MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Formula 1 champion Lando Norris is struggling with his new era McLaren car and frustrated to line up only sixth in Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Norris' title defense comes amid sweeping changes to the cars, and the 26-year-old British driver has endured a tough weekend at Albert Park so far.
F1's new cars are complex, with unprecedented changes across the chassis and power unit, which now feature an almost 50:50 output split between the turbo 1.6-liter V6 engine and electrical energy harvested from the brakes — one that requires a new, often counterintuitive driving style.
"We've come from the best cars ever made in Formula 1, and the nicest to drive, to probably the worst," he said after Saturday's qualifying.
He's not just coming to grips with his car's complex energy management systems, but also in getting out on track — with the Briton losing significant time in Friday's two practice sessions.
"Just getting into the rhythm of lifting everywhere to go quicker and using gears you don't want to use and just understanding that when you lift more, you brake later but you have to brake less," Norris said.
"That's why laps are more valuable than ever. In the past, miss P1, not too bothered. Now, you miss five laps, not only do you as a driver have to figure things out quicker, the engine doesn't learn what it needs to learn and then you're just on the back foot."
