McLaren drivers shared their expectations for the season

McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri spoke about their mood before the start of the new season, both have a fighting spirit and they will not stop at what they achieved last year.

Oscar Piastri: Hello everyone! We’re back, because a new season is starting!

Lando Norris: Personally, I’m very cheerful, and you?

Oscar Piastri: Me, too.

Lando Norris: Awesome! It feels like the holidays flew by very quickly and the wait for the first race is now not long. A new season means new opportunities and I am ready to go to the start.

Oscar Piastri: And the team has a new car. What can you say about her coloring? It’s a little different from last year and the MCL38 looks good.

Lando Norris: Who cares what a car looks like if it’s fast?

Oscar Piastri: That’s right, but if we drive fast, it would be nice to also make a strong external impression.

Lando Norris: Even if we go slowly, it must also be done beautifully! (laughs) In general the car is good anyway.

A year ago you were a beginner, and now you’re practically a veteran. You have become a year older and more experienced. How has this affected the way you prepare for the season? Have you changed it in any way?

Oscar Piastri: Let’s start with the fact that I now know everyone in the team by name, this is already good. But basically everything is the same: my goals this year are the same as in 2023, but I am less nervous.

Lando Norris: It didn’t seem like you were very nervous last year, you just looked like someone who was serious about racing.

Oscar Piastri: If it wasn’t noticeable on the outside that I was nervous, that’s okay. I think I’m in a calmer mood this year. Although now, before the start of the second season, the sensations are a bit strange.

Lando Norris: At one point I said the same thing.

Oscar Piastri: Now we both feel at home in the team, we both have long-term contracts with McLaren and we have at least three more years to work together. This is amazing!

Lando Norris: Yes, very interesting times await us! It’s great that there will be big changes in Formula 1 in 2026. We will stay in the team for a long time – this shows that we believe in it.

Oscar Piastri: But it also shows that McLaren believes in us!

Lando Norris: That’s for sure! I think we are both happy with the direction the team is going and we have high expectations. We will try to make the car as fast as possible and fight for victories in races and championships.

Oscar Piastri: Agree. The team played the second half of last season with confidence and let’s hope that we not only continue to perform at this level, but can also take the next step. I don’t want to stop there.

Lando Norris: We’re not going to slow down – in short, this is our mood for the start of the season. We are both excited, and it will all start very soon!