McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris has revealed his attempts to address the qualifying errors he made last season have extended to analysing his mental approach.
Norris capitalised on McLaren’s astounding mid-season turnaround last term to produce his strongest F1 campaign to date, recording seven podiums to accumulate 205 points.
However, Norris was unable to end his protracted win drought as he rued a plethora of squandered chances that prevented him from toppling Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
The Briton believes he missed out on pole position in Qatar when he exceeded track limits, while he also lambasted his one-lap efforts in both the United States and Mexico.
Those series of mistakes culminated in Norris labelling his qualifying form “shit” after a slide dropped him from the front row of the grid in Abu Dhabi down to fifth place.
Norris opened up on the measures he has invested in to reverse those fortunes but admits it will remain unknown if his work has been beneficial until the season begins.
Asked what steps he was taking to improve upon those shortcomings, Norris told selected media after the launch of McLaren’s 2024 car: “It’s been various things already, both in terms of how I drive, how I work in extracting the performance during laps. Understanding these traits and these things and then 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 it. But to the extent of what I can, even if it’s mental things at the same time.
“Trying to work on any area than I can to improve it, which I would say I’ve done, but it’s always a different experience until you get back in the car and you’re in that moment again, until you can really try things during that pressure and during those moments.
“I’ve done what I can with various things with my team who I have around me, but I guess it’s hard to know until the first qualifying of the season, and how well those things might work, whether they have or not, and what further things might need to be done to improve on those areas.”
McLaren enters the third year under the latest ground effect regulations attempting to build on a positive season that saw it emerge as Red Bull’s most consistent threat.
The Woking-based squad opted to not hold its annual launch event, with areas of the floor appearing to be darkened with shadows on photo renders of its MCL38 challenger.
Questioned on whether McLaren’s more subdued introduction to the season was to disguise elements on its car before testing, Norris replied: “Because we can!
“Because it’s a game of performance and why would you ever want to give away anything?
“You can see what the car looks like, but you’ll see in two weeks or something the rest. So be patient.”
