Norris reveals key driving area addressed over winter break

Lando Norris has pinpointed that he has targeted making improvements to his qualifying form during the winter break.

In the latter stages of the last year’s campaign, Norris aimed criticism at his one-lap performance at several rounds.

The 24-year-old felt that he had let a number of pole position opportunities slip through his hands.

However, the Briton later revealed that the fault-finding led to an improvement in form on the track.

Norris enjoyed a positive year in 2023 as he scored seven podiums for McLaren, who recovered towards the front of the field after a disastrous start to the campaign.

No answers until track action begins

With the team aiming to start the new season in a much more competitive position compared to 12 months ago, Norris is hopeful that his qualifying performances will be up to scratch.

“There have been various things already both in terms of how I drive and how I work in extracting the performance during laps and understanding these traits and these things,” Norris told media including RacingNews365 when asked what has he improved over the break.

“[I’ve] also been putting them to the test on the simulator and trying to improve them.

“Sometimes it's hard to improve various things until you're actually in the car and performing.

“But to the extent of what I can, even if it's mental things at the same time, trying to work on any area that I can to improve it I would say I've done.

“It’s always a different experience when you get back in the car and you're in that moment again [when] you can really try things during that pressure and during those moments.

“So I've done what I can with various things with my team that I have around me. But it's hard to know until you're the first qualifying on the season how well those things might work, whether they have or not, and what further things might need to be done to improve in those areas.”