Norris lacked confidence: 'Not anywhere near where I'd like to be'
F1 News
Lando Norris managed to extend his lead in the championship over Max Verstappen at the Chinese Grand Prix, but finished behind Oscar Piastri this Sunday. The British driver talked about his lack of confidence in the MCL39 after the race.
Norris was satisfied with finishing second especially given how he found his car tricky over the course of the weekend. "I'm happy considering how bad my last few days have been and how much I struggled just to get comfortable and understand how to drive the car. To go to the pace I had today, which I think was very strong, it was a much better race than I was thinking I was going to have," he began.
Norris finished only in P8 in the sprint, five positions behind Verstappen. However, he managed to extend his gap in the drivers' standings today, which currently stands at eight points. "I was not confident one bit and I was nervous that I was going to struggle just as badly, honestly. But very satisfied to know how much I've improved from a car point of view, from a driving point of view. Today was a much stronger day, so I'm more satisfied to know I've got answers for my struggles."
What issues did Norris have?
The current championship leader then continued about what his team had to fix. "That’s stuff the team will know, and probably no one else, but we made a good amount of changes. Obvious ones, to try and improve the front end. I just can't drive a car with no front. I can, but I struggle, and it's just been too understeery, simply, the car, the last few days—I cannot maximise the package that way."
The Briton also added that McLaren are yet to find their best operating window, even as they once again showed their pace advantage in China. "We’re still understanding this car and knowing its limitations, how to get the most out of it. But I feel like, especially for me, in the longer run stuff and even the short run stuff, I've not been anywhere near as confident as I would like to be, and I've not got the feeling from the car that I need in order to maximise the performance."
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