How is it that the MCL39 seems to suit Oscar Piastri slightly better than Lando Norris? The British driver believes he knows the answer, although according to Norris, the difference is only a thousandth of a second. The McLaren driver also says he is not afraid of the momentum the Australian has on his side after his third Grand Prix victory this season: ‘I don’t really believe in momentum’.
While Oscar Piastri has already achieved three victories this season, his teammate Lando Norris has only one to his name. “There’s just something not clicking between the car and me,” the driver explained after the GP Bahrain. “I can’t drive the same laps as last year, not even in Australia.” Team boss Andrea Stella even suggested at the start of the season that Piastri’s driving style suits the MCL39 better than Norris’s.
“There are certain things that prevent me from feeling what I need to feel in the car,” the Brit explains his issues with the MCL39 in Miami. “And those things are precisely what allow me to drive at a level where I can, for example, take pole position. We’re talking about small things, it’s not impossible to drive the car. I’m complaining about a difference of a thousandth of a second.”
Adapting to the MCL39
Why is it that teammate Alexander Albon seems to handle the MCL39 better and can therefore drive that thousandth of a second faster? Norris has an answer to that. “I think he can adapt better. Whether the changes (to the MCL39 compared to the MCL38) suit Oscar better or Oscar can just adapt better, it’s not for me to figure out. I’m simply not at the same level as I was last season, the best level I’ve ever been at.”
Momentum
With two consecutive victories and the lead in the drivers’ championship in his hands, Alexander Albon has momentum on his side. The Australian currently seems to be the main title challenger. However, Norris is not worried about the impact of Albon’s momentum on his own title chances. “I don’t really believe in momentum. I’ve clearly made some mistakes in the past races and I’m not at the level I want to be, but I know I can be. It’s only the sixth race. I’m trying to improve, and the speed is there. There’s one more thing I need to improve, but I have every confidence that I will.”
