Norris admits his struggles at the wheel of a McLaren that doesn't suit him

The symbol is powerful and the opportunity is perfect. After the last few difficult weeks, Lando Norris has a golden opportunity to get back on track when he arrives in Miami. First of all, the reigning vice-world champion has had two weeks to recover after competing in three Grands Prix in three weeks: in Japan, Bahrain, and then Saudi Arabia.

In these three rounds, Norris lost his footing, failing to win a single race after his inaugural success in Melbourne. At Suzuka, he lost to the mastery of Verstappen in qualifying, but it was his own mistakes that cost him the victories in the Middle East, making mistakes in qualifying that a title contender cannot afford.

“I’ve been leading in Q1 and Q2 a lot, but every time I get to Q3, things don’t go as planned. So I think there are some driving elements, as well as some car elements, that just didn’t combine well. But I’m working on it, and hopefully I can put that into practice this weekend.” assures Lando Norris, arriving in Miami.

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McLaren prepares upgrades to help Norris

The number 4 returns to Florida, the land of his first victory in Formula 1, just a year ago. Thanks to his success, he managed to put an end to the unenviable statistic of the driver with the most podiums without a victory, which stuck to his skin. Since then, the Briton has added four more successes, but is struggling to confirm this at the start of the year because of a car that doesn't suit him. If McLaren looking for solutions to make him feel completely comfortable, the young man does not want to make excuses.

“There are also aspects I’m working on on my own, and I hope this will be a more effective solution than just waiting for the new parts to arrive,” Norris admits. “It’s positive that we’re working as a team and everyone is making an effort to understand these issues, because it’s clear that some aspects have changed compared to last year: the behavior of the car, how it works, and how I manage to extract lap time and perform.”

“I think there are simply elements that prevent me from feeling what I need, and it is precisely these sensations that allow me to drive at my best, to aim for pole position and to be competitive at the highest level. "It's all about details, of course: it's not as if the car suddenly became undriveable. But when you're talking about qualifying that's decided by a few hundredths or thousandths of a second, that's where the difficulty lies."

Norris takes responsibility for Piastri's brilliant performance

The difficulties encountered by Norris do not seem to affect his garage neighbor for the time being. Oscar piastri, triple winner in five races, including the last two in Bahrain and Jeddah. "Perhaps Oscar adapts more naturally to the situation. I also think it's a driver's duty to adapt to the car he's given. But there are always compromises, and the team is also there to help you get the best out of the vehicle." continues Norris. "It's clear that changes have taken place. For me, it's penalized me a little more, and I can't seem to get back to the level of performance I had at the end of last season - which I think was the best level I've had so far."

Despite his struggles and undeniable mental fragility, Lando Norris remains within striking distance of his teammate. The Briton sits second in the championship, just 10 points behind: a drop in the ocean compared to the ocean of points still to be won over the remaining 18 weekends. A strong result in Miami will be crucial for his confidence.

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