Lando Norris is hoping for a considerably better race this weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix than he had recently at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where an opening lap collision ended his hopes for a points finish.
Norris heads to Canada having finished seventeenth at the Spanish Grand Prix, despite having qualified third. The McLaren F1 Team driver dropped to the back of the grid in Spain after clipping Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap, breaking his front wing in the process. Despite having shown strong pace during qualifying in Spain, Norris was unable to really make any progress during the race, as a result of the MCL60’s disappointing race pace.
Whilst it might lack in race pace, the speed is certainly there, giving Norris hope that points are on the cards this weekend. The Briton is very much aware that the Canadian GP can be a “lot of fun”, filling him with hope for a strong result.
“I’m looking forward to getting back racing in Canada. Spain was a tough race but there was a lot to take away for both me and the team including the positive of Saturday’s P3 in Quali.
“With a week off from racing following a double-header, I’ve been back at the MTC with my engineers in preparation for this weekend. Circuit Gilles-Villenueve can be challenging with its heavy-braking chicanes, but it can also be a lot of fun to race. I’m excited for it, and hopefully we can score some points.”
“We’re working really hard to improve our race pace” – Oscar Piastri
On the other side of the Woking-based team’s garage, rookie Oscar Piastri is feeling “ready” for his first visit to the legendary Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Piastri has spent time with his engineers preparing for this weekend’s Grand Prix, with race pace having also been something he’s looked into ahead of the event.
Piastri could only salvage thirteenth at the Spanish GP, with the Australian having endured a mediocre weekend. Making progress was seemingly an issue for both McLaren drivers, highlighting the team’s biggest weakness currently.
Like Norris, Piastri is keen for a “positive race weekend” in Canada to make up for the recent disappointment in Spain, with the side having worked “really hard” to discover better race pace, according to the Aussie.
“We’re back racing after a week of hard work at the factory. I’ve been preparing for the weekend with my engineers, so I feel ready to make my debut at Circuit Gilles-Villenueve. Spain was bittersweet for the team. Sunday proved difficult but we had some positives to take away from Saturday’s qualifying session.
“There’s a lot more to achieve this season and we’re working really hard to improve our race pace. We’ll give it our all in Canada and look to have a positive race weekend.”
