The latest Formula 1 races have been a bumpy ride for Lando Norris, one of McLaren’s star drivers.
- Norris has struggled to maintain his pole positions, dropping places right after the race starts.
- In Belgium, he slipped from fourth to seventh at the very first turn.
- Norris also faced issues in Hungary and Spain, losing his lead positions early.
- McLaren has launched an investigation to determine if there’s a recurring problem or just bad luck.
Lando Norris has been facing tough luck at the start of his races, and it’s catching everyone’s attention at McLaren. The young driver, who often finds himself in a strong qualifying position, has been dropping places as soon as the race begins.
Most recently, Norris started in fourth place at the Belgian Grand Prix but found himself down to seventh right after the first turn. A slight misjudgment led him to run wide and hit the gravel, causing him to lose precious positions right off the bat.
This isn’t a one-off incident. Norris also faced difficulty in Hungary when he dropped from pole position to third at the start. Similarly, in Spain, he lost his lead within the first lap. These issues have led McLaren’s Andrea Stella to scrutinize whether there’s a deeper problem at play.
Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, mentioned that these situations are always very marginal. He believes that minor adjustments might be all that’s needed to prevent these problems in the future. “I think Lando got a little distracted from what was happening on the inside and ran out of track,” Stella explained.
Norris himself has acknowledged his rough starts. “I’ve given away a lot of points over the last three, four races, just because of stupid stuff and mistakes, bad starts,” he said. He gratefully welcomes the F1 summer break as a chance to reset and come back stronger.
There’s no shortage of effort from both Norris and his team. McLaren is committed to working closely with Norris to iron out these first-lap wrinkles. Stella emphasized the importance of collaboration and minor adjustments to improve their performance.
The investigation aims to see if these early-race issues are random or if there’s a detectable pattern. Stella mentioned, “We need to check whether this is for a reason, or it’s just random.” Norris, like any other athlete, aims to capitalize on his team’s hard work and build on the positive strides they have made.
With Norris’ potential painfully evident and the team’s dedication unwavering, all eyes will be on how McLaren addresses these first-lap hiccups. The summer break should provide some respite and perhaps, the much-needed clarity.
Only time will tell if these early-race hiccups for Norris are just a phase or a more profound issue, but McLaren is on the case.
Source: Planetf1
