Following a strong showing at Silverstone, where Lando Norris secured a second-place finish in the British Grand Prix, the McLaren Formula 1 team finds itself in high spirits.
However, Norris is quick to quash any signs of overconfidence, emphasising that the team remains grounded despite what he calls their most significant upgrade in five years.
Norris’ impressive qualifying performance earned him a second-place start, and he briefly led the race before ultimately finishing behind Max Verstappen.
His teammate, Oscar Piastri, started in third but slipped to fourth after losing ground to Lewis Hamilton under the safety car.
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While the Silverstone result showcased McLaren’s progress since the introduction of their latest upgrade package in Austria, Norris is adamant about maintaining a realistic perspective.
“I don’t think anyone has a spring in their step at all,” Norris stated when asked about the team’s demeanour after the race.
“We also know it’s not going to happen that often at all. So we enjoyed the moment for sure.
“But we know we’re not competing for wins or even podiums.
“We were close to that very often.
“It’s a lot of things went right for this [result] to happen.
“Even though we should have had a P2 and a P3.”
Despite acknowledging the positive strides made by the team, Norris is careful not to let complacency seep in.
He expresses hope in McLaren’s improved understanding, personnel, and areas of focus.
The recent upgrade package represents the most significant progress the team has achieved in the past five years, and Norris is excited about the potential it brings.
“The upgrade we brought to Austria is the biggest upgrade as a team McLaren has brought in the last five years,” Norris confirmed.
“In terms of having a car, trying to find improvements with it over the year, it’s the biggest improvement we’ve ever had in my experience of being with McLaren.
“That’s a fact.”
However, Norris acknowledges that despite the advancements, the car’s handling remains challenging, much like it has been throughout the season.
He highlights the importance of making further improvements in slow-speed handling and drivability.
“For me at the minute – even with this upgrade we’ve had, the performance – driving the car, the handling has not gotten any better,” Norris admitted.
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“It still is just as difficult to drive, as difficult to execute qualifying laps with, in essence slightly easier because for a given mistake, we’re actually still higher up there, especially over the last few weekends.”
While McLaren’s recent upgrades have elevated their performance, Norris believes that true progress lies in improving the car’s overall drivability, rather than solely focusing on increasing speed.
“For me, a bigger step would be improving how we drive the car, how easy it is to drive the car, rather than just adding 10 more points of load in slow speed because that’s only going to get us so far up the order.”