McLaren gives drivers suspension choice after successful test. Norris showed strong pace, though errors in Q3 cost a better result.
McLaren F1 faced a tough weekend with an MCL39 that was slow to find its rhythm. Oscar Piastri qualified third, while Lando Norris will start seventh. Team Principal Andrea Stella explained the work carried out with the upgraded front suspension and how the drivers are free to use it as they see fit.
“We therefore fitted the new front suspension on Lando’s car,” said Stella. “The suspension itself was available to both drivers, but we chose to trial it on Lando’s side.”
“The suspension change is intended to transmit a bit more feel through the suspension and steering to our drivers. In that regard, I think it’s such a minor change that it’s difficult for drivers to isolate its effect, unless a direct comparison is made—which is always very difficult to do during a race weekend.”
However, the Italian confirms the new suspension is a positive development, and that Norris gave encouraging feedback despite a challenging weekend in terms of progression: “But from Lando’s point of view, there were no downsides.”
“Despite the Q3 result for Lando, and despite the difficulties we encountered with the car almost immediately, I think Lando was competitive—especially compared to Oscar throughout the weekend—and he just lost a bit in Q3.”
“We therefore believe the front suspension trial was successful and that it’s a matter of preference, a setup option that can vary from driver to driver depending on their driving needs.”
As for Norris’ seventh-place result, Stella does not believe it was due to an issue with the car: “As I’ve already said, despite the car’s difficulties, Lando was very competitive all weekend, and it’s quite impressive that he made it into Q3 using new tyres in Q2.”
“We were quite optimistic for Q3. I think in this case, it was simply one of those instances where Lando tried too hard. I think he felt the pace was there, but on this track, if you overdo it, you risk paying the price—and that’s what happened.”
“I therefore think the pace was there, even on the final attempt when he hit the wall. Up to that point, the lap was shaping up quite well, and he was definitely on course for pole position. The speed is there; we just have to accept that you can’t always be at 100%, especially when a small mistake can be so costly.”
Stella went further, suggesting Norris had the potential to fight for pole with the car as it was in qualifying: “I think I can confirm that despite the Q3 result, Lando has made progress in feeling comfortable at the wheel.”
“Earlier in the season, he made comments about lacking references, particularly in terms of steering and understanding front-end grip. That situation has improved thanks to changes made to the car, especially the front suspension, as Lando seemed relatively confident right from the start.”
“I think the Q3 case is truly an example of trying too hard. The speed is there. If we gave him another set of tyres and told him not to push too much, I’m sure he would be there and fighting for pole position.”
“There’s therefore no reason to be overly concerned. The competition is extremely tight, but at the same time, that doesn’t mean we can always push to the limit. In the case of the final set, that must have been the only invalid lap, because the first Q3 set, for similar reasons, didn’t produce the laps we were hoping for.”
