P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lando Norris has underlined the step into the unknown McLaren faces at the United States Grand Prix, after both his and Oscar Piastri’s sprint ended at the first corner.
“Lando Norris expressed concerns about McLaren being at a disadvantage during the United States Grand Prix due to missing out on crucial learning opportunities from the sprint race.
The collision at the start of the sprint race involving both MCL39s, deemed a racing incident by race control, impacted Norris, his teammate Oscar Piastri, Nico Hulkenberg, and Fernando Alonso.
With both McLaren drivers losing valuable points to Max Verstappen, Norris and Piastri face the grand prix without the insights the sprint race could have provided for the 53-lap event at COTA.
Despite the setback, Norris acknowledged the unpredictability of the situation and the challenges in adjusting the car setup without the sprint race data.
While McLaren could not assess necessary adjustments before the grand prix, Norris emphasized the importance of not using the situation as an excuse for the team’s performance.”
