Lando Norris says he adopted a more self-centred approach at the post-race Abu Dhabi test, having previously been assisting McLaren’s now-departed race drivers.
Norris participated in a series of tests for McLaren across 2017 and 2018, as well as seven FP1 runs through the latter stages of this year, five of which came after confirmation that he would replace Stoffel Vandoorne for 2019.
Norris returned to the cockpit of McLaren’s MCL33 for Tuesday’s opening day of post-season testing at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Norris reckons that the greater focus on 2019 meant that he was taking a more proactive role.
“It did feel a bit different,” Norris said on his outing on Tuesday, compared to previous runs.
“It definitely felt a bit different, knowing… I think it was not more pressure, but you just had to think more, or know, now that I knew, realising basically that a lot of this stuff is for a lot more of my own good.
“[There were] things that will really benefit me a lot more for next year.
“Although doing all the FP1s and everything is the same thing, everything is going to be helping, this is a lot more, for me, working with the team, the engineers, trying to get everything based more around me rather than Fernando [Alonso] and Stoffel [Vandoorne].
“So it definitely did feel a bit different. More focus on really trying to make the best for me, and not so much about the others.”
Norris completed 136 laps of the Yas Marina Circuit, which in mileage terms meant it was comfortably McLaren’s most productive test day in the hybrid era.
“I remember when I tested here last year, I was suffering a bit more and I did a lot less laps,” he said.
“I don’t even think I did 100. So yeah, I think it was my most laps, I don’t know about McLaren’s, but my most laps I did in a day. So it’s good.
“I got through a lot of the things I needed to, the longer runs, which I haven’t done too much of. Surprisingly I’m not too bad [in terms of fitness].”
