For Norris, just one podium in 2022 was not enough

It's no secret, McLaren did not live up to its 2021 season. After a last successful campaign with the 4^e place among the Manufacturers with 120 points ahead of Alpine, the Woking firm experienced a setback in 2022. With a poorly born car, Lando Norris et Daniel Ricciardo had a hard time proving themselves. Despite his talent, the first did not leave his mark on the year while the second was only a shadow of himself.

Thus, McLaren had a complicated season alternating between good and bad. On arrival, the British structure was beaten by Alpine in the fight for the famous 4^e place. Worse still, the Oranges only had one podium thanks to Lando Norris at Imola where in 2021 they had achieved a double (Italy) or even signed a pole position (Russia). In short, far from the expectations at the start of the year.

« A podium always means something. It means something to me, it means something to the team, but one isn't enough, said Lando Norris when it came time to take stock. Getting one is like saying “We were lucky”. You want to feel like you deserve to be on the podium every time. We deserve to be there, that's for sure, but we weren't fast enough to get there. We were kind of over capacity (in Imola). »

Imola, scene of Lando Norris and McLaren's only podium in 2022. ©DPPI/F. Gooden

With the departure of Daniel Ricciardo and the arrival ofOscar piastri a new wind seems to be blowing in Woking. After a checkered year in 2022, McLaren is expected to turn the corner in 2023 where it will clearly have to raise its level of play.

ALSO READ > McLaren sets ambitious goals for Piastri: 'I expect him to challenge Norris'