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Star McLaren driver Lando Norris eagerly awaits new upgrades for the MCL60, after an underwhelming start to the season. Norris, tired of fighting at the back end of the grid, admitted that he is looking forward to anything new which brings his car to the top end of the midfield.
The Woking-based outfit had modest expectations entering the season and had pinned its hopes on upgrades for the early races. Despite the new parts the team brought in Baku, MCL60's performance has been fluctuating, with the team unable to establish itself as a strong midfield contender.
Hopes are once again high for Team Papaya as their 2023 challenger will undergo a major overhaul over the next few races. Lando Norris is eager to drive the 'B-spec' car, with the upgrades being rolled out on his favorite track in Austria. The Brit was quoted by the Australian publication Speedcafe as saying:
"I look forward to anything that’s new, It’s been a lot of work that’s gone into it. We’ve been quite patient with what we’ve had; we’ve been chipping away at many other things at the same time."
Norris claims that the Woking-based team has put in a lot of effort to bring these upgrades to the track. The previous development steps didn't make the car quicker but were aimed at a philosophical change. The upgrades in the upcoming races in Austria, Silverstone, and Hungary are aimed at improving performance.
"We’ve not brought a lot of lap time, pure lap time, to the table over the last… well, since the beginning of the year. Of course, there was a new floor in Baku, but that was for philosophy than absolute performance." Lando Norris said about the developmental steps.
The 23-year-old McLaren driver is yearning to be back in the mix at the front of the grid and is hopeful that the upgrades will put his season back on track.
Lando Norris is not "over-excited" about McLaren's upgrades
Although Lando Norris awaits the McLaren upgrades he is not over-excited about them either. Even though the MCL60 is expected to undergo a significant overhaul, Norris keeps his expectations low, as he always does.
"There’s been a lot of work, it’s been a lot of changes, and seeing all of this come together and see what we can do with it… of course, it’s not on track just yet," Norris said, outlining his expectations.
"I’m confident we’ll be a step forward. But how much is the question. I don’t want to get too over excited about all of it, I never do, but it’s a lot of work that’s going into it."
The Brit has a sixth-place best finish in Australia but has finished outside the points in five races. With lowly points-paying finishes, Norris currently occupies 11th place in the drivers' standings.
