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Amid McLaren’s Miserable Fortunes, Lando Norris Hopes for a Utopian Scenario With a Reality Check on Latest Monaco Tribute

Published 05/28/2023, 6:15 AM EDT

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via Reuters

There was a time when McLaren was a force to reckon with. The team took off on the back of the vision of the legendary Ron Dennis. Even Lewis Hamilton‘s addition to the team in 2007 was a part of his plans. The Briton won the drivers’ championship in 2008 with the Woking-based outfit, a title that remains the last they won any. Today, the team is going through tough times. Even finishing in the points-scoring positions is a struggle for their drivers. However, Lando Norris is not among those to jump ship just yet. The senior McLaren driver vowed to restore the team’s glory, all the while taking a dig at some people in the team.

Before the start of the season, McLaren CEO Zak Brown delivered disappointing news to the fans. He told that they were running behind on their targets in the car’s development. All that under-preparedness showed on the track as Norris and Oscar Piastri encountered some issue or the other in almost every race. As we wait for the Monaco GP to start later today, Norris has delivered a thundering statement.

Lando Norris shows his commitment to McLaren while taking slamming Zak Brown & Co.

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McLaren is fielding a special livery for the Monaco GP race weekend. The livery will mark 60 years of their ‘Triple Crown’ winning anniversary. Norris, proud of the team’s past achievements, lauded the look of the livery. However, he stressed the need to bring those glory days back.

Speaking with ESPN about the livery, he said, “It’s special because it’s the history of McLaren. It’s a nice livery, it’s just being part of a team that has achieved a Triple Crown. Some people might not care, but the passionate people who know about racing I think it means a lot.”

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“Whether you win in Le Mans at any point, whether you win at Indy at any point, whether you win Monaco, or a Formula One world championship, all are extremely difficult to do but very different. McLaren is a team to have done that, so just celebrating the history of McLaren.”

“But at the same time I’d love to be a part of the history and creating the history, not just celebrating the past of it… creating it in the present. So I’d prefer to be doing that, but it’s lovely and an honour to be part of,” he added.

The team is currently going through one of the worst seasons it has ever endured. In times like these, fans often recall the Papaya team’s glory days during Ron Dennis’ time. Lando still believes they are capable of repeating that.

Norris is confident that McLaren is still capable of winning the championship in the near future

2020 was a year when McLaren punched well above its weight to defeat the likes of Ferrari to take third place in the championship. Since then, they have slipped down one place in each season. Even a struggling Alpine beat them to the 4th position in the standings last year. Currently, they are struggling to make it into Q3 on Saturdays and finish in the top 10 on Sundays. However, Lando’s confidence remains in his team.

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via Reuters

He said, “I definitely believe so. It’s just time. That’s the difficult thing to deal with. I wouldn’t say I’m the most patient guy, but I’ve learnt to be a lot more patient since I’ve joined Formula One.”

“It can be for anyone. You can go from winning world championships to finishing P8, P9 the following year. So it’s the same for anyone in any position that they’re in. I want to do it with McLaren, first of all it’s just a lot more special to do it that way.”

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Watch This Story: $300,000 McLaren Legacy Dedicated to Ayrton Senna Craned into $39,000,000 Penthouse

Do you think McLaren can provide Norris with a car in the coming seasons that is worthy of winning the championship? How long do you think he will wait for it?

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Written by:

Nischay Rathore

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Nischay Rathore is a senior Formula 1 writer at EssentiallySports with an impressive portfolio of over 850 published articles. With a keen eye for sports and a passion for Formula 1, soccer, and tennis Nischay has embarked on a journey in sports journalism. As a long-time Formula 1 fan, Nischay enjoys reflecting on races from the sport’s past.
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Edited by:

Varunkumaar Chelladurai