Norris wary but hopeful new McLaren upgrades will improve drivability ahead of Sao Paulo GP

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

McLaren is set to introduce new upgrades for this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, and Lando Norris said at media day in Brazil that he wants “to believe that we can still make improvements” to this year’s car. Norris framed the goal as both faster performance and better drivability, describing the current challenge as difficulty in getting the car “out of the car” at the limit for both himself and teammate Oscar Piastri.

Norris pointed to the momentum of last year at Interlagos as a source of confidence. He noted that he won in Sao Paulo 12 months ago and said he reviewed the session results before speaking to media, remarking: “it’s easy because my name was at the top of all of them,” adding that it was “a nice reminder” of what a strong weekend looked like.

The reigning World Champion heading into the season, Norris’s campaign has been difficult since, according to the announcement context. The Formula 1 update provided says he lost the World Championship last weekend after Kimi Antonelli became the sport’s youngest title winner, leaving Norris and McLaren seeking a renewed performance direction in the final stretch of the year.

The update also highlights the performance trend behind the upgrade push. It states that after Norris and McLaren delivered back-to-back wins during the summer, they have since struggled to fight for victory, attributing that to a car that is difficult to push to the limit. Norris said McLaren is working intensely to improve not only raw speed but also how compliant the car is with what a driver needs when trying to extract maximum performance.

While Norris welcomed the upcoming changes, he cautioned that the upgrades may not automatically make the car easier. “I don’t know if it’s going to make it easier to drive. It could even make it harder to drive,” he said, before adding a hope that performance will still take a step forward and allow adjustments aimed at improving consistency.

Norris said McLaren’s weekend work is focused on “small things” added to the car in Sao Paulo, with the intent of making incremental gains. He emphasized that getting the car to deliver consistent performance at the limit has been challenging, even with “very good potential,” and that the team will look for small changes this weekend to help bridge the gap between potential and output.

Finally, Norris described Interlagos as a venue he enjoys and linked the upgrade plan to the broader aim after Mexico: to remain hopeful about what can still be improved. With McLaren introducing new components for the weekend, the key question Norris raised is whether the modifications will bring not just pace, but a more usable balance for drivers trying to extract the limit.