We have frequently witnessed F1 fans expressing their outrage to Mclaren CEO Zak Brown by asking him to leave the team. And if we look back over Formula One’s 70-year history, McLaren has remained the second most successful team. However, now after bringing the upgrades that resulted in a terrific qualifying position for Lando Norris, when Zak Brown stepped on the sidelines to cheer for him during the Sprint, one of McLaren’s insiders has shown him the door. But why?
“I was not happy with the pace of development of the car in the second half of the season last year,” said Brown, who has consistently attempted to put McLaren on the right path. However, nothing has gone their way in the last 15 months, and the squad has only had nightmares since the start of this season, as the ponderous MCL60 hasn’t been fast enough to give the papaya Army’s midfield competitors a tight match.
will telling zak he has to leave the grid… then the mechanic did the throat-slit 😭 pic.twitter.com/vxByRhSzv2
— james (@ScenarioSeven) July 1, 2023
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Nonetheless, when the team introduced their highly effective B spec version upgrade to Lando Norris’ vehicle on Friday, it felt like the team had suddenly become a capable middle challenger with the potential to compete at the top. Even on Saturday morning, when Norris missed the top three due to a minor error, it was thought that he might easily pick up a few significant points.
And to give him the boost needed, Brown was discovered cheering for him on the sidelines before the sprint. However, one of his teammates showed him the way out. But why? It is because MCL60 had been started, the tire covers had been removed, and the mechanics were making their way to the side of the circuit to let the cars out for their formation lap. As on this lap, the teams and their equipment return to their pit garages.
After impressing in both qualifying sessions, the 23-year-old had another nightmare at the Austrian circuit, where despite being in a wonderful position to score points in the shorter race, the British driver lagged behind George Russell. And now, the British have discovered the true cause of the tragedies.
Following disappointing Sprint results, Lando Norris reveals the underlying cause of the disaster
Lando Norris had a horrible Sprint race after delighting the Papaya Army fans with his P3 in the sprint quali. Because only the top eight acquire points, the Briton came up empty-handed. However, the 23-year-old thinks that his opportunity of a strong finish was truly lost at Turn 3 on the very first lap. While talking to Sky Sports F1, Norris said, “My Turn 3 was OK, I think, [I] obviously got close [to Verstappen and Perez] but I just went into anti-stall so I lost everything.”
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Although Norris finished ninth, the Mclaren strategy and his decision to avoid pitting for slick tires on the drying track allowed Nico Hulkenberg and George Russell to overtake him for the crucial points. On this, the McLaren driver stated, “It was tough decision. The guys [who pitted for slicks] only managed to just get back through on the last lap.”
While concluding Norris highlighted the primary cause only to be the error at Turn 3, “It goes and comes your way sometimes. We lost one position, two positions on the last couple of laps but we all lost it really in Turn 3 on Lap 1.”
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Given that the upgrades are showing results, do you think Lando Norris and Co. can challenge Max Verstappen’s domination?