Lando Norris immediately felt comfortable in Monaco but admitted that achieving the perfect setup for his McLaren is nearly impossible, which makes things difficult for him. The street circuit presents too many variables. Norris finished Friday’s free practice sessions in third place in FP1, then dropped to fourth in FP2.
The British driver ended the day three tenths behind Charles Leclerc, who dominated both sessions in his Ferrari. However, Norris said he was satisfied with his performance. Despite the gap, he found the MCL39 enjoyable to drive and showed confidence in its potential.
“It’s always fun here,” said Norris, “even if it’s stressful. It’s hard to get clean laps, but I felt comfortable right away. I just need to improve in a few areas.” His experience and feel for the car helped him maintain good pace on such a tricky track as Monaco.
But where is Lando Norris struggling?
Despite the positive feeling, Norris was slower than teammate Oscar Piastri, who put pressure on Charles Leclerc by finishing second in FP2. However, the Australian driver admitted to struggling to find the right rhythm with the MCL39 in Monaco. That’s something Norris understands well, given the technical complexity of the circuit.
According to Lando Norris, there’s no single cause. “It’s hard to explain,” said the Briton. “We’re talking about tiny details. Even differences of a few hundredths can make a big difference on this track. Braking, corners, grip—everything has to be perfect, and making that happen here is extremely difficult.”
For Lando Norris, the challenge of Monaco is a matter of extreme balance. “There isn’t just one answer,” he said. “There are so many little things that have to work together. And that’s exactly what makes this circuit so difficult but also fascinating.”
Leave a Reply