Forced to start only 13th on the grid for the Belgian Grand Prix, Lando Norris remains convinced that the potential of his McLaren will allow him to quickly return to the front group.
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Lando Norris had delivered one of his best qualifying performances this season by securing third place at Spa-Francorchamps, his best result since the Canadian Grand Prix held in May.
But the McLaren driver will not be able to benefit from this position. Due to an engine component change beyond the allowed quota, the Briton receives a ten-place penalty and will finally start from 13th position on the starting grid.
This is his furthest back starting position since the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Norris remains calm before the race
Despite this setback, the reigning world champion does not intend to change his approach to the race. For him, the goal remains the same: attack from the start and make the most of the competitiveness of his McLaren.
“Honestly, it doesn’t change much. We always try to do our best at every race and prepare the best possible scenarios.”
Norris believes that the pace shown by McLaren since the start of the weekend is a real source of optimism.
“Our pace is very good. The gaps are tight, so it won’t be easy to immediately get back to the front group, but a good start and a successful first lap can quickly put me back in the right position.”
Spa will not make overtaking easy
Even though Spa-Francorchamps is known for its long straights and many overtaking opportunities, Norris does not expect an easy comeback.
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“What happens next will mainly depend on how easy it will be to overtake. I don’t think it will be particularly simple, even though there are several opportunities.”
The McLaren driver nevertheless believes that the speed of his car should allow him to quickly get past the mid-pack cars.
Several strategies considered
Aware that the comeback could be more complicated than expected, Norris explains that McLaren is already preparing different scenarios depending on how the race unfolds.
“We will probably consider several strategies. If overtaking is difficult and we can’t quickly get back into the top 6, 7, or 8, we will have to find other solutions to get back into the fight.”
Despite this uncertainty, the Briton remains fully confident before the start.
“Other than that, I am convinced that we will be able to come back quite quickly.”
With a McLaren that has shown encouraging pace throughout the Belgian weekend, Norris hopes to turn this confidence into a spectacular comeback to limit the damage in the championship.
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