Lando Norris finally took his second career win in Holland, becoming the third driver after Verstappen and Hamilton to finish more than one race on the top step of the podium in the 2024 season. While Zandvoort highlighted McLaren's strengths, allowing Norris to finish the GP 22 seconds behind Max Verstappen, Lando Norris is expecting a more complicated weekend for Monza. The low-aero circuit in Brianza presents several question marks, one of which is the resurfacing of the track with the unknown of tyre management. Furthermore, competition could be more ruthless, with Red Bull and Ferrari lurking.
Norris dampens enthusiasm for Monza weekend
We have to go back two years to find Lando Norris on the podium in Monza. In 2021, McLaren achieved a splendid one-two with Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris, also taking advantage of the elimination of Verstappen and Hamilton, who ended up together in the gravel with one of the most spectacular accidents in recent years. Things have changed in the meantime, Lando himself would now give a different weight to that trophy. In fact, there is now a world championship at stake, possibly two. But with 9 races to go, there is no more margin for error. To win a world championship you have to be perfect, and McLaren does not yet have the certainty of being perfect in every aspect. The start is one of the weak points for example. But if in Zandvoort this aspect was less relative in Monza it could make the difference.
However, if there is one aspect in which McLaren stands out from other teams, it is the fact that it is able to adapt the single-seater to different circuits. Another very important test will arrive in Monza, even if Norris has some doubts about his competitiveness for the weekend.
“It’s difficult to say whether we’ll be able to do well on a low-downforce track,” Lando Norris said at a press conference in Monza.We did well in Spa, as did Red Bull. There is a question mark here, last year was one of our worst races. We don’t expect to be as strong as in Zandvoort, where we knew we would be. We expect strong competition.”
The championship is still open, but which world championship can McLaren aspire to?
Mathematically, everything is still possible, in both championships. However, as the weekends go by, the weight of the points lost or gained increases. Many have accused Norris of not being able to handle the pressure of a world championship fight. But certainly Norris, despite being new to this kind of challenge, does not want to leave any stone unturned. "I don't think about the additional pressure, it's always there.. I still get very nervous before qualifying and during the race, there is always enthusiasm, excitement, nerves: I can barely eat and drink, because I feel the pressure. But you have to understand how to transform it into something positive and focus on the right things. Now I am convinced that I can do it”. The championships are open from the beginning of the season, you can't talk about it every week. We are trying to fight for both championships, especially the Constructors' which seems more feasible".
Norris: “I live the world championship race by race”
Lando then admitted that he looks at the challenges to overcome weekend by weekend, trying to recover as much ground as possible without thinking too much about the championship or the victories missed or almost missed. “For me it is incredible to get a victory, it is one of the most beautiful emotions you can experience. Even though I don't think about the championship at all, because I live it one race at a time, at the same time there is the change that follows the weekend in which you win. By Monday you forget about everything and go back to normal. In this reasoning of living one race at a time, I try to exploit everything in a positive way”.
Source statements: autosprint
