Norris relieved: Chinese GP has brought ‘answers to my struggles’

Lando Norris left Shanghai with a strong sense of accomplishment, having achieved a second-place finish behind McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in Sunday’s race and found answers to his recent struggles with team papaya’s car.

Norris entered the Chinese Grand Prix weekend with tempered expectations, wrestling with a McLaren MCL39 wit which he hadn’t quite managed to click.

The Shanghai International Circuit, with its demanding layout, had exposed the car’s quirks—particularly its tendency toward understeer—leaving Norris frustrated and off the pace in qualifying.

Yet, by the time the checkered flag fell, the Briton had not only secured a strong result, he had also found clarity amid his struggles. For Norris, the race was far more than a podium—it was a breakthrough.

“Tough race,” Norris told the media post-race, his tone carrying a mix of relief and satisfaction.

“Yeah. I mean, I’m just satisfied for the result, for the team. You know, a 50th 1–2 for McLaren is quite an achievement, so happy to be part of that, first of all, and a great race by Oscar.”

But beyond his team’s triumph, Norris found personal vindication in a race that defied his own doubts.

Overcoming a Challenging Weekend

The weekend had begun on a rocky note. Norris had been vocal about the MCL39’s incompatibility with his preference for late braking and aggressive corner entries, a mismatch that reared its head in qualifying.

Mistakes on low fuel cost him a shot at pole, and a worsening brake pedal issue during the race forced him to nurse the car home rather than push for the win.

“I’m happy considering how bad my last few days have been and how much I struggled just to get comfortable and understand how to drive the car,” he admitted.

“I was not confident one bit and yeah, I was nervous that I was going to struggle just as badly, honestly.”

©McLaren

Yet, the race proved to be a revelation. “To go to the pace I had today, which I think was very strong, it was a much better race than I was thinking I was going to have,” Norris said.

“But very satisfied to know how much I’ve improved from a car point of view, from a driving point of view.

“Today was a much stronger day, so I’m more satisfied to know I’ve got answers for my struggles and yeah, that makes me happy.”

The race had illuminated the root of his difficulties, offering a path forward after days of frustration.

“But I’m of course more happy for the 1–2 for the team,” he added, balancing personal growth with collective success.

Reconnecting with MCL39

The turnaround wasn’t accidental. Set-up changes made throughout the weekend had tamed the MCL39’s excessive front-end understeer, a flaw that had left Norris feeling disconnected from the car.

“That’s stuff the team will know, and probably no one else, but we made a good amount of changes,” he said when pressed on the tweaks.

“Obvious ones, to try and improve the front end. I just can’t drive a car with no front. I can, but I struggle, and it’s just been too understeery, simply, the car, the last few days – I cannot maximise the package that way.”

A Team Effort in Understanding the MCL39

Norris wasn’t alone in his struggles; Piastri, too, had grappled with the car’s behavior in qualifying.

“I think we both struggled a lot yesterday with that, and it shows that our pace today was from both of us a lot stronger than it was yesterday,” the Briton noted.

“So I think we’re both still, as a team we’re still understanding this car and knowing its limitations, how to get the most out of it,” he said.

However, the race pace of both McLarens underscored a collective step forward in deciphering the 2025 challenger.

“But I feel like, especially for me, in the longer run stuff and even the short run stuff, I’ve not been anywhere near as confident as I would like to be, and I’ve not got the feeling from the car that I need in order to maximise the performance,” Norris reflected.

“But today was a much better showing of that and a much better understanding of it. So yeah, made some tweaks with the car, mechanically and aerodynamically, and it was a much better day today. So I’m happy with it.”

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