McLaren has not had the best season so far. Daniel Ricciardo is about to hang up the helmet after being dropped at the end of 2022. Meanwhile, his teammate, Lando Norris, is barely doing much better. And it appears that the Belgian-British driver is well-resigned to the fact.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In the Japanese Grand Prix last Sunday, Lando Norris managed to score one championship point finishing at P10, while Daniel Ricciardo finished at P11. This resulted in McLaren dropping down to 5th in the Constructor’s standings as Alpine moved up.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
With only a single podium finish to his name this season, Lando Norris is well-aware of his reality.
“I would say even between 2022 to 2023 I’m not expecting realistically a win or a couple of wins,” said Norris. “For me, my confidence is in 2024 and 2025, and until then I need to play a little bit of the patience game.”
Formula One F1 – Austrian Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria – July 7, 2022 McLaren’s Lando Norris ahead of the Grand Prix REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
After that, Norris did admit that his own feelings of frustration but accepted that it is part of his and the team’s development.
“I guess just personally as a driver sometimes it hurts, you can feel like you do such a good job and you get a little bit stuck at times.”
“You don’t feel like you’re getting rewarded that well for what you’re achieving or what you’re putting in, but I think that’s just Formula 1, that’s just what happens.”
DIVE DEEPER
While it also hurts the fans to see their well-loved driver down so low, it is admirable to be sufficiently self-aware so that one can be better prepared.
Lando Norris’s reaction to McLaren’s performance in Suzuka
Last Sunday’s race at Suzuka brought in many interesting developments to this season. Max Verstappen clinched the world championship title, and Charles Leclerc lost his second place to Sergio Perez.
Meanwhile, McLaren also lost their 4th place in the coveted constructor’s standings to Alpine. The Woking-based team is now falling behind Alpine by 13 points.
Formula One F1 – Japanese Grand Prix – Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan – October 9, 2022 McLaren’s Lando Norris and Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas in action REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Lando Norris, who could score only one point at Suzuka, reacted to this by saying, “Not good news, but not a surprise.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Talking about the race at Suzuka in post-race interviews, Norris remarked, “Yeah, I guess I am happy with the point. I lost a lot of positions in the first start, had just a lot of wheelspin and dropped a huge amount.”
He added, “But one point is better than nothing. I think I was P14 or P15 on the restart. So, I’m happy, it’s one point; it’s not a lot but it’s what we’ve got to settle for today.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
WATCH THIS STORY: Lando Norris Shows the Finger To His McLaren Machine In a Moment of Major Frustration
Lando Norris might be resigned to their fate this season, but that does not mean the fans have to be. All this means is that they will be better prepared than ever to bring back the fight next season.
