Norris: “I expect Ferrari to take pole, they are the best in slow corners”
McLaren’s Canadian Grand Prix weekend ended in the worst possible way, with neither MCL40 scoring points in the race due to a combination of strategic decisions and technical issues. The choice to start on intermediate tyres failed to pay off, leaving both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri fighting their way through the field.
In particular, the reigning World Champion suffered a major setback on lap eight while making progress through the pack. After running onto the grass, Norris picked up debris that became lodged inside a cooling duct, causing critical temperature spikes. As a result, he was forced to make an additional pit stop to remove the debris. Shortly afterwards, his car developed a gearbox issue that ultimately brought his race to an early end.
Norris: “It was the wrong choice at the start, but we had good reasons”
Reflecting on the decision to begin the race on intermediate tyres, Norris admitted that he quickly realised it would turn out to be the wrong call.
“We still had good reasons for doing it. Sometimes these decisions win you a race, sometimes they don’t, and I take my share of responsibility for that decision,” Norris explained.
At the start, the reigning World Champion actually moved into the race lead by overtaking both Mercedes drivers, thanks to the superior grip generated by the intermediate tyres, which were operating in a more favourable temperature window than the slicks.
Discussing the problems that followed during the race, Norris added: “We also had to deal with a couple of early pit stops and, in the end, a mechanical failure that forced us to retire. With the low temperatures, we weren’t able to get the front tyres into the right operating window, which made the car difficult to drive. Even so, I think we still could have scored some good points.”
Despite Norris’ retirement and Oscar Piastri finishing outside the points, McLaren demonstrated strong competitiveness throughout the weekend, particularly during the Sprint Race. For that reason, Norris believes the disappointing race result should not overshadow the positives.
“The situation remains promising. There are still a lot of positives to take away. Our pace was strong and we were fighting with Mercedes. We’ll analyse the failure, work on improving tyre warm-up in cooler conditions and come back stronger. We’ll learn from today’s mistakes and aim to convert that speed into a clean result and points next time,” he said.
Norris expects Ferrari to be the benchmark in Monaco
When discussing the fight for the World Championship, Norris acknowledged that Mercedes still appear to hold an advantage, although he stressed that circuit characteristics continue to play a major role: “It’s clear that Mercedes still have an advantage. But this is a very unique circuit. Monaco is completely different again, so we’ll have to wait and see how things look in Barcelona. I’m looking forward to it.”
Finally, Norris shared his prediction for the Monaco Grand Prix weekend and identified Ferrari as the team to beat over a single lap: “Last year went well for us, but I expect Ferrari to take pole position. Their speed through slow corners is far superior to everyone else’s.”
With Monaco placing a premium on traction, low-speed grip and qualifying performance, Norris’ assessment will undoubtedly raise expectations around the Scuderia as Formula 1 heads to one of the most iconic weekends of the season.
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