Lando Norris gives a candid verdict on McLaren’s chances of securing a podium finish in the Hungarian GP

Lando Norris not letting the British GP podium get to his head as he gears up for the Hungarian GP.

Lando Norris gives a candid verdict on McLaren’s chances of securing a podium finish in the Hungarian GP

Lando Norris (Credits: ESPN)

In a surprising turn of events at Silverstone, McLaren’s Lando Norris managed to bag second position at the British GP. Seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton went so far as to call the upgraded MCL60 a ‘rocket ship’ after finishing in P3 just ahead of rookie Oscar Piastri. As fans expect the same performance from the papayas in the Hungarian GP, Norris has tried to manage their expectations.

Citing the upgrades in Austria as the biggest McLaren has brought in the last five years, Lando Norris said that their success in Silverstone was due to many factors going in their favor. While the triumph made them confident they were going in the right direction, the 23-year-old clarified that the team was not getting carried away with this result.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1enjZW4i8y0

“I don’t think anyone has a spring in their step at all. We also know it’s not going to happen that often at all. But we know we’re not competing for wins or even podiums. We were close to that very often. It’s a lot of things went right for this [result] to happen. Even though we should have had a P2 and a P3,” Norris told Autosport

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The upcoming Hungaroring track is comparatively much slower than the one at Silverstone. When asked about this change in pace, Norris admitted that the team is not good at low speeds. He said, “No matter what the outlook of it all is, we are not very good in the low-speed.”

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Lando Norris is not happy with the new MCL60’s handling

Lando Norris
Lando Norris (Credits: PlanetF1)

McLaren’s upgrades in Austria have been the hot topic in F1 circles for weeks. With redesigned sidepods and a completely new floor, the MCL60 took all the teams by storm in the British GP. But even after showing such improvement, McLaren driver Lando Norris is still unhappy with the car’s handling.

Norris says the car is still as difficult to drive as it has been all season. He says that for him, the bigger improvement would be in increasing the car’s drivability rather than increasing pace. If the British team can deliver such a challenge for him, they can expect consistent podium finishes from Oscar Piastri in the remainder of the 2023 season.

“For me at the minute – even with this upgrade we’ve had, driving the car, the handling has not gotten any better. It still is just as difficult to drive, as difficult to execute qualifying laps with. So for me, a bigger step would be improving how we drive the car, how easy it is to drive the car,” said Norris.

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