Lando Norris believes McLaren is looking to make “minimal adjustments” overnight to improve a “favorable position” in the Emilia Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix. Norris followed up his first win in Miami with a strong performance in the first day of practice in Imola. McLaren faced some challenges in the first practice session while testing their Miami updates, and Norris had a setback when his car stopped. However, the team made progress in the second practice session, and Norris was on course to set the fastest time before going off track. Nevertheless, Norris is optimistic that the changes made between sessions have provided a positive foundation for the team to build on throughout the weekend.
Norris assessed the day as “reasonably good” overall, despite some complications in the first practice session. The team was conducting aerodynamic tests with rods on the car, which caused some issues. However, they made significant progress from the first to the second session. Once Norris found his rhythm, he felt confident and pleased with the car’s performance. He believes McLaren is in a good position for the weekend, despite challenging conditions and strong competition from other teams.
McLaren introduced a comprehensive package of updates in Miami, which prompted responses from rivals Ferrari and Red Bull at this stage. Norris admitted that it is difficult to accurately assess their performance compared to other teams, especially with Mercedes showing impressive pace. To further improve their speed, Norris mentioned the importance of analyzing data and comparing themselves to Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes. He believes McLaren is relatively quick and does not need major changes. Instead, they will focus on making small adjustments and bringing everything together to maximize their performance.
