After two poles and two consecutive victories, Lando Norris expects to struggle at Monza. McLaren still faces a significant deficit before qualifying.
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The spectacular momentum of Lando Norris could come to a halt at Monza. Winner and pole sitter at the last two Grands Prix in Hungary and the Netherlands, the Briton appeared particularly pessimistic after the first day of practice at the Italian Grand Prix.
McLaren knew that the Temple of Speed was likely to suit its MCL40 less than previous circuits. The long straights reward low aerodynamic drag and excellent top speed, two areas identified as weaknesses of the British car.
Friday’s practice only reinforced these concerns.
“We are still far off”
Norris finished only sixth in FP1, more than seven tenths behind Charles Leclerc. The situation improved during the second session, with a fourth place behind George Russell, Leclerc, and Kimi Antonelli, but the world champion’s feelings were far from as positive as the standings might suggest.
When asked about a day that seemed rather decent from the outside, Norris immediately rejected that analysis.
“Not really,” he replied sharply. “We have much more difficulty in terms of pace.”
Even more surprisingly, the behavior of the MCL40 does not fully correspond to the forecasts made by McLaren before the weekend.
“In the corners where we thought we were good, we are bad. And in those where we thought we were bad, we are actually not that bad,” Norris explained. “But we are still behind, so we are not in a very good situation at the moment.”
The work done overnight from Friday to Saturday will therefore be crucial.
“We will see what we can do overnight, but it will certainly be more difficult than in the last races.”
McLaren estimates losing another three tenths
The engineers’ data confirm Norris’s impressions. Neil Houldey, technical director in charge of applied engineering at McLaren, estimates that the MCL40 is about three tenths behind the performance level expected by the team.
The overall balance between slow and fast sections is not considered particularly bad. McLaren mainly believes it can improve by optimizing the energy management of its power unit.
“We are reasonably satisfied with the car’s balance between fast and slow sections, even if we are about three tenths behind the level we would like to be at,” Houldey explained.
One of the main tasks will concern the recovery and deployment of electrical energy. The new power units make this aspect particularly important at Monza, where drivers spend a large part of the lap at full throttle.
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According to Houldey, there is still “a possibility to gain lap time through better recovery and better deployment” of energy.
McLaren “hopes” for pole more than it expects it
After the performances shown on Friday, McLaren does not present itself as the favorite for qualifying. Houldey admits that the team is more hopeful than certain about its chances of fighting for pole position.
Ferrari seems to have made a step forward with its latest upgrades, while Mercedes has also shown itself to be particularly fast. Leclerc dominated FP1 before Russell took over at the top of the timesheet in FP2.
This hierarchy contrasts with that observed at the last two events. At the Hungaroring and Zandvoort, the more technical characteristics and high downforce levels perfectly suited McLaren.
Monza demands exactly the opposite. Low drag and top speed take on considerable importance, which further exposes the limits of the MCL40.
Norris does not see himself fighting for pole
The Briton also believes that the hierarchy is extremely tight behind the leaders. McLaren will therefore not only have to watch Ferrari and Mercedes: a small mistake could allow several other teams to join the battle.
“It’s very tight between many drivers up front,” Norris emphasized. “Those behind are not far either, so they can easily surprise us.”
Under these conditions, Norris considerably prefers to lower his ambitions before qualifying.
“I absolutely do not think we are in the fight for pole,” the McLaren driver stated. “We just have to focus on getting a decent result.”
This assessment strongly contrasts with the last two weekends of the world champion. After two consecutive poles converted into two victories, Norris seemed to have found a momentum capable of gradually bringing him back into the championship fight.
At Monza, this streak is now seriously threatened. McLaren still has one night to find the few tenths it lacks, but Norris does not hide his doubts: in the current state of things, Ferrari and Mercedes seem to have taken a step ahead.