Lando Norris enters the Miami Grand Prix weekend with a significantly enhanced McLaren package but rues a missed opportunity during qualifying. Expressing his belief in securing a higher grid position, Norris is slated to commence the race from fifth place, with his teammate Oscar Piastri one spot behind.
McLaren has implemented substantial upgrades for Norris in Miami as part of their endeavor to advance closer to the forefront of the grid. Despite the enhancements, Norris finds himself trailing the Red Bull and Ferrari pairings. He expressed his sentiment, stating, “I think we should be higher up.”
Reflecting on the qualifying session, Norris conveyed a sense of regret regarding certain decisions made by the team, lamenting, “We did what we thought was right but on track sometimes things just work out a bit differently.”
Acknowledging the inability to alter past choices, he added, “We made some of those changes, I wish I could go back on them right now before [Sunday] but we can’t.”
The British driver’s race weekend encountered adversity early on when he was eliminated from the sprint on the opening lap due to contact at Turn 1.
Furthermore, Norris incurred a €50,000 fine for crossing the track on foot after retiring. Despite these setbacks, his fifth-place finish in qualifying represents a commendable recovery. Assessing the team’s performance, Norris noted improvement in tire management compared to Friday’s sessions.
However, he still harbors reservations about certain adjustments made before the qualifying session, indicating, “I think we did better than [Friday], but there were aspects we could have handled differently.”
“We showed a bit more with the car, made some changes, and potentially just not in the right direction. “I was a lot more confident yesterday than I was today. So just some things to review. It’s close.
“I was more confident [on Friday] and I just lost more confidence for some reason. I think that showed on the lap time.”
