Former F1 driver reveals real reason for Norris’ form – “He’s had a tough winter”

Lando Norris has managed to get his best start to an F1 season this year by scoring 101 points in just nine races. Not only has he already secured three podium places, but has also finished in the top five of every race so far, with the exception of the Spanish GP.

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And of course this is undeniably a drastic performance boost for the McLaren driver compared to last season. He appreciated a similar start to the 2020 season, but his performances waned with each weekend.

This year, however, nothing seems to be stopping Norris, and he’s now also starting to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull drivers.

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So where does he find the pace in this McLaren, especially since veteran Daniel Ricciardo is struggling terribly?

Formula 1 F1 – Austrian Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria – July 4th, 2021 McLaren’s Lando Norris at the REUTERS / Lisi Niesner race

Well, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer talked about how Norris found the performance boost out of nowhere this season.

“Norris looks like he’s had a tough winter, bowed his head and found a new level of performance. And to me it looks like he’s taking things more seriously now as a team leader, ”Palmer told F1.

“We see fewer jokes or songs from Lando on the radio and in return we see more results on the track. Maybe it’s a coincidence. But to me it looks like Lando is more clinical this season. “

Lando Norris has improved his game enormously: Ex-Renault F1 driver

Palmer said that Norris took Ricciardo very seriously, which is obviously reflected in his results this season. This consequently helps the British lead the team from the front and strive for fame.

“He seems to be getting more out of himself and has improved his game a lot. Possibly it is the arrival of Ricciardo that got Lando to dive into this new gear and take over his game and he is now becoming a top notch driver himself, ”said Palmer.

Formula 1 F1 – Monaco Grand Prix – Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco – May 23, 2021 McLaren’s Lando Norris celebrates third place pool over REUTERS / Sebastien Nogier

Norris’ most recent podium came at the Austrian Grand Prix, but not without challenging the always dominant Mercedes F1 team. In addition, during the race he managed to make Lewis Hamilton a breathtaking move at Turn 6 and almost caught up with the other Mercedes drivers as well.

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Unfortunately, Norris could not reduce the gap to Valtteri Bottas to less than a second and reached P3, which is still an impressive result for a midfield team like McLaren.

Overall, the Briton is now ready to start at Silverstone next weekend. Can he again deliver strong results with his top-class show in front of a home audience?

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View history: Shortest F1 driver of all time with Yuki Tsunoda & Lando Norris