McLaren’s Lando Norris admits he’s winning despite car not matching his style
Lando Norris doesn’t care if the McLaren suits his driving style or not—he just wants a fast car that can win championships.
The British driver shocked everyone by taking the checkered flag at the Australian Grand Prix, proving McLaren currently has one of the quickest cars on the grid.
But there’s a surprising twist to his recent success.
“It still doesn’t suit at all my driving style,” Norris revealed Thursday ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend.
He’s had to completely adapt his approach rather than expecting the car to be tailored to his preferences.
“I think I’ve got to a point where I’ve just accepted you can’t really have a car that suits your driving,” he explained. “Maybe it does suit some people’s, but I kind of got to a point where I stopped maybe asking so much for exactly what I want and more just willing to do whatever makes the car quicker.”
This flexibility might be what’s finally unlocking his potential after years of promise.
The McLaren has developed a reputation for being particularly tricky to master. Former teammates Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz both struggled to adapt when they joined the team.
“Some things are like, this is a McLaren for those reasons. But I think it’s unique in certain aspects,” Norris said.
What makes the car so challenging? According to drivers who’ve left the team, McLarens have distinctive handling characteristics that can feel “hard or odd” compared to other F1 cars.
But Norris isn’t bothered by these quirks anymore.
“I just drive what I have to drive, as long as the car is fast and I can fight for wins,” the Bristol-based driver concluded.
Fans can follow all the action from next weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix here on GPblog, where we’ll keep you updated on all the latest Formula 1 developments.
