Lando Norris, the British driver from McLaren, expressed caution regarding the team’s prospects in the upcoming Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix. He believes that Ferrari’s recent improvement will make them a formidable competitor. McLaren’s performance in high-speed corners has been impressive since their transformation from a backmarker team to a frontrunner last season. Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri achieved double podiums at the high-speed circuits of Japan and Qatar, finishing behind Max Verstappen from Red Bull. However, Norris warns that Ferrari’s progress in high-speed corners has been significant and McLaren is currently “a step” behind them.
When asked if he expects McLaren to improve at the Suzuka circuit, considering their competitiveness there last season, Norris responded negatively. He mentioned that McLaren’s performance in Australia last year was not terrible despite the car’s limitations. With a better car this season, Norris believes that this weekend will be good for McLaren. However, he acknowledges that Ferrari’s improvements in high-speed corners have allowed them to make significant progress. Nevertheless, Norris remains optimistic about McLaren’s chances and hopes to see both cars on the podium again.
Although McLaren’s prospects at Suzuka are hampered by the lack of low-speed corners, Norris believes this will be beneficial for them. He admits that McLaren’s MCL38 car has a significant deficiency in these sections. McLaren team boss Andrea Stella teased a major upgrade package that will be introduced during the European season at Imola next month. However, Stella admits it will take another 12 months for McLaren to address the limitations of their current package. Despite this, McLaren has had its best start to an F1 season since 2012 and currently sits in third place in the Constructors’ Championship with 55 points.
On the eve of the fourth round of the season, McLaren announced the departure of David Sanchez, a former Ferrari engineer who joined the team three months ago. Sanchez was expected to play a key role in McLaren’s technical structure, but left his position due to a “misalignment” in responsibilities.
