Lando Norris reportedly “punched” the wall of his garage following the conclusion of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, after McLaren endured a deeply challenging three days.
2023 certainly hasn’t started well for the Woking-based side, with the British outfit having completed the fewest laps in the Middle Eastern nation.
McLaren seemed to spend more time in the garage than on the circuit, with the side having endured multiple problems which kept the MCL60 off the track.
Given that McLaren had a woeful pre-season 12 months ago, it was seemingly deja vu for Norris, whose frustration could be seen from a mile away.
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F1 presenter Will Buxton seemingly saw Norris’ frustration first-hand, with him having reported after the final day of testing that the 23-year-old struck one of the “flimsy” walls in the garage.
Whilst Buxton explained that it wasn’t so much of a knockout punch, he went on to discuss that it clearly showed a frustrated driver.
“I actually saw him leave the garage and walk to the little driver’s room on the side and, very unlike Lando, he sort of punched the flimsy, makeshift wall as he walked through,” Buxton revealed after the final day of testing.
“It wasn’t going to knock the wall down but it was that little bit of frustration. You can tell it’s not quite right.”
Based on their pre-season performance, the likelihood is that McLaren will be outside the points at the season opener next weekend, with the MCL60 certainly not looking like a car that can push Alpine or Aston Martin.
With that in mind, Sky F1 commentator David Croft believes Norris might begin to show some interest in the bigger teams, with the Brit needing a car that’ll allow him to progress towards the front.
“I think he might be,” Croft said, after being asked by Sky reporter Craig Slater if Norris will be pushing for a move to a leading team.
“McLaren were playing down expectations before we came to Bahrain, the story is that McLaren might have slipped back even further, and that’s a worry for Lando.”
Despite his disappointment with how pre-season unfolded, Norris admitted during testing that he won’t be departing the team anytime soon, given that he “wants to be” part of the McLaren family.
“I’m still here for a few more years. It’s because I want to be,” he told Sky F1 at the end of the second day of testing.
“It wasn’t because I knew we were going to be winning championships or anything.
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“I knew that it’s a journey and we have to develop and improve on what we have to get to that point.
“We weighed up every possibility and there’s always a possibility that it takes longer than my contract. But I don’t think that’s a talking point for me at the minute.
“I’m not the most patient guy but at the same time I’m happy with the work and the plans that the team are doing.”