Lando Norris
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Heading into a monumental Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Lando Norris and McLaren are not concerned about the upgrades Mercedes have brought to Montreal.
There is a lot of anticipation about how Mercedes, McLaren, and the other top teams will perform after bringing upgrades to the Canadian Grand Prix.
McLaren have massively improved the MCL40 ahead of the weekend, giving both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri a huge advantage in Montreal.
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On the other side, Mercedes have brought major upgrades to Canada in an effort to extend their lead at the top of the standings.
But despite the looming threat of Mercedes’ increasing dominance, Lando Norris and McLaren are unfazed and looking to get the most out of this weekend.
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Lando Norris suggests McLaren’s Canadian GP upgrades ‘barely changed’ the MCL40
Speaking to Formula 1 ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Lando Norris was asked about the level of concern he and McLaren have over Mercedes’ rumoured upgrade package.
Norris boldly claimed that neither he nor McLaren care about what they’re doing. Rather, their focus is on improving the car after the upgrades in Miami yielded positive results, and getting the most out of the weekend.
“Who knows? I don’t. We had a good weekend in Miami. But this is a completely different layout. Very difficult to predict. We don’t really care at the moment. We’re just focused on making sure we prepare well on a sprint race weekend.
“That’s really one of the most important things on a weekend like this, just making sure we hit the ground running. That’s normally what brings someone success on a sprint weekend, starting in a very good place. That’s our goal. We don’t really care where everyone thinks they’re going to be.
“We got some upgrades, but some of them barely changed anything. We’re talking tiny things here and there. But everything is to try and push us in the right direction.
“The more the merrier, and anything that helps us be a little bit quicker, especially when you’re talking about thousands and hundreds of times, is a good thing. The team have done a good job. We’re prepared on making sure we hit the ground running later.”
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Ruth Buscombe saw Toto Wolff looking ‘very confident’ in F1 paddock amid major Mercedes W17 upgrades
While Norris and McLaren might be unbothered by them, Mercedes are reportedly very confident in their new upgrade package, as Ruth Buscombe detailed what she saw from Toto Wolff in Montreal.
“Nowadays in Formula 1, we find out exactly what everyone has got when they do their declaration document. The Mercedes camp are confident. The numbers are bandying around. It’s quite a large number, maybe up to half a second. That is, maybe, just paddock rumbles.
“However, Toto Wolff was very, very confident when I saw him. He was happy. Body language, often more than numbers, says something. I don’t think it was a surprise that they brought it here.
“They brought a massive package here in 2024, including that gorgeous front wing. That was a big step in their season. I think that was always the plan.”
It was reported that McLaren’s improvement forced Wolff to urge Mercedes to be more precise in the development of their upgrade package ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Even with concerns that Mercedes’ upgrades could derail Kimi Antonelli after a strong start to the season, there is no denying that Mercedes are considered the unproven favourites to dominate this weekend.
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