Lando Norris Confident McLaren Has Made Strides in Addressing Slow-Speed Cornering Weakness Ahead of Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix
As the Formula 1 paddock gears up for the Canadian Grand Prix, Lando Norris is optimistic that McLaren has made significant progress in rectifying its Achilles’ heel – slow-speed cornering. The Woking-based team’s remarkable turnaround last season saw it ascend from occasional Q1 eliminations to regular podium contenders, thanks to mid-season updates. However, its weakness in low-speed turns remained a persistent problem, with Red Bull’s dominance on high-speed tracks contrasting with McLaren’s struggles in winding sections.
The recent Miami Grand Prix saw McLaren’s latest upgrades yield a marked improvement in slow-speed performance, culminating in Norris’ maiden Formula 1 victory. The team’s promising showing in Monaco led boss Andrea Stella to suggest that its new parts had exceeded expectations regarding slow-speed performance. Nevertheless, Norris believes that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve’s long straights and low-speed traction zones will provide a true litmus test for McLaren’s lower-speed potential.
“I would say that is still our biggest weakness,” Norris told F1. “And yes, we were good in Monaco, but there you can only concentrate on the slow corners. If you have to focus on slow and medium-fast at the same time, then we have more problems finding the balance. Monaco is just Monaco. I don’t think we have completely sorted out our difficulties in slow corners, we still have to improve if we want to keep up with Ferrari.”
Despite acknowledging the lingering weakness, Norris is upbeat about McLaren’s progress in addressing the MCL38’s launch-spec vulnerabilities. “We have improved and this is probably one of the areas where we have improved the most, which is why we have managed to be a bit more consistent this year,” he said. “We are clearly closer to where we need to be compared to the teams around us. I think there are still many things we want to improve and where we need to make progress. But I’m confident, given how much we’ve improved as a team over the last year, that we can take on even more.”
However, with the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve demanding a compliant car to extract time, Stella concede that McLaren has “work to do” to improve the MCL38’s ride. “We are not entirely satisfied with the behaviour on kerbs, on bumps,” Stella told Autosport. “It will require some more fundamental development rather than simply adaptation of what we have available now in the car. Clearly we play with set-up, but we don’t seem to be able to achieve the same ride and kerbing performance that we see, qualitatively, on some other cars. And our drivers are pretty vocal that some other cars seem to be able to ride kerbs with more confidence.”
As the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix approaches, Norris is eager to see how McLaren’s upgrades will fare in the unique demands of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. With the team’s continued progress in addressing its slow-speed cornering weakness, Norris is confident that McLaren can close the gap to its rivals and push for a strong result in Montreal.
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