Norris sees progress despite falling to Mercedes in Canada

Lando Norris has expressed optimism after securing third place in qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix. The McLaren driver acknowledged the car's good pace, although he was outperformed by a solid Mercedes team that placed George Russell on pole and Kimi Antonelli second. Norris highlighted the team's consistency in variable conditions.

McLaren MCL39 pit garage during wet Canadian GP qualifying, mechanics adjusting front wing angle with digital torque wrenches, Lando Norris helmet visor reflecting timing screens showing P3, Mercedes W16 rear diffuser steam rising from wet track, rain droplets on carbon fibre, engineering screens with telemetry data, cinematic motorsport photography, metallic blue and orange team colours, dramatic overcast lighting, photorealistic technical illustration

The evolution of the MCL39 in slow corners 🏎️

The MCL39 has shown progress in the technical sector of the Gilles Villeneuve circuit, especially in the slow corners of the final section. McLaren's engineers worked on fine-tuning the rear suspension to improve traction in the chicanes. Norris managed to extract maximum performance from the soft tyres on his fast lap, although the top speed deficit compared to Mercedes engines remains an area for improvement.

Norris, third in the back row of the spotlight 😏

While Russell and Antonelli battled for the spotlight, Norris had to settle for being the third wheel. The Briton, however, won the award for best false modesty pose by stating that being close to Mercedes is an achievement. We'll see if in the race he also settles for watching their exhausts or decides to stick his nose where he's not called.