Norris Confident McLaren Only Needs “Small Things” to Catch Red Bull
In a recent interview, Lando Norris, McLaren’s rising star, expressed his belief that his team is now missing only “small things” to bridge the gap with Formula 1 powerhouse Red Bull.
Fresh from his maiden F1 win in Miami and a strong performance in Imola, Norris came agonizingly close to securing his second win in Montreal, only to be let down by a strategic pit call.
“It’s not a huge amount,” he acknowledged, “it’s small things, it’s just split seconds of decision-making and understanding.”
Norris, currently 5th in the Formula 1 standings, emphasized that the decision to pit under the Safety Car in Montreal was not a clear-cut one, given the unpredictable weather conditions. He defended McLaren’s strategy, explaining that the team had to consider multiple factors, including the changing weather, which initially seemed worse but eventually improved.
While Norris admitted that McLaren slipped up, he believes the reaction to their defeat has been overblown.
“I really don’t think it’s a lot and I think there’s a lot of stuff we do better than other teams, better than Red Bull, better than Mercedes, better than other teams,” he argued.
Norris pointed out that every team makes mistakes, and McLaren has excelled in certain areas compared to their rivals. However, he conceded that the team must adapt to the intense pressure of competing at the sharp end of the grid.
“Your mentality, even when you try to not make it or allow it, your mentality is always going to change, you’re always going to feel a little bit more pressure, a bit more nerves,” Norris explained.
Following a thorough review of their processes in Canada, Norris emphasized that comprehensive changes are not necessary. Instead, it’s a matter of fine-tuning their approach, asking one more question, or making one more informed decision.
“It’s very small things but just have very big consequences like we saw,” he said.
Norris expressed confidence in his team’s work ethic and ability to improve, and he’s optimistic that they’ll make better decisions in the future. With the Spanish Grand Prix just around the corner, Norris and McLaren will be looking to put their Canadian heartbreak behind them and close the gap with Red Bull in the Formula 1 standings.
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