Lando Norris mentioned tracks like Singapore and Monaco, both street circuits, as places where the new wheels could cause problems.
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McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris believes the new-look Formula 1 cars can cause visibility issues. He mentioned tracks like Singapore and Monaco, both street circuits, as places where this would ‘become a problem’.
F1’s new-look cars will feature 18-inch wheels for the first time. The bigger wheels are part of the new regulations aimed to minimise ‘dirty air’ and make overtaking easier.
However, one of the side effects of the bigger wheels is a slight lack of visibility from the sides. To make things worse, less pre-season testing won’t give drivers much time to get used to the cars.
“We won’t have much time to get used to the peculiarities of the new race cars,” Norris told Speedweek.com.
“Each driver only gets a total of three days in Spain and Bahrain. That’s not much when we have to get used to a completely different driving style.
“The look is also different, starting with the bigger wheels with these fairings. And that could become a problem at some tracks, like Monaco or Singapore.”
Indeed, Norris said a friend of his who currently races in Formula 2 – where 18-inch wheels were intoduced before F1 – has told him the extent of the visibility issues.
“In Formula 2 the bigger wheels were introduced before. And one of my mates said on certain tracks, the track boundaries had to be fitted with traffic cones because the top of the barriers could no longer be seen from the cockpit because of the big wheels,” Norris added.
“It all takes some getting used to, including the extent of the front wing.”
Nevertheless, there remains a feeling that 2022 can be a good year for Norris and McLaren. The young British driver was one of the standout drivers on the grid in 2021.
He managed multiple podium finishes and clearly outperformed teammate Daniel Ricciardo. This was rewarded with a brand-new contract that runs until 2025.
“The opportunity to extend our relationship with Lando reflects not only our commitment but our belief and confidence in his talent,” said McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl.
“It is also a strong sign of trust and commitment from Lando in us as a team and our journey to World Championship contention.”
“Lando has shown impressive growth as a Formula 1 driver over the past four years and has been an instrumental part of the team’s momentum and performance trajectory.
“We are still on our journey to fight at the front and Lando is a key element of our plan, so to lock him into place, alongside Daniel [Ricciardo] and our senior leadership, gives us stability and continuity as we build towards our ultimate shared goal of World Championships.”
