McLaren made the strategic decision to introduce the first phase of a new upgrade package across three races, starting with Lando Norris at the Red Bull Ring. This allowed them to directly compare Norris’s performance with Oscar Piastri’s standard car throughout the entire weekend.
In Q1, Norris initially secured the sixth-fastest time, but it was nullified due to track limits. Nevertheless, he managed to secure third place in Q2 and fourth in Q3, placing him just behind Max Verstappen and the two Ferrari drivers.
The consistent performance of the updates on a dry track indicated positive results. However, Stella, a McLaren team member, emphasized that Piastri’s performance in the other car was not far behind.
During Q2, Piastri lost a lap time due to track limits, which would have placed him eighth in that session, a mere 0.175s behind Norris. Unfortunately, Piastri did not progress to Q3 and will start the race from 13th position. Stella described the day as “bittersweet” for the team from Woking.
When asked about Norris’s performance, Stella commented to F1 Flow.com, “It’s Austria, and lap times are quite close. If we consider the lap time that was deleted for Oscar in Q2, it’s actually not far off from Lando’s time, just a few tenths. This is in line with our expectations for the upgrade package.”
“For me, the most important thing is that we achieved what we anticipated, confirming the effectiveness of our development. This sets a solid foundation for future improvements,” Stella continued. “Regardless of the outcome, which is admittedly a bit bittersweet today as Oscar should have made it to Q3, the crucial aspect is the groundwork, which seems promising for the future.”
Stella also advised caution, citing Norris’s strong qualifying performance in Spain, and emphasized the need to evaluate the updates on upcoming circuits.
“I’m a bit cautious because Austria is somewhat similar to Barcelona. We finished third in Barcelona, but the gap was larger. Here, I believe we are more competitive based on the gaps,” he explained. “Positive signs from Austria, but we need to validate them on different tracks. Austria’s characteristics, with its significant braking and high-speed sections, suit our car, and the absence of sun helps too.”
Regarding the decision to split the specifications of the cars, Stella noted the propensity of the Austrian track to cause damage to the floor and bodywork due to kerbs, especially during a sprint weekend.
“We simply made the best decision under the circumstances. We could have gone with both cars, but given the known attrition at the Austrian track, as we have experienced before, this was the optimal approach,” he clarified.
Heading into Saturday’s sprint qualifying session, Norris might hold a slight advantage over key rivals. If the track remains dry, he will be one of only three drivers from the top 10 in the main race to have new soft tires for SQ3, alongside Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.
Meanwhile, competitors like Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Lance Stroll, and Pierre Gasly have exhausted their supply of new soft tires.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about upgrade progress
What was the strategy behind McLaren’s decision to introduce the upgrade package in phases?
McLaren opted to introduce the upgrade package in phases to assess its effectiveness and directly compare the performance of the upgraded car with the standard car. By giving Lando Norris the first step of the package and conducting a back-to-back comparison with Oscar Piastri’s car, they could evaluate the upgrades’ impact over the entire race weekend.
How did Lando Norris perform in qualifying?
Lando Norris performed well in qualifying. He initially secured the sixth-fastest time in Q1 but lost a lap time due to track limits. However, he managed to secure third place in Q2 and fourth in Q3, placing him just behind Max Verstappen and the two Ferrari drivers.
How did Oscar Piastri fare in qualifying?
Oscar Piastri faced some challenges in qualifying. He lost a lap time in Q2 due to track limits, which would have placed him eighth in that session, only 0.175 seconds behind Norris. Unfortunately, he did not progress to Q3 and will start the race from 13th place.
How did the upgrades perform on the Red Bull Ring track?
The upgrades showed promising performance on the Red Bull Ring track. Lando Norris’s consistent performance indicated that the updates worked well. However, McLaren’s Stella cautioned that further confirmation is needed on different tracks to evaluate their overall effectiveness.
What were the reasons behind splitting the specifications of the cars?
The decision to split the specifications of the cars was driven by the track conditions and the potential for floor and bodywork damage on kerbs at the Red Bull Ring. Given the known attrition at this track, especially during a sprint weekend, McLaren chose to mitigate the risk by implementing different specifications for each car.
Does Lando Norris have any advantage in the upcoming sprint qualifying session?
Lando Norris might hold a slight advantage in the upcoming sprint qualifying session. If the track remains dry, he is one of the only three drivers from the top 10 in the main race to have new soft tires for the session, along with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. This could provide him with a competitive edge against rivals who have already used up their supply of new soft tires.
More about upgrade progress
- F1 Flow.com – Source for Stella’s comments on Norris’s performance.
- Red Bull quashes talk that Perez’s F1 seat is at risk – Related article on Red Bull dismissing rumors about Sergio Perez’s F1 seat being at risk.
- McLaren lodges request for right of review over Norris Canada F1 penalty – Relevant article on McLaren’s request for a right of review regarding Lando Norris’s penalty in the Canadian F1 race.
- McLaren unleashes full floor revamp in first F1 2023 upgrade push – Article highlighting McLaren’s full floor revamp as part of their 2023 upgrade push.
3 comments
haha stella is like “mclaren’s upgrades were ok but not like WOW” you know? but norris did pretty well tho with 6th in q1 and 3rd in q2 and 4th in q3!! shame about piastri tho, he was so close! mclaren needs to be careful and see how the upgrades work in other tracks too. fingers crossed!
McLaren’s upgrades seem alright, but Stella is cautious, you know? It’s Austria, like Barcelona, but they’re more competitive here, he says. Piastri missed Q3 by a whisker! Bittersweet day for the team. Let’s see how the upgrades perform on other tracks. The race is gonna be exciting!
i’m not sure why they split the car specs, but i guess it’s cuz red bull ring is tough on the cars. those kerbs can really mess things up! at least norris has new soft tires for the sprint qualis. hope he can take advantage of that! can’t wait for the race!