“Car Remains Uncompetitive”: Despite Superior Exploits at Home, Lando Norris Exposes Major Chink in McLaren’s Armour

The British GP witnessed a remarkable display of pace from McLaren as Lando Norris secured a spot on the front row and emerged as Max Verstappen‘s main threat in the race, eventually finishing an impressive P2. However, amid the jubilation, Norris warned that McLaren’s newfound competitiveness might not extend to the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix, where a major chink in the car’s handling could hinder their performance.

McLaren‘s resurgence can be attributed to the recent technical upgrades introduced at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone, which radically transformed the performance of their MCL60. According to Formula Passion, Norris revealed the challenges McLaren faces: their car’s handling in slow corners. While they have shown promise on tracks with a good mix of slow and fast corners, the Hungarian GP presents an entirely different technical challenge, likely exposing the car’s deficiencies. Norris remained cautiously optimistic, “I don’t think I will be able to finish on the podium here. Despite the updates introduced in the last few races, our car remains uncompetitive in the slow corners.” [translated via Google]

Norris emphasized, “We haven’t improved at all on the handling front and the car is always difficult to drive , especially in qualifying. So for me the biggest improvement we could bring to our car is not in terms of additional downforce kilos but ease of driving. There’s only one way to drive our car to make it go fast but it’s a way that I don’t like and it doesn’t suit my characteristics and strengths. I can’t get enough speed to go through the corners…., in fact it’s very far from my tastes but I have to adapt.“Despite its strengths in wet conditions and braking, the car’s handling limitation persists, posing a considerable challenge for Norris and the team.

Read more: “I Get a Little Paranoid”: Lando Norris Reveals the Pre-Race Non-Negotiable That Brings Out the “Team Player” in Him

While McLaren basks in the glory of recent successes, Lando Norris’s frank assessment reminds us that there are still significant hurdles to overcome. Amid doubts about McLaren’s overall competitiveness, Lando Norris offers a glimmer of hope by highlighting the team’s substantial development efforts.

McLaren’s Remarkable Development Efforts Propel MCL60 to Rocketship

Lando Norris’s confidence in the team’s development efforts provides hope for the future. The introduction of a series of upgrades has significantly transformed the MCL60, making it one of the best cars in high-speed corners. Norris praises the team’s commitment to improvement, stating, “The aero package we brought to Austria this year was the biggest development effort I have ever seen in the last five years at McLaren.” 

The updates include alterations to the shape and position of the floor fences, a revised sidepod inlet design resembling Red Bull’s, and an optimized engine cover ‘shelf.’ The team’s adoption of a deeper water slide-style gulley on the sidepod’s surface and a semi-detached flap layout in the front wing are also significant improvements. However, as the team focuses on solving the handling flaw, the MCL60’s true potential may only be fully realized in the 2024 season.

The question remains: can they rectify the major flaw in their car’s handling to continue their pursuit of the championship podiums?

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