Lando Norris and McLaren entered the F1 2025 season as the clear favorites for the year, but qualifying has proven to be a struggle for the British driver.

As a result, McLaren is looking at ways the MCL39 can be improved, particularly in qualifying, to ensure Norris can perform at his peak.

McLaren looking to make MCL39 comfortable for Lando Norris

It can feel strange to claim that the driver leading the World Championship is struggling, but such is the case with McLaren’s Lando Norris — at least as it pertains to qualifying.

Both McLaren MCL39s were quick and looked set to dominate the front row of the grid, only for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to sweep in and pip pole by the blink of an eye.

“I’m happy,” Norris said after qualifying, “because I felt like I got everything out of the car today.

“So, it’s tiny. Was there probably that much in it? Yes. But Max did an amazing lap.”

But in a sport with margins as fine as those found in Formula 1, it’s those minor slip-ups in qualifying that can make all the difference.

Thankfully, McLaren feels confident that it has identified Norris’ issue, which means it can begin tackling the problem.

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“We know that with Lando there’s one aspect of the car that we need to improve to give him a little bit more of a natural flow when having to deliver the first lap,” said team boss Andrea Stella, as reported in The Race.

“I think this has been now very well identified, and we plan to do some further work in the coming races to see if we can get the car to more naturally do what he expects and thinks should be possible from the car.”

When quizzed on the exact changes that would be made, Stella naturally declined to offer any specifics — though he did note that the car’s sensitivity has been one of its biggest drawbacks.

“I think it has to do with the driver’s input to the car, and the response of the car to this input,” Stella said.

“At the moment, I think it’s a little too sensitive.”

One key area where Norris appears to be struggling is under braking; compared to teammate Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris overlaps the braking and cornering phases of a corner more regularly, which leads to greater tyre degradation.

Stella noted that “Oscar, he has some other aspects in which he needs to get slightly more comfortable,” but that the issues following Lando Norris are largely specific to the British driver.

Still, both drivers have work to do.

Read next: Where Verstappen ‘made the difference’ as Japan GP pole draws Norris reaction