Lando Norris Clears the Air on Red Bull’s Car Design Strategy Amid Speculations

In a recent interview, Lando Norris strongly refuted claims that Red Bull Racing designs its Formula 1 cars exclusively for Max Verstappen’s driving style. This dismissal addresses ongoing speculations in the F1 world about Red Bull’s team dynamics and car customization.

Key Takeaways:

• Counter to Rumors: Lando Norris contradicts opinions, indirectly pointed out by Toto Wolff and Sergio Perez, that Red Bull Racing is tailoring its F1 cars specifically for Max Verstappen. Norris emphasizes a driver’s role in adapting to any car’s design to achieve the best performance.
• Performance Discrepancy: Despite Max Verstappen’s impressive 13 wins and Red Bull winning the Constructors’ Championship, teammate Sergio Perez’s comparative underperformance, with only two victories, has fueled rumors of biased car design.
• Norris’s Perspective: Norris, with his own success of four podiums at McLaren, stresses the importance of speed over a car’s suitability to a driver’s style. He believes in prioritizing overall performance over personal driving comfort.

Lando Norris, speaking to RacingNews365, made his stance clear: “It’s not down to the team to just make a car design for a person. Maybe that’s a perfect world. It’s our job to deliver no matter what the car is. Max said something very similar the other day after Toto made the comment about the Red Bull. I don’t think you can just design a car for someone. It just doesn’t work like that.”

This statement comes amid visible differences in performance within the Red Bull team. Verstappen’s dominant streak with 13 victories sharply contrasts with Perez’s inconsistent results, including a worrying trend where he failed to advance beyond Q3 in five consecutive races. These disparities gave rise to paddock speculation. Toto Wolff, the Mercedes Team Principal, hinted at Red Bull’s potential bias towards Verstappen, a suggestion subtly acknowledged by Perez when he admitted that the Red Bull RB19 had diverged from his preferred style this year.

Norris, amidst McLaren’s impressive resurgence to podium finishes, remains firmly driver-focused. He believes that the onus is on the driver to perform with whatever car is provided: “It’s very much down to the driver to drive the car they’re given. I think this way, if I end up being slower than my team-mates for whatever reason, then I’m not doing a good enough job. It’s as simple as that. It’s the driver’s job. That’s why we’re here.”

He further elaborated on his philosophy, acknowledging the ideal scenario where a car suits a driver’s style but underscoring his preference for speed over comfort. “Yes, you want the car to be nice to you and suit you. But drivers get paid enough money to make the best of every circumstance… You can have a quick car and one that is great to drive but at the end of the day, I will always pick driving a difficult car that’s quick than a nice car that’s slow.”

Norris’s views highlight a critical aspect of Formula 1 racing: the delicate balance between a car’s design and a driver’s skill in extracting the utmost performance, regardless of personal comfort or style preferences. As the 2023 season progresses, the dynamics within Red Bull and other teams will continue to be a topic of keen interest and discussion in the F1 community.