McLaren’s Norris Adjusts to 2025 Car Dynamics Amid Team Challenges
Lando Norris, McLaren’s lead driver, acknowledges the need for improvement in adapting to the 2025 car. Despite securing the season opener victory in Melbourne, Norris is currently grappling with consistency, having seen teammate Oscar Piastri ascend to the championship lead following his third win of the season in Saudi Arabia.
Norris emphasized his ongoing struggle to extract optimal performance from the car, stating, “There are certain things which don’t allow me to feel what I need to feel… it’s just when we’re talking about qualifying split by hundredths of a second.” He remains noncommittal about whether the car inherently suits Piastri better, suggesting it may relate to Piastri’s adaptability rather than a fundamental incompatibility.
“It’s clear there have been some changes… but it’s also hurt me a little bit more,” Norris remarked, referencing his inability to replicate the form he displayed at the end of the previous season.
Team principal Andrea Stella has indicated that upcoming upgrades will focus on enhancing driver compliance, a prospect Norris views positively: “I certainly think it will help… but I also don’t want to rely on that myself.” Norris is actively working on personal adjustments while collaborating with the team to understand the car’s evolved dynamics.
As the series heads to Miami—where Norris claimed his first F1 victory last year—the driver is maintaining a pragmatic outlook, downplaying the past achievement’s impact on his current confidence. “It’s good memories… but the plan is to try and do it again,” he stated, setting sights firmly on future performance.
