Lando Norris delivered a flawless performance in last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix that bodes well for his title prospects with McLaren this season.
Yet despite his dominant display, the Briton remains grounded ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, urging fans and pundits alike to temper their excitement.
Norris clearly isn’t resting on his Melbourne laurels. He anticipates stiffer competition in Shanghai, particularly from Red Bull and Ferrari.
"I mean, I'm hoping we can do better, and I'm hoping it can be a bit easier. I think we had a great race, you know, our gap to our competitors halfway through the race was 15 seconds or something,” he told the media on Thursday.
“So yeah, more likely that there was some safety cars that kind of brought them back into the race, but we're hopeful.
"It's another race, it's a different weekend, so I wouldn't say we're confident that things are gonna be exactly like they were, and I expect to get a bit more competition from Ferrari this weekend and we saw how quick Red Bull have been, so, clearly they're not out of it.
“They're just as fast. I think when things are perfect like they were in qualifying, we have an advantage, but they're certainly not far behind."
Norris’s measured outlook extends to his newfound position atop the championship standings. When asked about leading the drivers’ title race, he brushed off its significance for now.
"It makes no difference for me at the minute, I'm not thinking about it, I don't really care about it,” he said.
“It shouldn't change anything I do, it shouldn't change what the team do. I had one good weekend. People need to calm down a little bit.
“I know I stay focused and I try and do the same here this weekend, but yeah, I probably won't even think of the championship until at least halfway through the year."
Refining the Driver and the Machine
While Norris’s Australian triumph highlighted his skill, he remains focused on self-improvement.
"I think as a driver, you're always at the limit of your car and what your car can do, so you're always trying to look out at places to improve," he explained.
"I guess I'm trying to look at things I can do better, you know, my start was good. Was it perfect? No. But it was clear where I lost some of my performance in the launch."
The McLaren MCL39, while competitive, poses its own challenges. Norris admitted.
"And then just from a car point of view, you know, the car is doing and performing well, but it's still extremely difficult to drive.
“We know in certain conditions, like in the wettest conditions, Max was just as quick as us. In the dry conditions we were a bit better, so just making the car a little bit more predictable and a little bit more comfortable."
As Norris prepares to tackle the challenges of the Shanghai circuit, his pragmatic mindset and commitment to consistent performance are evident.
The road ahead may be unpredictable, but the young Briton’s ability to stay grounded while eyeing further success will undoubtedly shape his campaign for the 2025 title.
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