Lando Norris says drivers’ performances will make more of a difference to their results in 2022 due to the new rules Formula 1 has introduced for the upcoming season.
Major technical regulation changes have produced a new generation of cars which are a major departure from their predecessors in terms of looks and handling. They are intended to improve racing by making it easier for cars to follow closely behind each other.Norris expects the differences in handling between last year’s cars and the new ones will create opportunities for drivers who suss the changes quicker than their rivals.
“It’s definitely a big opportunity,” Norris said at the launch of McLaren’s new MCL36 today. “To come out the blocks strong will always be a good thing, especially if or when you are going to have to change your driving style and so on. The quicker you can do that kind of thing, the quicker you can just keep making an evolution of that driving style and get better and better.
“Potentially, you can make up a bigger difference than you can in previous years. If you understand how to drive the cars and so on, it’s definitely a big opportunity for us as drivers – rather than just the car being the opportunity – for us to go and make the most of it and adapt to the driving style, if you have to change it.”
Norris has only driven the MCL36 in the team’s simulator so far. He is unsure just how much he will have to adjust his driving style in order to extract the most out of the all-new car,
“I don’t know just yet,” Norris said. “Obviously we have some ideas from the simulator and so on, but until you actually go on track and then see what it’s like and so on, that’s a question yet to be answered.
“Of course, opportunities remain for me to continue last year’s progress and I’m trying to make that next step.”
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Mayrton
14th February 2022, 8:36
I hope he’s right. Would be the best F1 news for quite some time as I still predominantly follow F1 to see talent win rather than technology or budgets (leading to freaky records). Not dismissing technology and team work, they are accomplishments in themselves. Also appreciating seeing the whole regulatory and business side. But all those are for me more of a side interest. Talent and personalities come first.