McLaren’s Lando Norris has downplayed expectations for a podium finish in the Canadian Grand Prix, admitting the team has struggled to extract its usual performance due to the unique layout and conditions at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
After qualifying only seventh on Saturday, the British driver conceded that a podium on Sunday is likely out of reach unless circumstances dramatically change.
Norris had been one of the frontrunners early in the weekend, topping final practice and Q1. However, a costly Q3 session saw the Briton make two crucial errors that left him unable to capitalize on the car’s limited potential.
“Just a couple of big mistakes,” Norris told the media after qualifying. “One, hitting the wall on the last lap in the exit of seven. And first lap, I think, last corner.
“So, yeah, just two mistakes that cost me, I guess.”
Norris pointed to the specific demands of Montreal’s semi-street circuit as the reason McLaren has fallen off the pace compared to recent rounds. While his teammate Oscar Piastri qualified a strong third behind Mercedes and Red Bull, Norris said the Woking-based outfit’s MCL39 has not been operating at its usual level.
“I think we’ve clearly not been as quick as normal. I think that’s just because of the layout of the track,” Norris explained. “I think the car has not been performing relatively well.
“I was happy through all of qualifying. Maybe not the car to take pole today, but good enough to be up there and fighting for top three.”
Norris also highlighted the difficulty of dialing in the car balance on Montreal’s low-grip surface, which punishes cars that aren’t compliant over bumps and kerbs – a challenge that appeared to hamper McLaren more than its rivals.
“It’s very low grip. I think, first of all, it’s one of the bigger things. And, therefore, the car balance just never comes together as much as what it does on other tracks,” he said.
“Probably just low grip and some of the kerb riding bumps, which just hurts us, it seems, more than some others.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s 70-lap race, Norris was frank about his prospects, acknowledging that McLaren lacks the pace advantage it enjoyed at previous circuits like Imola or Monaco.
“I think a podium is tough, just because we don’t have the pace we’ve had in the last few races,” he assessed.
Still, with changeable weather and high tyre degradation forecasted, Norris is leaving the door open for a strategic shake-up.
“But it could be easily a one, two or a three stop, depending on how the tyres behave tomorrow,” he said. “So, of course, I’ll hope for a bit more to happen, but not as confident as in other places, for sure.”
While Norris remains hopeful of moving forward from seventh, he is under no illusion about the scale of the challenge.
“Still confident we can go forwards, but clearly I think we don’t have the best car today. So, it will be a struggle to get to the top.”
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