Oscar: “I hate graining, it’s one of my weaknesses”
The Australian driver of the papaya team explained that track conditions could limit the squad’s performance: “Of the last two years this has definitely been the toughest race. I come here with more confidence compared to previous seasons, but not with the same conviction as in the last few races. You never know how it’s going to go.” His approach remains cautious, fully aware that the MCL39 could struggle with the extreme requirements of the Nevada layout.
The low temperatures and the poor grip level of the circuit make tyre management especially difficult, often triggering graining—where small rubber fragments detach from the surface and reduce overall grip. Lando Norris admitted that this has long been one of his vulnerable areas: “I’ve always really struggled with front-tyre graining. At one point I was definitely the worst on the grid. I hate it, hating understeer is frustrating.”
Despite the issue, Lando Norris expressed confidence in the technical group at Woking: “Now I’m able to judge things much better and go through these processes more effectively. As long as I can counter these problems, I know them very well and I know how to work on them.”
He added: “If tomorrow in FP1 and FP2 I get graining on the front tyres, I won’t be very happy, but it’ll be important to understand straight away how to adapt. Las Vegas is completely different: low downforce, long straights and heavy braking zones make consistency difficult to maintain.”
Lando: “Between me and Piastri nothing changes”
Commenting on his relationship with Oscar Piastri, Norris kept a balanced tone and stressed the mutual respect between the two drivers despite the intense title battle: “Between us nothing changes. We respect each other a lot and we know how to separate work from everything else. He’s always calm and difficult to read, I show my emotions more, but we work well together.”
He concluded with a reflection on the weekend’s management and the potential of the MCL39 in Las Vegas: “We’ve changed a lot on the car this year, so we could end up being the best. Let’s wait and see. The conditions are a huge challenge, but I’ll do my best to repeat what we’ve done in the last few races and stay focused on the championship.”
Recent months have strengthened Norris’ mental approach: his back-to-back victories in Mexico and Brazil—never truly in doubt—came during Oscar Piastri’s most difficult phase of the season. That downturn began with the team order at Monza, a move that many perceive as part of McLaren’s strategy to subtly favor the British driver, who nonetheless capitalized brilliantly on the situation and extended his advantage over both Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen.
On paper, Las Vegas should be the most demanding challenge remaining for Woking this year. It offers a prime opportunity for Max Verstappen to try reducing the gap to the two papaya cars, and Norris himself admitted during today’s press conference that the track conditions could destabilize him to some extent. However, the British driver now has a crucial chance to prove how much he has grown mentally—something far from trivial in a championship fight.
Leave a Reply