Anthony Davidson ‘doesn’t know what’s going on’ after he saw surprising Lando Norris onboard

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Lando Norris and McLaren need perfection from this weekend’s United States Grand Prix until the end of the season. They’re trying to overturn a 52-point deficit to Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship.

Recent performances suggest it’s possible. Norris has won two of the last four races by more than 20 seconds, with McLaren clearly the fastest team in F1 before the unofficial autumn break.

However, there are still doubts over whether the team are ready to win the championship at the individual or operational level. Norris hadn’t even won a race at the start of 2024, while McLaren were only just becoming a frontrunner again after more than a decade in the midfield.

Speaking last week, Red Bull executive Helmut Marko questioned Norris’ mental strength. This was a clear attempt to play mind games, but the Briton will face such criticism until he becomes a champion.

McLaren brought four upgrades to the race at the Circuit of the Americas. Their Woking facility has delivered a new front wing, front suspension and front and rear corner.

At times this season, their rivals have needed time to understand and evaluate new parts. McLaren, by contrast, have seen an instant performance uplift when they’ve introduced developments.

Anthony Davidson can’t understand Lando Norris’ struggles at US Grand Prix

Friday was a disappointing day for Norris, who qualified fourth for the Sprint. Crucially, title rival Verstappen is on pole.

Only eight points are on offer for the Saturday race, with 26 up for grabs in the Grand Prix. But McLaren need to make considerable gains every weekend to stand a chance at winning the double.

What’s more, the handling issues Norris experienced in Sprint qualifying bode poorly for the rest of the weekend. Sky Sports F1 analyst Anthony Davidson noticed him persistently struggling through turn one.

In the other car, Oscar Piastri appeared to lack confidence all day. That culminated in an SQ1 exit as he saw his final lap deleted for a track limits violation.

“Lando Norris is one surprise victim, consistently through turn one,” Davidson said as he reviewed the onboard footage. “This is him in his second run, so SQ2, fighting it all the way through that particular corner.

“It wasn’t just that session that he struggled in. It was in SQ1 as well. Even more of a struggle this time around. It has been consistent for him all the way through today.

“I don’t know what’s going on with McLaren there. Maybe the cold tyres at the start of the lap. I feel like it’s an element they need to look into.”

Why Lando Norris has a better car than Oscar Piastri at the US Grand Prix

Piastri won’t be in a positon to help Norris on Saturday. The Australian’s task will be to try and recover a point or two from his lowly starting berth.

There will come a point, though, when McLaren’s desire to challenge for the title at all costs is tested. Jenson Button has urged Zak Brown to copy Ferrari, who stopped at nothing to favour Michael Schumacher in the early 2000s.

Norris should be quicker than Piastri in Austin, which may delay the moment of reckoning. The 2023 debutant will have to wait until Mexico at the earliest before he runs the team’s new front wing.

As the lead driver in the standings, Norris has naturally been favoured. The rest of McLaren’s upgrades are all on both cars.