Lando Norris downplays McLaren’s disastrous start to the F1 season by joking that the team at least had a “good pit stop practice” after the Briton was forced to box SIX times before retiring at the Grand Bahrain Award.
- McLaren endured the disastrous opening race of the Formula One season in Bahrain
- Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri retired after car problems at the Sakhir circuit
- Both drivers had just missed out on the top 10 in qualifying after poor winter testing.
Lando Norris chose to take a humorous look at McLaren’s dismal start to the Formula One season by making light of the number of pit stops he made on his way to retirement in Bahrain.
The opening race at the Sakhir circuit proved to be a complete disaster for the Woking team, as the Briton was forced to retire his car with two laps to go in the 57-lap race after making six pit stops.
It came after his Australian teammate Oscar Piastri was also forced to retire as the first DNF of the race just 13 laps into his debut.
McLaren’s weekend was already looking bleak ahead of the season opener, as the team missed winter development targets as they bid to break out of midfield and lead a challenge to Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari this week. season.
Norris, who qualified just outside the top 10, struggled in the race in relation to a tire power issue that hampered his pace, but he is hopeful the problem is unique to the team.
Lando Norris (right) was forced to retire from Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix at Sakhir
The British star was forced to make six pit stops in a troublesome night for the Woking team
“The main thing was a good pit stop practice for the mechanics,” Norris joked. “We just had a problem, if we get rid of the problem, everything should be fine.”
Despite McLaren’s difficult start, the 23-year-old is hopeful that McLaren can make a profit during the season and be a regular points-scorer.
Norris also believes that the closeness of much of the field away from Red Bull gives them scope to make big gains in the field, with a potential challenge for Aston Martin on the cards, which finished Sunday’s race in third with Fernando Alonso and sixth with Lance. Walk.
McLaren’s pace has already proven to be a concern for the team heading into the new season.
“Obviously we still believe we can still score points with the car we have, which makes us more optimistic for the season,” he added.
‘It was a tenth and a half for [Lance] Stroll, who is clearly much faster: where I am is where I think we are. I’m happy with that, I think it’s a little better than I expected from where we were in the test.’
Max Verstappen finally triumphed in Bahrain in a dominating one-two for the Red Bull team ahead of Sergio Perez, with Alonso scoring his 99th career podium finish with an impressive third-place finish.
The second race takes place in Saudi Arabia on March 19 at the Jeddah street circuit.