McLaren F1 News: Lando Norris Fires Warning to Red Bull Ahead of Emilia Romagna GP

Lando Norris hopes to see "more potential" from the McLaren upgrades despite securing his first F1 victory in Miami.

May 5, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; McLaren driver Lando Norris (4) poses with the race trophy / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

After celebrating his maiden Formula One victory in Miami, Lando Norris has hinted that McLaren's recent upgrades could pose a significant threat to competitors, including Red Bull, at the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

McLaren's introduced10 aerodynamic enhancements to the MCL38 for the race around the Hard Rock Stadium. Despite their effectiveness, Norris was quick to point out that Miami might not have been the ultimate proving ground for these modifications. Speaking ahead of the race in Imola this weekend, Norris commented, as quoted by Motorsport Week:

“It’s good, it’s working as expected but I think it’s not the track which is going to show all of it."

Looking ahead to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, a track where Norris has previously excelled, further expectations are set as his teammate Oscar Piastri will also receive the full suite of vehicle upgrades. Norris continued:

"Hopefully in Imola or something, we can see a bit more of the potential of the car. But it’s a step in the right direction, the team has done a very good job to get everything up and ready.

“I think you can never judge it on one session and one track. You have to see it on high downforce, low downforce and everything. People are too quick to judge everything from one weekend or one day or whatever.

“I think everyone just needs to be a bit more patient with everything and see what it’s like over two weekends, three weekends before you start to judge. We have our answers, but to know the true extent of it and how well it performs in different areas, you have to wait over three races rather than just making a conclusion in one.”

The Woking-based squad holds a promising position in the Constructors’ Championship, currently sitting third. With Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull also ramping up their development race, the pressure is mounting.