Lando Norris Reflects on Mistakes and Struggles in China F1 that could have put him….read more
Lando Norris has openly admitted that his performance during the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix qualifying was marred by “too many mistakes.” After a challenging session on Saturday, the McLaren driver found himself in third place, falling short of the ideal lap time that could have put him closer to pole position. Despite his final grid placement still being respectable, Norris expressed disappointment over his driving and recognized that his errors ultimately cost him valuable time on track.
While Norris acknowledged that Saturday’s qualifying was an improvement over his performance in Friday’s Sprint qualifying, he made it clear that mistakes continued to affect his lap times. Reflecting on the session, he said, “It was just tight and close, but it was a much better job than we did yesterday, and I did yesterday.” Despite his optimism about the improvement, Norris admitted that he had not executed a perfect lap. He further explained that he was still not feeling as comfortable with the car as he had been in Australia, where the track characteristics were very different. Norris noted that the Shanghai International Circuit, with its mix of medium and high-speed corners, presented a tougher challenge for the McLaren, and he was not quite able to extract the car’s full potential.
One key factor Norris highlighted was the tricky nature of the McLaren MCL39, which, although undeniably fast, has proven to be difficult to manage, especially under the pressures of a qualifying session. “It’s definitely the quickest car, but it’s still tricky to drive,” Norris said. “We can easily do good sectors every now and then, but putting a lap together is difficult.” The car’s tendency to be unpredictable, particularly when pushing the limits, made it harder for Norris to maintain consistency across the lap. The driver admitted that when the car’s performance did not come together perfectly, it could result in a significant loss of time.
Further compounding the difficulties, Norris struggled with tire management, particularly when it came to front graining. This issue had been a recurring problem throughout the weekend, and Norris noted that it was an area where he was particularly vulnerable. “Whenever we struggle with front graining, it’s something I just struggle with a lot, like personally,” he said. This challenge made it harder for him to extract the maximum performance from his car, especially when compared to his teammate, Oscar Piastri, who had a stellar performance during the session. Piastri not only managed to outqualify Norris but also went on to secure pole position, marking his first-ever Formula 1 pole. Norris was full of praise for his teammate’s achievement, acknowledging, “Oscar’s showing great pace. I definitely haven’t, especially from the race pace.”
Despite his own struggles, Norris remained focused on self-improvement and was determined to learn from the session. “It’s something I’m not strong enough in. But, yeah, I’ve got a long night ahead of me to sit down and go through the data and see what I can improve for tomorrow,” he said. This reflective attitude demonstrates Norris’ commitment to his development as a driver and his willingness to address his shortcomings. As the weekend progresses, the McLaren driver knows that consistency is key and is determined to make the necessary adjustments to extract more from his car in the race.
In conclusion, while Lando Norris faced a challenging qualifying session in China, he remains focused on improving his driving and adapting to the characteristics of the McLaren MCL39. With the team making progress and his teammate showing strong pace, Norris is determined to learn from his mistakes and continue pushing forward to achieve better results in the race.
