Lando Norris has revealed that he’s being forced to adjust his driving style this season to maximize performance with the McLaren.
The 25-year-old Briton currently leads the drivers’ championship by three points over teammate Oscar Piastri after finishing third in Bahrain, but he admits that achieving consistency has been a challenge.
Norris opened up about his frustrations after placing sixth in qualifying last week, describing the experience as feeling “clueless” and like he’d “never driven an F1 car before.”
Speaking ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he explained, “I’m having to adapt a lot in uncomfortable ways.” He attributed part of this struggle to changes in the car’s dynamics compared to last year, when he finished second in the title race to Max Verstappen.
“It is clear that there are things… things that have changed since last year, when I was feeling very comfortable. And that’s not allowing me to do as good of a job this year,” Norris said. “In order to perform better, I’m being forced to drive in a different way, in a manner I’m not used to. That is not normal for me at all.”
While Norris has maintained podium finishes at every race so far, including winning the season opener in Melbourne, his mood in Sakhir highlighted the difficulties he’s facing. In contrast, teammate Piastri has flourished, winning in China and Bahrain, and expressing satisfaction with the car’s performance.
“The pace of the car has been everything I could ask for,” said the 24-year-old Australian. “Very proud of the whole job we’ve done, firstly giving us a great car and helping me get the most out of it. I feel like I am in a good place, on and off the track.”
