McLaren blames ‘tricky conditions’ for Lando Norris losing pole position at Mexican GP
Andrea Stella attributes to tricky conditions of Mexican GP circuit for Lando Norris' P3 in Qualifying on Saturday.
Follow Us
Andrea Stella and Lando Norris (via IMAGO)
After a challenging weekend in the United States, Lando Norris came back fighting at the Mexican GP. He showed strong form in qualifying, dominating Q1 and Q2 with impressive speed.
However, in Q3, Norris couldn’t keep up with the pace set by Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen, finishing in P3. McLaren’s team principal Andrea Stella pinpointed his third-place result to the track conditions during the final session.
Lando Norris demonstrated decent speed which left McLaren thinking that they would easily start on pole. However, Andrea Stella explained that tricky conditions of the circuit in Mexico limited his chances of securing pole position.
The 13° temperature in Mexico City significantly impacted Norris’ race. The thin air reduced engine power and made cooling less effective, while the lower temperatures made tires less grippy. This changing track temperature and grip levels made it challenging to predict the ideal tire setup.
We had a competitive car heading into the Qualifying session, but conditions were tricky. It was difficult to put together clean laps.
Andrea Stella said
Andrea Stella: We had a competitive car heading into the Qualifying session, but conditions were tricky. It was difficult to put together clean laps.
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) October 27, 2024
Stella praised the Briton emphasizing that despite the tricky conditions he still managed to secure the podium. Even Lando Norris expressed in the post-qualifying interview that he was pretty happy with his performance in Qualifying.
The Italian acknowledged that it was important for the 24-year-old to put together a strong lap in Q3 to challenge for a higher position. Despite this, starting from third would still give a good chance for a strong race result for the Woking.
With Lando, P3 is a pretty good grid position. Up until Q3, his performance was very strong, finishing P1 in both Q1 and Q2. His first attempt in Q3 wasn’t quite there and it was important that he put together a strong effort.
Andrea Stella stated
Stella: With Lando, P3 is a pretty good grid position. Up until Q3, his performance was very strong, finishing P1 in both Q1 and Q2. His first attempt in Q3 wasn’t quite there and it was important that he put together a strong….
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) October 27, 2024
Andrea Stella believes Oscar Piastri can ‘make up places’ in Mexico GP
Oscar Piastri faced a tough qualifying session in Mexico City. His first lap was deleted for exceeding track limits while on soft tires. On his second attempt, he struggled with the medium tires, lacking grip. As other drivers improved, Piastri fell to P17 in Q1, leaving him with a challenging starting position.
Andrea Stella compared the Australian’s situation to Lando Norris, who started from the back last year and finished fifth. With the speed of the MCL38, Stella believes the 23-year-old can recover well and fight for a top-five finish.
Oscar starts P17 and, being optimistic, that’s where Lando started last year before finishing P5. The pace is strong, he can make up places. The mission tomorrow is clear: to move forward with both cars
Andrea Stella emphasized
Both McLaren finishing on the podium would earn significant points keeping them ahead of Ferrari and Red Bull in the Constructors championship.
McLaren currently holds a 40-point lead over Milton Keynes and needs to maintain or widen this gap to keep their title hopes alive. The Woking-based team is determined to finish on top, aiming to bring the Constructors’ Championship back to the team after 26 long years. They’re focused on doing everything they can to secure this coveted victory.
Stay Updated!
Gaurang Kadam
(535 Articles Published)