McLaren doing its part to help Norris manage back issues

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella says his outfit is doing as much as it can to help alleviate the back issues suffered by Lando Norris since last year, describing the process as "a work in progress".

The introduction of F1's ground-effect cars has led to a stiff ride for drivers, and while last year's porpoising issues have been largely mitigated, Grand Prix racing's machines remain very stiffly sprung as they need to be run as close as possible to the ground to enhance the efficiency of their aerodynamics.

Although most drivers have adapted to the uncomfortable effects, Norris has endured an ordeal since last season that has required the young Briton to entrust his physical preparation to a physiotherapist for the first time and to make significant changes to his lifestyle, the 23-year-old drastically reducing for instance his golf regimen.

But McLaren is doing its part to help its driver, the Woking-based outfit frequently adjusting Norris' seats and his positioning to improve his comfort and help ease his back pain.

• Read also: Norris reveals back pain struggles due to stiffer F1 cars

"We’re following this better, very closely with Lando," Stella told Speedcafe.

"Some (improvements) will have to come, as he explained himself, from his own understanding of what his body requires in terms of conditioning, and how he needs to sit in the car to be comfortable and avoid all these kinds of issues.

"From our side, there are quite a lot of variables that we can play with, but we need to know exactly where we have to put our focus, so it’s really a work in progress.

"There’s no revolution in the plan in terms of the seating position, how upright he will be, so we are in the middle of the process, and I guess we will discover a bit more.

"But at the moment, it looks like he seems to be getting better after a season.

"So we are hoping, in a way, this will gradually fix itself, thanks to the work Lando is also doing, and his adaptation in terms of lifestyle, which I know must be very, very painful for such a passionate golf player."

Norris has taken a proactive approach to his back tribulations knowing that he can't wait for a regulation change or for his car to get better to enjoy an improvement.

"I would love to play more golf, but even with certain other things such as cycling and running, my back hurts," he explained. "So I still can’t do everything like I would want to do.

"I am doing more training for my core, lower back, and glutes and things like that.

"There’s more of a focus that if I want to get better, I’ve got to do other things, rather than just trying to make the seat better and allow the car to somehow get better over time. It’s not going to be the case.

"I hope there aren’t any long-term effects, but a number of people have spoken up about it and said it. I know everyone’s different. Some people don’t, some people do.

"I guess for my own health, it’s something I need to look after."

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