Lando Norris explains how he’s adapted to ‘difficult to drive’ McLaren as he expects ‘more competition’ from rivals in China

Lando Norris has opened up on how the McLaren remains “difficult to drive” despite his success last time out in Australia, with the Briton stating that he has now accepted that the team’s car does not suit his driving style.

Despite playing down suggestions that the reigning Teams’ Champions were the ones to beat entering into the first event of the season, Norris looked a force to be reckoned with across the weekend in Melbourne after securing pole position and taking victory amid challenging conditions in Sunday’s race.

LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the build-up ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend

However, when asked ahead of the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix if he is confident of maintaining that level of performance, Norris suggested that it hadn’t been entirely smooth sailing as he responded: “I’m hoping we can do better, and I’m hoping it can be a bit easier.

“I think we had a great race – our gap to our competitors halfway through the race was 15 seconds or something, so more likely it was Safety Cars that brought them back into the race. We’re hopeful.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 16: Race winner Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and the — Norris kicked off the 2025 season with pole position and victory in the Australian Grand Prix

“It’s a different weekend, so I wouldn’t say we’re confident that things are going to be exactly like they were. I expect a bit more competition from Ferrari this weekend [and] we saw how quick Red Bull have been, so clearly they’re not out of it, they’re just as fast.

“I think when things are perfect, like they were in Qualifying, we have an advantage, but they’re certainly not far behind.”

In terms of where improvements can be made, Norris acknowledged that there are areas where this can apply to both himself and to the car.

“I think as a driver you’re always at the limit of your car and what your car can do, so you’re always trying to look at places to improve,” the 25-year-old explained. “I guess I’m trying to look at things I can do better.

“My start was good, but was it perfect? No, but it was clear where I lost on my performance in the launch. And then just from a car point of view, the car’s doing and performing well, but it’s still extremely difficult to drive.

“We know in certain conditions, like in the wettest conditions, Max [Verstappen] was just as quick as us; in the dry conditions we were a bit better, so [it’s] just [about] making the car a little bit more predictable and a little bit more comfortable.

“We’re just at a good point with things – I can’t complain, the whole thing is at a good level, but between Oscar [Piastri] and myself there are things that we both comment on, which gives the guys and the girls back in the factory a clear direction on what we want to improve. And I guess, yes, the car’s great, but we always want more.”

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 16: Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 — Norris admits that McLaren's car can be "difficult to drive"

Norris went on to give an insight into the challenges of racing the MCL39 in comparison to its predecessor – and how he has learned to adapt his driving style to meet the car rather than the other way around.

“I think in general some of the traits are the same [as last year’s car],” said Norris. “It still doesn’t suit at all my driving style. I’ve got to a point where I’ve just accepted that you can’t have a car that suits your driving style – maybe it does suit some people’s.

“I kind of got to a point where I stopped maybe asking so much for what I want and [I’m] more just willing to do whatever makes the car quicker. It is probably a tricky car to drive and put together laps, but clearly it’s taken a step forward to last year.

WATCH: See just how close Norris and Piastri’s Australian GP pole battle was with brand new F1 TV ‘Ghost Car’ feature

“It’s my job to drive whatever car I get given, at the end of the day – that’s why I’m here, that’s why McLaren want me because they believe I can drive it in a better way than others can. [It’s] half and half, it’s similar characteristics and some of those characteristics I don’t like and do not suit the way I want to drive in an attacking way.

“It doesn’t suit me in terms of me wanting to push the entries and push the braking – it’s very weak from that point of view. So not what I like, but at the same time some of it is down to the adaptation of needing to change a little bit my driving style every year, because the McLaren I drive this year is very different to what the McLaren was a few years ago – clearly, because we were at the back and now we’re at the front.

“But some things carry on – I’ve only ever driven McLarens, so that’s all I know. I think it’s unique in certain aspects, obviously we have our strengths and weaknesses. Whenever someone has been at McLaren and gone to another team, they’ve often said how hard or odd the McLaren has been to drive, whether it was Daniel [Ricciardo] or Carlos [Sainz].

“It’s something I got used to, so I got to a point where I’ll just drive whatever car I have to drive – as long as it’s fighting for a win and quick enough to fight for a win, then I’m happy to drive what I get given."