Lando Norris finished the qualifying session of the Italian GP of Formula 1 in ninth, and pointed out the lack of speed on the straights as the main limitation of the McLaren in Monza. The British driver also revealed a braking problem that affected his confidence during the session.
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According to Norris, the car’s performance on the track made the slipstream especially important to achieve a competitive time. In the last two attempts, however, he was unable to find a suitable position to take advantage of the benefit, which cost significant time in his fast laps.
“Today’s qualifying session was frustrating, but in the end, it was what we expected considering the performance of our car on this track. Our main weakness is the lack of speed on the straights, which makes us very dependent on getting a good slipstream,” said Norris. The driver assessed that his lap was not bad, but the deficiency ended up taking its toll in Monza.
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Norris also reported difficulties in braking, a problem that compromised his confidence during the session. For the race, he does not expect an easy recovery, especially because the disadvantage on the straights can also affect the race pace.
“It will be difficult to move up through the pack when we are at a disadvantage on the straights, and our race pace may be even more complicated,” concluded the British driver.
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