Lando Norris has a week waking up in his apartment ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, a luxury that will be very welcome after he raced with tonsillitis in Spain.
Norris fell during the weekend in Barcelona, and completed the 66 laps unable to speak to his engineer Will Joseph, and needed to communicate by pressing buttons on the wheel instead.
The Briton enters the race in the Principality this weekend having just missed out on the points in 2019, before scoring a sensational podium last year with McLaren.
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The 22-year-old concedes that the pace of the 2022 car under the new technical regulations will likely not be sufficient to replicate last year’s heroics, but he is excited to get going and get the best possible result.
“I always look forward to the Monaco weekend. It will be nice to be racing so close to home, particularly as I can wake up in my own bed!” he said in McLaren’s preview of the race.
“Last year it was a fantastic race for me and whilst we’re not back at that level just yet, I’m hoping we can pick up some good points here.
“Qualifying on Saturday is going to be key but it will be interesting to see how the race plays out on Sunday with these new cars.”
Norris revealed that he is taking a few days to recuperate from the difficult race on Sunday before getting back to work in Monaco.
“I’m taking these few days to rest up and to focus on getting better before diving into Monaco,” he explained.
“Spain was incredibly tough, but I was very pleased to get some points for the team. Let’s keep moving forward and ensure we’re ready for the busy weekend ahead!”
The six-time podium finisher divulged after the race in Spain that he had to compromise his weekend schedule in order to maintain his fitness for the race, but given the circumstances, is proud of his efforts.
“Today was tough, I was feeling really unwell before the race as I’m suffering with tonsillitis, and that, in combination with the high temperatures, made this one of the hardest races I’ve ever done,” said Norris.
“I’ve been a bit on the backfoot this weekend as most of my energy has been spent fighting off this illness.
“I’ve had to miss a lot of engineering sessions, which has compromised my weekend, and I definitely wasn’t as prepared for the Grand Prix as I could have been.
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“With that in mind, I’m really pleased to have come out of the race with decent points for the team.”
Team principal Andreas Seidl confirmed that he expects his driver to be okay for the race this weekend around the iconic streets of Monte Carlo.
“The objective is clear now for the next phase. We need to make sure he gets some good rest now in the next four days before we then go again in Monaco,” he explained.
“I think with the medical support we have as well and with having the possibility now to rest for four days, I’m hopeful that Lando will be fit.”
Norris’ result in Barcelona last time out was his fourth points finish of the season, while team-mate Daniel Ricciardo could only manage P12 in what continues to be another tough season for the Australian in McLaren colours.