‘i’m Making It Work’: Lando Norris Confident He Is Finally Getting To Grips With His Mclaren

Lando Norris has said he is yet assured handling his McLaren car aft a dominant triumph astatine nan Mexico City Grand Prix that moved him to nan apical of nan world title standings pinch 4 races remaining.

The British driver won astatine nan Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez pinch a superb thrust from rod to flag. With his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finishing only 5th and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen successful third, nan Briton now leads Piastri by 1 constituent and Verstappen by 36. Piastri had held nan title lead since nan Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but Norris has moved to nan beforehand arsenic nan title enters its last run-in.

He has struggled for overmuch of nan season, peculiarly successful qualifying, not enjoying nan consciousness of nan grip from nan beforehand axle arsenic overmuch arsenic he would for illustration while Piastri enjoyed a beardown tally of results. Norris has since made a concerted effort to accommodate to it and has demonstrated very bully shape successful caller races conscionable arsenic nan Australian’s performances person dipped.

“Certainly erstwhile nan car was winning and Oscar was winning, nan past point I could do is usage nan excuse that my car is not bully enough,” said Norris. “I wasn’t getting to grips and wasn’t uncovering a measurement to make it work, and I’m uncovering a amended measurement to make it activity now.

“It’s arsenic elemental arsenic that. Of course, it gives you bully confidence.”

McLaren’s squad principal, Andrea Stella, noted that Norris excels successful nan low-grip conditions arsenic was nan lawsuit successful Mexico and made nan astir if it, having been each but untouchable and felt nan squad arsenic a full had emerged good from nan play particularly aft nan caller resurgence successful shape of Verstappen and Red Bull.

“It will conscionable fortify Lando’s assurance and it will beryllium important for nan last 4 races,” Stella said. “Both Lando and Oscar spell into nan last 4 races pinch reasons to beryllium confident. The squad besides goes into nan last 4 races pinch much knowing of really to extract capacity from nan car consistently.”

He besides felt some drivers and McLaren had each logic to expect to beryllium competitory astatine nan remaining meetings successful Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

“The assurance successful position of nan title has increased. It’s accrued because we person proven that we person a car that tin triumph races and, successful immoderate conditions, tin predominate races,” he said. “In nan last 4 races, there’s nary logic to deliberation that 1 whitethorn favour 1 driver aliases nan other. Vegas, if anything, has proven to beryllium a situation for McLaren overall. Last year, we were not competitive.

“For Lando and Oscar, there’s nary problem successful position of way layout coming successful nan adjacent 4 races. If anything, we request to make judge that from a McLaren constituent of view, we are successful information to extract nan afloat capacity that is disposable successful nan car.”