Lando Norris: The 2022 cars are sensitive to the wind

The very windy conditions of the Bahrain tests allowed the drivers in the paddock to test the reactions of the race cars, something they had not been able to do on the Catalonian track. In recent years, wind sensitivity has posed serious problems for certain teams, and with the new aerodynamic regulations of this season, it was impossible to predict how the new cars would behave.

Lando Norris, the only McLaren driver present behind the wheel in Bahrain, revealed his feelings about the effect of the wind. Obviously, the cars are very sensitive to the wind. “I think it’s a good thing that we were able to see it because there was no wind in Barcelona,” he admitted.

« The F1 cars are still sensitive to the wind, gusts… It is much hotter here than in Barcelona. So we have to see how the tires perform and how the car handles. The track is much more bumpy. We will see how the car reacts to the bumps. The compromises to be made with the settings are very different. »

Very complex slow turns.

Moreover, the drivers encountered difficulties in slow corners. They are mainly due to the wind, but also to the increased weight of the 2022 cars. Lando Norris explains this phenomenon.

« I think it’s a combination of two things: the first being the wind, we had wind that pushed us all day,” says the British driver. « It makes braking much more complicated. And in terms of downforce, you have much less than if you had headwind, or even none at all, for example. And secondly, with these different, much larger tires, the way you have to set up the car is stiffer. After that, it’s a quite bumpy entry into this turn [10], and you turn while braking,” he continues.

So when you put all of this together, it’s not necessarily what a Formula 1 is created for, it makes things very tricky and it’s easy to lock up the front wheel, go straight and flat spot the tire,” Norris explains. “That’s why drivers will have to take a very conservative approach.

« It’s difficult, especially when you have new tires, you want to push a little further,” admits the McLaren driver. « You really have to find your rhythm. I think it’s comparable to other turns. We shouldn’t just dive into it, even if it looks like we are, and I think that’s just an illusion. But in reality, you have to be a little more conservative with these cars and not try to push them. Otherwise, there will be some consequences. »