McLaren’s Mixed Weekend at the US Grand Prix
McLaren wrapped up the US Grand Prix with a podium finish courtesy of Lando Norris, who crossed the finish line in second place, but with a sense of what could have been. After an intense battle with Charles Leclerc, Norris struggled to overtake the Ferrari driver, and although the strategy was effective, victory slipped through their fingers: “It was an interesting race, a good battle with Charles. However, it took a while to overtake him, and that’s why we had to settle for second place. It was tough, but the strategy was good and worked well in the end. Now, our focus shifts to Mexico and doing the best job possible there,” he said.
While Norris celebrated his podium, his teammate Oscar Piastri had a more challenging weekend. The Australian finished the race in fifth place, after facing similar difficulties to those on Saturday: “It was a complicated race. Like yesterday, I was struggling to find rhythm. We gained a position, which was positive, but it was tough to make any progress from there,” Piastri added.
Andrea Stella, the team principal, also provided a critical analysis of McLaren’s performance: “We struggled to capitalize on the car’s full potential this weekend after a disappointing Saturday. Although we secured a podium and important points, we feel we delivered below what we could have,” Stella stated. Stella acknowledged Norris’s good performance but explained that the battle with Leclerc prevented the driver from closing the gap to Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing, who won the race. “We believe the car was in a condition to fight for victory, which reaffirms that we can be in the running for wins in future races.”
A Disappointing Weekend for McLaren
Stella also commented on Piastri’s race: “The pace wasn’t there today, and he couldn’t make the progress we expected after a good start. This is something we’ll review as a team and ensure we come back stronger in the next race,” he added.
Despite a podium finish, McLaren did not consider the weekend a complete success, with the goal of achieving a double podium: “Overall, it wasn’t the weekend we wanted. We always aim to come out with a double podium, and that didn’t happen. Now, we need to focus, learn from our lessons, and build on the positive points to have a better weekend in Mexico,” Stella concluded.
