New McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris has recently taken part in first-practice sessions for the team, and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says those outings have been a distraction from his Formula 2 championship campaign.
Norris, who was confirmed in McLaren’s 2019 driver line-up, has driven the F1 car in first practice at the last two rounds. He admitted the switch made it hard to readjust to his F2 car afterwards.
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Brown praised Norris’s performances in those practice sessions. “Lando’s doing an excellent job,” he said. “I think we’re probably not helping him in Formula Two right now bouncing him back and forth between Formula 1 cars and Formula Two cars.”
At Monza, Norris completed just nine laps in a rain-hit session, but Brown described his showing as “extremely good.” He added that Norris’s pace was close to Fernando Alonso’s when considering the fastest laps. “We parked Lando’s car to save some tyres. Ultimately the gap if you look at the time sheet was not representative of actually what was happening on the track when they were on the track at the same time. [And] he did a very impressive job in Spa.”
After his first F1 practice at Spa, Norris said returning to his Carlin F2 machine felt strange. “It felt like I’d never been in a Formula Two car before,” he said, noting the differences in downforce, braking and power made the transition unusual.
In the F2 standings Norris sits 22 points behind leader George Russell. Over the last four races he lost 10 points to Russell; his only win so far this season came in the opening race in Bahrain. Four races remain in the championship.
Speaking before his F1 contract announcement, Norris said he is growing more comfortable at McLaren. “It’s feeling more and more natural this year,” he said. “I don’t feel as nervous every time I come in but it’s still a big deal coming in every day, coming in every day to McLaren. It never feels normal, every time you walk into McLaren or here or get into the car. It all feels pretty special.”
Norris is scheduled to drive a McLaren again for a two-day tyre test for Pirelli beginning on Wednesday.
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