George Russell: “Specialist” Lando Norris Always Strong at Tracks Like Zandvoort
Russell: Norris a Specialist at High-Degradation Circuits After Zandvoort Win
George Russell believes Lando Norris’s back-to-back victories in Hungary and the Netherlands are no surprise, citing the McLaren driver’s historical strength at tracks defined by long corners and high tyre degradation.
Norris secured pole and victory at both the Hungaroring and Zandvoort either side of the summer break, a surge coinciding with a significant McLaren upgrade package. However, Russell pointed out that Norris has consistently excelled at circuits sharing these specific characteristics.
“I don’t think it’s a major surprise for us, seeing how competitive Lando was this weekend, considering he won in Budapest,”
Russell said after finishing third in the Dutch Grand Prix.
“It’s a very similar circuit with the long corners, high tyre degradation, with the two-stop strategy, so there’s a lot of similarities between the two circuits. I think this may continue for the coming two or three races until we start to bring more to the car, and fingers crossed our competitors don’t.”
Monza Presents Different Challenge
The next round at Monza offers a contrasting layout. While it features a few long corners, the Italian circuit is predominantly characterised by long straights, heavy braking zones, and low-speed chicanes. Russell expects Mercedes to be more competitive there, referencing the team’s strong performances at Shanghai, Montreal, and Silverstone earlier this season.
However, he acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding Ferrari’s rumoured engine upgrade and the unique demands Monza places on power units.
“I think we will be slightly more competitive there,”
Russell said of Monza.
“However, I believe Ferrari have an engine upgrade incoming, and the truth is we just don’t know.”
Despite the circuit change, Russell maintains McLaren remains the benchmark, particularly in high-degradation conditions where Norris excels.
“But I do believe that these high-degradation circuits really suit McLaren very well, and especially Lando. He’s always been a bit of a specialist in those conditions. We also saw it last year.”
“Monza may be slightly different, but I think they are the team to beat right now.”
Antonelli Faces Grid Penalty at Home Race
Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli is set to start from the back of the grid at his home round in Monza. The penalty stems from a full Mercedes power unit change that exceeds his seasonal allocation.
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