Lando Norris is cautiously optimistic that McLaren's comprehensive upgrade package for the Hungarian Grand Prix can help transform his and his team's fortunes in F1 this season.
The reigning drivers' champion has struggled to get his title defence up and running this campaign. Sitting fifth in the standings, he has only managed two podium finishes from the opening 10 rounds of the year.
But with a suite of updates being bolted to the MCL40 just before the summer break, the Briton wants to be confident it will remedy some of the issues the Woking-based squad has been plagued by.
Sitting fifth in the standings, Norris has only managed two podium finishes from the opening 10 rounds of the year.
McLaren will implement a revised floor as the centrepiece of the developments, with further aerodynamic enhancements to supplement; including testing its experimental rear wing during practice.
When asked about the team's overall package for the weekend in Budapest and what his expectations are, Norris moved to play down any immediate impact.
"We probably still have the best complete power unit package," he told media, including RacingNews365. "So, we were hopeful for a good weekend there in Spa-Francorchamps. We're still hopeful that it can be a good weekend here; honestly, [it is] just wait and see on the upgrade.
"I think we want to be optimistic about it. We want to be confident and hope that it fixes some of our issues that we're currently struggling with and are being limited by."
However, Norris has been burned before and is being careful not to ramp up anticipation only to be let down again.
"There have been a few upgrades this year that have maybe not worked exactly as we would have hoped, so I think we're just being a little bit more — I certainly am — being a little bit more cautious on, waiting to see if it works exactly as we expect," the 11-time grand prix winner conceded.
But if the upgrades can shave lap time off the MCL40, the 26-year-old believes the Hungaroring is a circuit at which the new package can excel.
"If it does, then I think it certainly should give us a good boost and add a good amount of performance to the car, and it's a track that we've typically performed well at in the past.
"So I'm hoping, as a combination, that it's a good track for us with this car that we have a good weekend. So I look forward to it."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Samuel Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on the Belgian GP and look ahead to this weekend's race in Hungary. George Russell's major setback is a key discussion, as is Toto Wolff stating Mercedes has the best power unit.
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