F1 News: Lando Norris believes McLaren maximised 2022 package
Lando Norris is satisfied that McLaren extracted everything possible within its MCL36 machine, finishing 5th in the overall standings.
The 23-year-old has shown impressive pace throughout the season, often delivering the majority of McLaren's points.
McLaren has made reasonable progress in recent years as the British squad looks to fight closer to the front and break free from the midfield.
Despite this ambition, the papaya team was forced to settle for a battle for fourth against Alpine.
Whilst Norris claimed a memorable podium in Imola, P7 or P6 was often the most McLaren could aim for throughout a race weekend.
As quoted by motorsport.com, Norris admitted to the limitations of McLaren's 2022 machine:
"Yeah, it's where we deserve to be, P5. I guess you feel very disappointed when there's a shot at P4, and you feel like you could have had it.
"But we've had one bad weekend for reliability. Alpine has had four or five.
"They've had a quicker car for the majority of the year."
The Briton's assessment of McLaren's 2022 campaign is reasonable, though it is inevitable that he will hope for a more competitive package this year.
Norris has spoken at length about his confidence in McLaren's long-term potential, but it would be unwise for the team to test the extent of this patience.
There will not be a major regulation change until 2026, so it will be crucial for the Woking-based squad to deliver a contending package within the next few seasons.
In any case, at least for now, Norris is pleased with how the team manages its race weekends from an operational perspective.
For McLaren, the next task is to produce a more competitive package and showcase their ambitions of fighting at the front.