Formula 1

Norris insists McLaren won’t abandon 2022

After a purple patch in Imola and Australia, McLaren has struggled to solidify its 4th place position in the standings, with Alpine and Alfa Romeo remaining significant threats in the constructors’ battle.

Alpine’s pace has become increasingly reliable, and Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu is now reinforcing the consistent efforts of Valtteri Bottas, increasing the pressure on the Woking-based team.

Lando Norris spoke candidly about McLaren’s prospects for the remainder of 2022 and to what degree they will balance the short-term priorities with their ambitions for next season:

“It’s tough [the lack of upgrades], I mean, it’s already tough now, but there are still things we can optimise and change around and play with on the car.

So it’s not like we’ve given up in any way… There are still things we’re going to be able to bring. It’s just nothing that’s going to change the whole car, you know.”

The Briton insists the team has not made the switch to 2023 but that they are compromised in their development for this season:

“We’re not giving up in any way this season. We want to still remain in 4th in the constructors. We, therefore, still need to keep working on this year a huge amount. 

Alpine has looked extremely strong lately. They’ve got a lot of new things for this weekend and for next weekend – from what Fernando said – so I’m sure it’s going to be tough.”

As the season continues, McLaren must work hard to ensure they optimise their performances and results amidst the expected improvements from rival teams. Their buffer from Alpine in the standings is slim, so the papaya squad cannot afford to drop points at Silverstone this weekend.

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