McLaren achieved a total of 14 points in the Japanese Grand Prix. The duo of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz faced challenges in maintaining their position at P3 and eventually dropped to fifth place. According to Norris, Ferrari displayed exceptional speed, making it difficult for him to keep up.
Typically, McLaren has an advantage on circuits like Suzuka due to the characteristics of their MCL38. However, both Norris and Oscar Piastri struggled to maintain their pace for various reasons.
The Japanese Grand Prix proved to be an average outing for McLaren, with Norris admitting to facing difficulties during the race. The hot weather conditions affected the team’s performance at the start and middle stages of the race. Although the car gained pace as the weather cooled down, it was not enough to meet the team’s expectations.
Following disappointing results at Suzuka, Norris believes McLaren is struggling to keep up with Ferrari and Red Bull. Despite being the fastest non-Red Bull driver in Japan qualifying, Norris dropped to P5 by the end of the race, leaving him utterly disappointed.
McLaren only managed to accumulate 14 points from the Suzuka event. Norris’s frustration is evident, and it seems challenging for the papaya team to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix, considering their current performance in the Constructors Championship.