New Delhi, Nov 17 (NationPress) Coming off his remarkable wins in Mexico and Brazil, Lando Norris, the championship leader, has moderated expectations for the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix. He acknowledged that McLaren might encounter its most challenging weekend of the season beneath the cold night lights of the Strip.

Norris, who holds a solid 24-point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri, candidly addressed the impact of Las Vegas’ conditions on McLaren this year.

“It will certainly be a challenge. Last year was our worst race, so my anticipation isn't high,” Norris shared with Sky Sports.

McLaren faced significant difficulties in Las Vegas in 2023, with Norris finishing sixth and Piastri seventh, despite having a vehicle capable of winning the title. The cold sessions and unexpectedly slippery track revealed vulnerabilities that McLaren has been working to improve over the past year.

“We’ve put considerable effort into addressing these issues,” Norris noted. “Mercedes was exceptionally strong there last year, alongside Red Bull and Ferrari. We were at the bottom of that pack. So, we’ll have to see how it goes.”

Despite his concerns, Norris emphasized that his statements weren't pessimistic but rather realistic. When a reporter suggested he sounded overly negative, the Brit reaffirmed his position.

“I’m entitled to my opinions. I strive to be as honest as possible. If I don’t believe we’ll be competitive, I’ll say so.”

He insisted he wasn’t forecasting disaster—just a more challenging weekend.

“I’m not predicting a 10th place finish. I’m merely indicating that winning will be tough. Just look at last year’s data; we were considerably behind.”

Norris did mention that there are upcoming venues that better suit McLaren. “We’re looking forward to Abu Dhabi and Qatar. Las Vegas is a bit less appealing, as it has been one of our weakest tracks over the past two years.”

Andrea Stella, McLaren's team principal, remains optimistic that the team has learned from past mistakes.

“Last year in Vegas was one of our most challenging races,” Stella recalled, citing issues with tire performance, aerodynamic stability, and graining.

“The analysis from last year provided us valuable insights to enhance our performance... from tire management, aerodynamic efficiency, to car setup changes, we know the direction we need to take compared to last year.”

However, Stella warned that improvements are not guaranteed. “Will it be sufficient to be competitive? We’ll find out in Vegas, but we have taken steps… last year’s performance was not up to par.”

Mercedes dominated the Las Vegas race in 2024, with George Russell securing pole and victory, while Lewis Hamilton finished second. Team principal Toto Wolff has downplayed the chances of a repeat performance.

“I’ve suggested we maintain the same car from last year, but that’s not the reality,” Wolff joked.

“We need to analyze the requirements for Las Vegas carefully… but I’m skeptical,” he added, recognizing the difficulty in mirroring last year’s performance with a different car package.