The race weekend in China is proving less smooth for Lando Norris than in Australia. The McLaren driver admits to feeling less comfortable in the MCL39 and is still seeking the right approach to deliver a flawless lap at the Shanghai International Circuit, even after qualifying.
Lando Norris qualified sixth for the sprint race, but showed a stronger performance in the main race qualifying by finishing third. The British driver takes responsibility and can only draw one conclusion about the difference. “I didn’t qualify well. I went straight on, so I did poorly,” Norris said during the press conference.
“It was a better performance than yesterday. But I still made too many mistakes. I don’t feel as comfortable as in Australia,” he reveals.
MCL39 Difficult to Control
He does have an explanation for this. “The layout differs from that in Australia. In China, there are more medium and high-speed corners, which makes the car difficult to control,” he explains.
“We can easily drive good sectors, but delivering a complete flawless lap is another story. It’s hard to figure out how to do it perfectly, but when it works, the car is incredibly fast. It’s all about the right rhythm and the right approach. If you demand too much from the tires, you pay the price immediately. Oscar Piastri did it perfectly, while I suffered the consequences,” Norris concludes.
