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Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok is slightly dubious of McLaren's sudden rise in performance at the 2023 F1 Austrian GP.
Lando Norris' MCL60 looked extremely quick, especially because of the major upgrade package the team brought to the Red Bull Ring. Furthermore, Norris has been excellent at the track for quite some time as well.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Chandhok explained how McLaren and Lando Norris have been particularly good in Austria. However, this does not mean that this is the turning point for them. He said:
"I'm always a bit nervous about this because, you know, one swallow doesn't make the summer, and Austria is A) a track that Lando is exceptional at, and B} the McLaren have historically been pretty good there," Chandhok said.
Furthermore, Chandhok stated that he would want McLaren to improve and turn their fortunes around. The team's upward trajectory will further solidify if Oscar Piastri also performs decently at the British GP, where his car will also receive the new upgrades.
"So let's see as the rest of seasonal falls. You know they have been through ups and downs a bit, haven't they? But yeah, you're right, you know, hopefully, this is the turning point that the upgrade package has worked, and Oscar will have it this weekend at Silverstone, and we'll get to see," he added.
Lastly, the Indian presenter gave his reasoning as to why he is skeptical about Austria being McLaren's turning point for the entire season.
Firstly, Chandhok recalled how slow their car was at the start of the season and how quickly they closed their gap in just one race at the Red Bull Ring. Hence, there are high chances that it could have been a one-off performance.
"If you consider where they were the start of the year, you know, they had the slowest car at some points in the opening three races, and all of a sudden this weekend they're just off the podium. They are genuinely quicker than Aston, genuinely quicker than Mercedes, at least Lando was. That's an amazing turnaround if this is not a one-off and this is something that could carry on," Chandhok continued.
Lando Norris reckons there are still a lot to resolve in the McLaren MCL60
Despite finishing fourth in the 2023 F1 Austrian GP, Lando Norris feels there is more room for improvement in the McLaren MCL60. After the race, he explained how he was happy with the result but that the car's handling needed improvement.
He said (via Autosport):
"The car just goes quicker around every corner but the way you have to drive is exactly the same which is our next issue to tackle. Things that we’ve been complaining about all year that are still the same but just at a higher level, so I feel I can be really confident if we can tackle these issues."
Lando Norris is currently 10th in the drivers' championship table with 24 points.
