Lando Norris is hopeful that McLaren will be able to extract more noticeable improvements from the substantial upgrade package it brought to Azerbaijan in this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.
Although McLaren only took a solitary point away from Baku, the updates appeared to improve the Woking outfit’s relative pace compared to the competition.
Both McLaren drivers landed starting spots inside the top 10 for the first time in 2023, with Norris frustrated to only wound up seventh overall in Friday’s qualifying hour.
While Norris concedes McLaren wasn’t anticipating a big step forward, the Brit is optimistic the characteristics of the Baku City Circuit didn’t enable it to unlock the full potential of its revised package.
“[It] doesn’t feel any different inside the car but it is a step forward,” he admitted after the race in Azerbaijan. “I’m just being honest with it.
“Everyone will probably say ‘yeah it felt mega’ but you don’t feel it. It’s such a small amount in every corner, the oversteer is a little bit less.
“It’s a step forward in terms of like efficiency, also a little bit. We weren’t expecting a big step, and like we said Baku was not the track where we will show its potential.
“Miami we will maybe understand a bit more, and some of the high-speed corners, because that was more where it was aimed at.”
However, Norris is fearful that McLaren’s straight-line speed deficit will be a big limiting factor once again around the Miami International Autodrome.
McLaren came into the season outlining it had fallen short on its development targets over the winter, citing its MCL60 car possessed too much drag.
“It’s tough. Like straight-line speed, we know where we are, but it’s still pretty shocking,” he later told Sky Sports F1.
“Probably Miami will be something similar. But it’s a new track, some of the updates we can look into and understand that maybe trying to improve a little bit.”
Even with the addition of new parts, Norris states McLaren’s 2023 challenger is still lacking the necessary cornering performance to make up for the time lost on the straights.
“It’s not like we have a lot more downforce in the corners to catch up and then [we’re] slow on the straight; we’re just the same in the corners and [then] slow on the straights,” he professed.
Oscar Piastri, who battled a bout of food poisoning to come home a credible 11th in Azerbaijan, was also enthused by the potential of McLaren’s upgraded car.
Asked if he thinks the papaya-liveried team have made a step forward, the Australian responded: “Yeah, I think we definitely have. This is kind of the step we expected; hopefully it translates to some of the other tracks we go to as well now.
“But I think to really challenge the top four teams we need another couple of steps like this. Encouraging that the first step has worked, I know the team are pushing as hard as possible, so exciting for what the future holds.”
