Lando Norris tempers expectations for the Grand Prix of Las Vegas. Despite the strong form of both McLaren and the Brit himself in recent races, he expects the team will face a tough challenge on the street circuit around the famous Strip.
During last year’s Grand Prix of Las Vegas, the McLarens finished forty seconds behind race winner George Russell. Norris, therefore, does not have much confidence that things will go better this year. “Last year was probably our worst race,” Norris reflects. “So, honestly, I’m not really looking forward to it. We’ve worked hard to improve our weak points, but we know that Mercedes was extremely strong there last year – just like Red Bull and Ferrari. We were at the bottom of those four.”
Nevertheless, Norris remains moderately positive, especially with the remaining races of the season in mind. “We’ve improved a lot of things this year, so I don’t want to be too negative,” he says. “There’s plenty to look forward to. We know that Abu Dhabi and Qatar are circuits where we can perform better. Las Vegas less so, as it has been one of our weaker weekends for the past two years. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Las Vegas Continues to Pose a Challenge
Last weekend, Lando Norris secured his seventh victory of the season – and he did so convincingly. However, the British driver remains realistic about his chances in Las Vegas. “I always try to be honest,” he explains during the press conference after the GP of São Paulo. “If I don’t think we’ll be fast, I just say it. That doesn’t mean I think we’ll come in tenth, but it will be difficult to win. Just look at the data from last year: we were simply off the mark.” Norris points to the difference between his recent victories. “Last week I won with a thirty-second lead, which was quite straightforward. This time I had to push much harder and won by ten seconds, while Max Verstappen was probably the fastest man on the track.”
According to Norris, the problem is simple: McLaren has never quite got it right in Las Vegas. “Two years ago, we were very strong in Brazil, we could almost challenge Max for the victory. But in Vegas, it has never worked out. Why would I suddenly think that it will go well now? This is just my honest opinion,” says the Brit. “We’ve never been strong there, so I don’t have the greatest confidence heading into that weekend.”
