Lando Norris has said that this weekend’s Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix could have a “surprise winner”, partly due to the unique two-stop rule implemented for the race.
The McLaren driver heads into this weekend’s eighth round of the championship still firmly in a positive position in the championship – 13 points behind leader and team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Whilst the Brit has endured an existential crisis with confidence and a lack of affinity with the MCL39, Norris received a confidence boost last time out at Imola, overtaking Piastri late on for second place, to eat into the deficit the Australian has created.
Many of the big runners leading-up to this weekend have so far been keeping all their cards close to their chest as to who they feel will be the standout favourites at the notorious principality.
With the FIA introducing the rule of a mandatory minimum of two pit stops in the race, Norris feels that could contribute to an unlikely man standing on the top step of the podium.
“Honestly, I’ve not thought about it too much,” he told media, including Motorsport Week. “We just had our first introduction to it already. Obviously, at the minute, the team are a bit more knowledgeable of all of the things that are needed, more than myself at the minute.
“This is something I don’t need to be overthinking. It’ll be a complicated race, for sure. It’s not as simple as just boxing twice. Yeah, I mean, it’s an opportunity. I think that’s the biggest thing, that there is opportunity for everyone. I think there can be more luck involved for anyone, so it’s easier to have probably a surprise winner this weekend, which is good and bad.
“If you’re up the front, then that’s not something you want, but if you’re a bit further back, then it’s a perfect opportunity for you. So, yeah, opportunity is probably the best way to put it.”
Norris: Piastri’s race permutations ‘a needless worry’
Norris was of a different opinion when it came to team-mate Piastri’s assessment that the myriad of permutations the race could bring-up, such as Safety Cars the like, are creating a world of overthinking.
Norris believes that the situation is not worth worrying about, and the concerns are mitigated, provided you get a good grid position for the race.
“Well, you have to wait and see where you qualify first,” he said. “He can think what he wants, but he has to rethink it all depending on where he starts.
“For me, it’s just a needless worry. Of course, we just went through things and we know what we would want to try and plan for in a perfect race, but you don’t know if the gaps are going to open up, if they’re going to close, is it going to be a tight race, are people going to tyre save, are they not?
“So it’s just something I don’t need to think about. He does his thing and I do my thing.”
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