Lando Norris urges McLaren to seize unexpected F1 opportunity

Lando Norris believes his McLaren team can use the unexpected April break to fast-track upgrades to transform its F1 car.

After two races of the now 22-race calendar, McLaren has actually just one start to its name, Norris in Australia, after he failed to start in China, and team-mate Oscar Piastri became the first-ever F1 driver to record a 'Did Not Start' in the first two calendar races of a season.

The MCL40 machine with which McLaren hoped to challenge for a third-straight constructors' crown has proved to be the third-best car thus far, behind the leading Mercedes and Ferrari cars, but also ahead of the Red Bull RB22. 

Trapped in an effective 'no man's land', champion Norris is hopeful that the enforced April break caused by the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix should create the time for the team to fast-track upgrades between the Japanese GP on March 29th and its return in Miami on May 3rd.

"We understand that the car is not to the level that it needs to be to fight for a podium or even a win at the time being, so we know that we have a lot of work ahead," Norris told the media, including RacingNews365.

"Disregarding the issues that we had, the team knows where we stand, and we're very realistic about everything, so they're working hard, as they have been the whole season, but especially now, they know what direction we need to work to get back to what we think we can achieve.

"Every year is different; there is never a guarantee, but I have a lot of hope and faith in the team that we can turn things around from where we are.

"It is still a long season, and after Japan, there is a good little break coming up, so that's probably a good thing for us to try and figure things out, and it gives us a bit more time to maybe develop some things to see if we can get it on the car earlier.

"So, as much as it is not the start of the year that we want, I have a lot of confidence in the team that we can improve things, and we can fight for podiums at some point this year, and that we can fight for wins maybe later in the season. I want to believe that.

"We would both be happier in the car if it were performing better and if we didn't have issues, but it is not dissimilar to the situation of being behind and having to catch up, like a few years ago. 

"That's life, and we are where we are, and we have to work together in getting back to the top."