McLaren’s one-two in the Spanish Grand Prix shows the change in the front wing regulations introduced last weekend had no effect on them, says Lando Norris.
Oscar Piastri led Norris to the team’s third one-two of the season at the Circuit de Catalunya, as they resisted race-long pressure from Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Last weekend’s race was the first since the FIA introduced tougher tests of front wing flexibility. Norris said some of the team’s rivals had complained about their car previously.
“The team are doing a very good job,” he said. “We have a lot of good competition.
“There were a lot of complaints about our car, and they introduced this [technical directive] and changed nothing.
“The team have done a very good job to just give us a good all-round car and the best car on the grid. We’re very proud to be able to go and drive those cars every weekend. So it’s credit to the team that we have to give day-in and day-out.”
However he still believes there will be circuits where McLaren come under greater threat from their rivals, particularly in qualifying.
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“There’s still places where we’re vulnerable, especially in qualifying as it gets very close. Obviously, [Saturday] was the biggest margin of the year, but I think people seem to quickly forget how close the other qualifying sessions have been. They’ve been split by hundredths and thousandths, and there hasn’t been smooth sailing for us in every single one. So, I think that will be the case in future ones.”
He also believes McLaren’s competitors have closed the gap to them since the season began.
“It’s clear we have the best car on average and we still seem stronger in the race, though it’s clear that the others are catching up. Our gaps in the race were probably a lot bigger in the beginning of the year than they are now.
“So I do think that our competitors are catching up. But, we just need to keep our heads down and keep working hard.”
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