt at the Singapore Grand Prix, Norris decided it was time to have an honest conversation with McLaren and set a new course.
« It’s hard to say exactly—I just felt better in the car today, » Norris told Sky Sports F1 after his win. « It all comes down to how I feel in the car. Last year, I felt great and could be more competitive. This year, I’ve had trouble adapting. The car is incredibly quick but still clearly difficult to drive. »
He went on:
« When everything falls into place, you can get the car working—but I’ve struggled with that in recent weekends, even at Singapore. We had a meeting for an hour and a half after Singapore. I said, ‘This is exactly the car I don’t want. That’s why we can’t win right now—we won’t win again if the car doesn’t give me what I need.’ This weekend I got more of what I was looking for, and I could perform at the level I showed. That’s all there is to it. »
When Your Teammate Is Flying…
As Piastri racked up wins during the first half of the season, Norris knew there wasn’t much point blaming the McLaren for his lack of success—which led to plenty of self-doubt:
« There were moments earlier in the year when this got to me, because I never want to criticize my car. The car was winning, Oscar was winning, and the last thing I wanted was to use the excuse of the car not being good enough. »
But, Norris admitted, he just couldn’t find his rhythm or get results—until now:
« I wasn’t comfortable, and I wasn’t able to figure out how to make it work. Now, I’ve found a better way. It really is that simple. »
Special Circumstances, Special Driver
Conditions in Mexico didn’t help Piastri at all. The low grip level made life tough for the Australian, forcing him to drive in a way that wasn’t natural for him. Meanwhile, according to McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, Norris thrived in the challenging circumstances.
« He was able to rely on the car’s performance and strengths, » Stella explained to the international press. « In a sense, these special low-grip conditions suit him perfectly. It’s a natural way for him to set a lap time—almost the complete opposite of Oscar’s style. »
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John is a curious mind who loves to write about diverse topics. Passionate about sharing his thoughts and perspectives, he enjoys sparking conversations and encouraging discovery. For him, every subject is an invitation to discuss and learn.
