The biggest betrayal at the start of the ongoing F1 season was endured by McLaren fans. Promises are hard to keep, and the team should’ve thought more before making them to the Papaya army. Now, the terrible start to the season has sent McLaren spiraling and hunting for new talents to get back to the front of the grid. And all sympathies are with Lando Norris.

The driver signed an extension until the end of the 2025 season, giving him one proper shot at the championship after the new wind tunnel at the Woking-based plant starts functioning. Until then, the Briton is stuck with the limited resources at his disposal. The optimism is fading after the blows dealt so far. For the team, the turnaround either starts in Baku or wasn’t ever happening to begin with.

Knowing the difficulties that lie ahead, speaking with SB Nation, Lando assessed the season so far and said, “It’s a tough start, I’m sure there’s still going to be some tough races coming up…we did have a very good weekend in Melbourne, trying to keep that up will be very tough though.”

“We’ll do our best, we’re going to Baku, Baku many things can happen, there’s been some great races there in the past, a lot of chances, a lot of opportunities for people. We’ll just keep chipping away, keep making the most of it, and trying to do more stuff like we did in Melbourne. But it’s not going to be easy by any stretch.”

READ MORE: Toto Wolff Brings Another Name to Lewis Hamilton’s Negotiation Table After Denying Charles Leclerc Rumors: “In a Few Years…”

The season is still wide open. However, the existing deficit is too big to cover, and at this point, the team would take any points that came their way after Aston Martin’s rise.

Upgrades for Lando Norris in Baku

Lando Norris has just eight points in the first three rounds. His expectations seem to have been killed from the inside, but a revival could well be on its way soon. The team aims to get back in the top four by the end of the season as it starts to unlock more upgrades for the MCL60.

In Baku, Norris’s qualifying was aided by some major upgrades. Although they weren’t miraculous, they still showed some promise. For this round, the team has brought a new floor and made some changes to the floor tunnel. This weekend overall, the team plans on gaining a few tenths while retaining its major upgrade package for the rounds after the summer.

WATCH THIS STORY: Bromance moments between Max Verstappen & Lewis Hamilton

Lando, being realistic, must only be hoping for scoring points while looking for podiums and his first GP win. With the chances of significant development in the next year remaining low, the McLaren drivers can keep their heads low and only deliver as much as the car allows.