McLaren’s Big Gamble: Norris Uncertain on New F1 Upgrade’s Impact at Dutch GP

Lando Norris is uncertain whether the significant McLaren F1 enhancement is effective at the Dutch Grand Prix.

"I'm hopeful, yet clueless about its current performance or effectiveness…"

Lando Norris is uncertain about the effectiveness of McLaren's significant F1 upgrade for this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, following the initial day of activity at Zandvoort.

McLaren has unveiled a major upgrade to their vehicle for this weekend's competition, marking their first enhancement since the Miami Grand Prix, in an effort to narrow the gap with Red Bull in the constructors' standings.

McLaren trails Red Bull by a mere 42 points and is considered by many the likely contender for the championship, especially given Sergio Perez's inconsistent showings.

McLaren is still in the initial phase of getting to grips with their recently introduced upgrade package.

In a conversation with F1TV following the session, Norris expressed his belief that McLaren is not in possession of the fastest car currently.

"Likely not, Mercedes tend to be fast – it's a tight race," he mentioned. "I believe there isn't a definitive fastest, as it varies based on various elements."

"Since our performance in Miami, we've been doing well, yet we haven't introduced any new enhancements to the vehicle since then. This weekend marks our initial effort to advance a step further with the car's development."

"I'm feeling hopeful, though I'm unsure about the current effectiveness or performance. However, today went fairly well, and we're not far off the pace. With a bit of luck, we'll make some improvements overnight and be in a position to compete with Mercedes."

Norris finished the second free practice session with the fourth quickest time, trailing George Russell by just over two-tenths of a second.

The competition for the pole position was closely contested, primarily among the McLaren drivers, the duo from Mercedes, and Max Verstappen.

Norris is aiming for some improvement before he can genuinely vie for the top spot in Saturday's pole position race.

"Quite satisfying. It's great to return to driving, although Zandvoort presents a challenging comeback due to its speed, elevation changes, and twisty nature, offering a mix of everything," he further mentioned.

"It was a pleasant return to driving today, though there's some improvement required before tomorrow."

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