Norris as boss, Piastri out for revenge, McLaren wants to stay at the top in China

The Chinese event also presents drivers and teams with the challenge of sprint races for the first time. McLaren, a cut above the competition in Melbourne, could therefore benefit from the reduced testing time, which will potentially prevent its rivals from closing in. However, it will be important not to miss out on the Shanghai circuit, which has been completely resurfaced for the occasion. As much data as possible will have to be collected during the sixty minutes of FP1 on Friday. It is for these reasons that, although the Woking team is showing a confident face, it remains on its guard...

“The team built a fast car, which allowed us to start the season competitively.”, explained Andrea Stella, Team Principal of McLaren. “Both Lando and Oscar had excellent performances in Melbourne, but we need to keep our feet on the ground and keep learning, as we haven’t seen everything our rivals have to offer yet. We will give our best once again. We know the Sprint offers more opportunities to score points, but it also presents the challenge of trying to maximize our learnings on the new car with a reduced testing time.”

Highly motivated drivers

Championship leader for the first time in his career, Lando Norris is motivated by the challenge of the Chinese Grand Prix. This will be only the Briton's third visit to Shanghai, with the 2020 to 2023 editions having been canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Norris achieved pole position in the Sprint last year. “We’ve started the season really well, so now we need to keep our heads down and keep learning to deliver consistent results. We have a long season ahead of us and I’m excited to see what we can do. The support from the fans in China was amazing last year, so I can’t wait to race in front of them again, let’s go!”

Finally, the second Grand Prix in eight days could allow Oscar piastri to bounce back. Qualifying second on home soil, the Australian lost almost everything on a mistake when the rain returned during the race. Ninth in Melbourne, Piastri hopes to take advantage of this opportunity to return immediately to the action to score big points on a weekend that offers points to the top eight in the Sprint, in addition to the usual points for the top ten in the Grand Prix.

“I’m looking forward to getting back into racing this weekend. I had a very encouraging weekend in Melbourne and it was almost a special result. The speed was really promising and that gives me a lot of confidence for the future. It’s also a sprint weekend, so there are more opportunities to score points. I can’t wait to attack the weekend.”

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