Lando Norris reveals upgrade hope amid unwanted McLaren five-race streak

Lando Norris has revealed he is hoping McLaren's latest upgrade package can put the team back into podium contention this weekend, as the Woking-based squad continues its longest barren run of the season.

Norris and McLaren have gone five races without a podium finish, a drought stretching back to Azerbaijan, with the Briton's results in that run ranging from fourth to a retirement in Baku.

McLaren has introduced a revised front wing, a modified rear wing and new floor components for the São Paulo Grand Prix, aimed at recovering aerodynamic performance that has slipped behind rivals Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes in recent months.

The update also doubles as an early test for a front-wing concept destined for next year's car, according to the team. 

But Norris has cautioned that the small package carries risk as well as reward, warning it could make the already tricky MCL40 harder to drive on the limit.

Lando Norris eyeing podium 'as soon as possible'

Asked whether the new parts could push McLaren back into the fight for podiums, Norris told select media, including RacingNews365, that he was uncertain but encouraged by recent underlying pace.

"I hope so. I don't know. I certainly feel like the last few weekends, the pace has not been too bad on Sundays," he said.

"So I feel like if things had gone just a little bit better, talking small amounts, we certainly could have had better results. And I'm hoping that the upgrades and some of the things we have this weekend can maybe just shift us a little bit more in this direction.

"I certainly don't expect to go out and win races all of a sudden, but the last few weekends we've certainly not been miles away. We certainly have some weaknesses in the car, and just the drivability, the difficulty of driving it, is certainly one of the biggest factors at the minute, but the potential has been there.

"So, I hope if it just puts us a little bit further forward in qualifying, we just have a little bit better of a chance in the race. And, of course, I would like to be back on the podium as soon as possible."