First impressions of McLaren’s big Brazil GP upgrade

McLaren was the sole team to bring an upgrade package for the Brazil Grand Prix, as the team arrived with a new front wing, rear wing, beam wing, and floor furniture.

Ahead of the weekend, Lando Norris was not optimistic about the upgrades, as they were not meant to fix the issues he has been experiencing when driving his McLaren.

However, after the opening Friday Free Practice sessions, the British driver was left feeling positive as he ended the day inside the top three in both Free Practice 1 and 2.

“I think FP1 we seemed quite easily on the pace,” Norris said in the media pen after the Free Practice sessions on Friday.

“FP2 we may have struggled a little bit more to match the Mercedes, but I think actually it's been a pretty good start to the weekend. We've continued the trend that we had in Mexico. So, I think all in all a positive day.

“Today was also a day where we're kind of working through the upgrades and seeing if they're working as they should. And they are, so I think we seem to gain performance.

“Nothing's changed too much from a driving point of view. It's still tricky, but it's maybe brought a little bit of lap time, which is what we want.”

Norris was asked whether the upgrades had been a positive addition to his car, to which he stated he ‘thinks so’, but the team will need time to look into the full impact of the parts ahead of Free Practice 3 on Saturday.

He stated, “I think so. I mean, tonight is the time the guys have to go through everything to analyse stuff.

“But I mean upgrades, you can have two types of upgrades: upgrades that change kind of a balance and handling, and upgrades that are just there to bring performance, to bring lap time, to make things perform quicker, in the hope that they also improve how the car has been handling. And as we know, it's been a tricky car.

“So today seemed a little bit more straightforward. So, even though the upgrades are not performed to change the handling characteristics, they aim to just bring load and to bring grip; sometimes you get a bit of a difference in feeling. And I think today was a slightly more positive feeling, so that's certainly a good start to the weekend.”

As well as Norris, Randy Singh, the Senior Director of Racing at McLaren, also added, "It has been an encouraging day for the team. 

"We brought a new upgrade package, including a revised front wing, and the data from both practice sessions indicates that it is delivering exactly as anticipated."