Norris, who now holds a 24-point advantage over teammate Oscar Piastri, was blunt when asked whether Las Vegas\u2019 conditions might help McLaren this year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cHinder, for sure. I think it was our worst race last year, so I'm not really looking forward to it,\u201d Norring told Sky Sports .<\/p>\r\n\r\n
McLaren struggled heavily in Vegas in 2023, with Norris finishing sixth and Piastri seventh despite having a title-winning car. The low-temperature sessions and unusually slippery surface exposed weaknesses McLaren has worked to address over the past 12 months.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe've been trying to work quite hard on improving those things,\u201d Norris said. \u201cWe know Mercedes were incredibly strong there last year, as well as Red Bull and Ferraris. I think we were the bottom of those four. So yeah, we'll wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite the worry, Norris insisted his comments were not pessimistic, but honest. When a journalist suggested he sounded overly negative, the Brit doubled down.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI can say what I want. I can think what I want. I'd say what I always am is, I always try and be as honest as I can be. If I don't think we're going to be quick, I don't think we're going to be quick.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He clarified that he wasn\u2019t predicting disaster \u2014 just a tougher weekend.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI'm not saying I'm going to be 10th. I'm just saying I think it's going to be difficult to win. We were a long way off \u2013 just go and look at the data from last year. Look at the race traces \u2013 we were miles off.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Norris did note there are venues ahead that suit McLaren better. \u201cWe know Abu Dhabi and Qatar are ones we are looking forward to. Las Vegas just a little bit less, because they've probably been some of our weakest races over the last two years.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, however, believes the team has learned from its mistakes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cVegas last year was one of the most difficult races,\u201d Stella said, recalling issues with tyre behaviour, aerodynamic balance and graining.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe review from Vegas last year gave us a lot of information to try and find a way to improve\u2026 from a tyre point of view, from an aerodynamic efficiency point of view, and from a car set up point of view, we know in which direction we should change compared to last year.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Still, Stella cautioned that improvement cannot be guaranteed. \u201cWill it be enough to be competitive now? We will only see it in Vegas, but definitely we took actions\u2026 the performance wasn\u2019t satisfactory enough.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Mercedes dominated Las Vegas in 2024, with George Russell taking pole and victory and Lewis Hamilton completing a one-two. But team principal Toto Wolff has played down the possibility of a repeat.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Still, Stella cautioned that improvement cannot be guaranteed. \u201cWill it be enough to be competitive now? We will only see it in Vegas, but definitely we took actions\u2026 the performance wasn\u2019t satisfactory enough.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe've got to be very analytical of the car that we need for Las Vegas\u2026 but I doubt it\u201d he added, acknowledging the challenge of replicating a performance delivered with last year\u2019s very different package.<\/p>\r\n\r\n