During the Dutch GP, the Formula 1 team McLaren expressed its concern about the performance of the vehicle, especially at low speeds. Driver Lando Norris acknowledged that, due to their limitations in this area, his car is ‘not good enough’ to compete at the highest level.
This weekend, McLaren arrived at the Zandvoort circuit with new updates focused on the rear of the car. Initial data suggested that the improvements, which included a new rear wing, were working, and the team was competitive during qualifying for the sprint race. However, during the race, Norris was quickly overtaken by Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who had opted for soft tires.
Despite expectations, McLaren’s tire management proved to be poor, with notable wear and a loss of performance. Andrea Stella, the team director, admitted that the quality of the car is inferior in long races, which is an aspect that needs to be addressed ahead of upcoming competitions.
Norris commented on the frustration with the performance of his MCL40 in low-speed corners, stating that ‘it does not have the necessary speed’ to compete with the other drivers. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri, the other McLaren driver, also expressed surprise at the lack of competitiveness, especially in the second half of the race.
The team now faces the challenge of optimizing their car ahead of Saturday’s qualifying, hoping to improve their performance in the upcoming races.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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