McLaren aims to close the gap with Red Bull through updates: Norris focuses on the details to avoid mistakes
Confident and refreshed after the summer break, Lando Norris is ready to tackle the Dutch Grand Prix at full throttle. He believes that the new updates to the McLaren MCL38 could bring the team even closer to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (or even surpass them, as has already happened). Despite an impressive first half of the season, the British driver has faced criticism given the potential of his car, which has recently emerged as a frontrunner in the championship.
The first part of the season has been extremely positive for McLaren, with both Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri securing their first victories in Formula 1. These results have crowned their careers, but the season could have been even more successful with better management of opportunities, which were often missed. Norris has emphasized the importance of a mental “reset”, especially after a disappointing weekend in Belgium that did not yield the expected results for the Papaya team and the British driver.
Reflecting on the summer break, Norris told Formula 1: “I’ve had time to review and analyze many things, which has been positive for both myself and the entire team. The main thing is not to forget how good the first part of the season was, but also to correct those small mistakes that cost us dearly. When you’re fighting for a championship, you can’t afford to make errors, so my goal is to eliminate them.”
Looking ahead, Norris is optimistic about the potential of his car, particularly with the updates set to be introduced at Zandvoort. While the battle against Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes remains intense, the MCL38 is currently the most complete and well-balanced car on the grid: “We’ve shown that we can beat Red Bull in several races over the past few months. Now, with the upcoming updates, I’m confident we can take another step forward”, said the Miami Grand Prix winner.
Piastri: “Rib Healed, We’re Aiming for the Title”
Piastri echoed his teammate’s sentiments: “The last few months have been very, very positive, and we’ve closed the gap to Red Bull, so that’s our plan. We’re definitely aiming to win the constructors’ championship, so we’ll do our best and see where we end up.”
“The rib? It’s back to normal now, but it broke at some point during the Austrian rounds, simply from driving. Silverstone, in that regard, was a pretty painful race”, the Australian concluded.
Photo: McLaren F1 Team