F1 News

McLaren preview GP Japan 2023 Norris and Piastri

Piastri at Suzuka for first time: 'Looking forward to new parts'

20 September 2023 at 15:48
Last update 20 September 2023 at 16:58
  • GPblog.com

Lando Norris took eighteen F1 championship points from Singapore with his P2 finish. The McLaren driver is still buzzing with excitement and hopes to take home another heap of points in Japan. Teammate Oscar Piastri, with his first time at the Suzuka Circuit, is also hoping to be among the points grabbers once again.

Norris in good form

McLaren managed to develop the car best this year, going from a team in the rear to one that could almost lay claim to an F1 victory in Singapore. The upgrades McLaren brought with them in Singapore were also strong and with the fast package and 'Stealth Mode' livery, the team heads to Japan to make it tough on the competition again.

Norris: "The Japanese GP is always one I look forward to. The atmosphere is incredible, and the fans always go all out with their creativity, which I love to see. The Suzuka Circuit can be challenging, but the layout is what makes it really enjoyable. Let's bring home the points!"

Piastri gets upgrades now too

Piastri added to his teammate's story: "I'm really excited for my first Grand Prix in Japan, and it’ll be great to explore the culture. I did learn some Japanese at school, so I'm curious to see how much of it I'll remember [...]The circuit looks very cool. Suzuka is definitely a track everyone wants to drive at, so I'm looking forward to experiencing that for the first time this weekend."

Piastri will also have access to the upgrades Norris already had on his MCL60 in Singapore, during the Japanese GP weekend. The Australian concluded, "My car will carry the Stealth Mode livery again, as well as some new parts, which is exciting. I had good pace in Singapore, made up 10 positions, so I'm hoping to improve on that performance and finish in the points again."