Ahead of the 2025 F1 British GP, Lando Norris has offered detailed insight into McLaren’s recent suspension change and his ongoing battle to extract consistent feeling and performance from the MCL39. Following the team’s implementation of a subtle front-end modification, Norris shared his measured impressions after two race weekends with the updated specification, while also delving into his unique approach to car feedback and steering sensitivity.
A subtle yet important adjustment
McLaren introduced a change to the front suspension setup two races ago, aiming to fine-tune the feedback Lando Norris receives through the car’s steering system. However, as the British driver explained, the change was not designed to deliver instant pace gains but rather to enhance the qualitative aspects of car handling.
“Honestly, and it is even an answer I cannot give to the team that clearly, if you ask me now, is it better or not? I cannot give a definitive answer. It is something that we believe might shift things in the right direction. That is how small of a change it was.”
According to Norris, the modification is not a clear-cut performance upgrade. Instead, its purpose lies in influencing the driver’s sensation and connection with the car’s front end—especially through the steering.
“It was not like, we know this is going to help, it is going to do a better job,” he said, continuing, “It is also not a performance item. It is not something that we have got and gone, now we are going to be quicker.”
He added, “It is something that might change how the feeling is to the steering and to the front suspension.”
Track variability complicates judgement
Due to the variation in circuit characteristics from one event to the next, Norris has found it difficult to isolate the effects of the suspension change. Unlike a typical setup tweak that can be reversed within a session, the modification requires a longer-term evaluation.
“But because you go track to track, it is not something you can necessarily just change between sessions. It is not where I can just go out and give a clean answer to the team. It is one where I have just got to have the confidence and belief in the guys and girls who have put it together and thought of it believe it is in the right direction to give me maybe some more feelings or a better feeling, or more of a contrast in feeling. And I am happy enough that that is a good enough answer, that they think it is better, and I am confident that it is going to give me that feeling, but it is not something I can go, I am feeling a lot more in the car.”
Uncertainty remains ahead of Silverstone round
The recent rounds in Austria and Canada have offered contrasting experiences. While Austria provided some clarity on the benefits of the change, Norris noted that Canada’s erratic nature made it nearly impossible to draw solid conclusions ahead of the 2025 F1 British GP.
“I certainly felt more in Austria. Canada is a very separate one and the car is always all over the place in Canada, so it is hard to judge things there. But certainly in Canada, I felt like we unlocked a little bit more, but I also do not feel like I am still back to the level necessarily that I was at last year with feeling, understanding, and things like that. But it is a complicated one at the same time because a lot of other things have changed too. So, as a team, we are working hard.”
Working in tandem with the team
Norris made it clear that the process of implementing and evaluating changes involves a collaborative effort between himself and his engineers. Both parties have recognised areas for improvement and have taken steps to address them collectively.
“Obviously, I am working very hard with my team to understand more things and tried more stuff in the simulator and expand my vocabulary of driving in a way. But it is, yes, also one where I guess I have to use my experience of being a driver and saying last year I was very confident that I had more knowledge, more feeling through the car, because I am the last guy that will ever say, guys, the car is just not good or is not as good or whatever. I never want to blame it in that perspective, but I certainly was not happy.”
By expressing his dissatisfaction in a constructive manner, Norris motivated the team to seek better solutions—both mechanically and through his own driving adaptations.
“I made that clear to the team, and I think I was therefore in a position where the team got to work on their side and I got to work on my side. Together, we made some improvements, and I am happy with that so far.”
Partial comfort amid continuous refinement
When asked to specify the area in which he now feels more comfortable, Norris clarified that while there has been progress ahead of the 2025 F1 British GP, the ideal level of comfort remains out of reach. Due to his limited reference points—having only ever driven for McLaren—he relies heavily on his own historical benchmarks to guide development feedback.
“I will say I am more comfortable [but] I would not say I am completely comfortable. The thing is, it is hard because I cannot really compare to many other people. I do not know what other people think, feel, do inside the car, and I can only speak for myself and my experience of previous years, and only ever driving McLarens, because that is the only car I have ever driven.”
“So, I have to use my experience and voice my opinion on what I think is different and all those things based upon my past experiences in different cars over the past few years.”
Touch the most important tool for feedback
The conversation took a more personal and technical turn as Norris revealed the key area that determines his sense of confidence behind the wheel: steering feedback. Unlike some drivers who might lean more on their vision or body feel, Norris said his primary grip recognition mechanism lies in his hands.
“But I am also very much a driver who feels most of my things, like most people, through their hands. There are obviously many other senses that when you are in the car, you try to use and utilise and put them all together, whether it is your vision and just feeling through your body and your legs, your feet, but always my understanding of where the grip lies comes through my hands and through the steering wheel. For me, that is my most sensitive area.”
This high level of sensitivity has influenced his feedback and made him more vocal than previous teammates when something does not feel right at the front of the car.
“Anything that has always been since I have started, I have always been very vocal, more vocal than my past team-mates, whether that was with Carlos or Daniel, on issues that I have had in terms of feeling through the steering and grip and understanding these different things. That can be positive and negative at the same time, but that is just something I have learned over the years. I think it is a strength of mine, my understanding of that.”
Unlocking the final percentages
Norris concluded by reiterating that the absence of clear, reliable feedback through the steering prevents him from consistently reaching his performance ceiling. The focus now, he said, is on reclaiming those sensations that have been diminished over time.
“But therefore, when I do not have those feelings and I cannot use those feelings to get the maximum out of the car to perform at my limit, then I am not happy, I guess. And I am not as comfortable as I want to be. So, it is trying to understand where I feel like we have lacked or we have lost some of those things this season and how to get them back.”
A measured path forward
As McLaren continues its steady climb up the competitive order in 2025, with their next outing at the F1 British GP, Norris’ analytical and feedback-driven approach remains central to the development process. While the suspension change has not yet produced a dramatic transformation, it represents one piece of a larger puzzle.
