Lando Norris excited to head to Imola as an F1 race winner

Can McLaren make it two in a row at the Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

That is certainly the goal, as the team looks to build on the momentum of Lando Norris’ maiden F1 victory at the Miami Grand Prix. The team heads to Imola firmly in third place in the Constructors’ Championship standings, 60 points clear of third place Mercedes. While they trail second place Ferrari by 63 points, the team is still miles ahead of where they were a season ago.

And now Norris gets to head to an F1 race for the first time as a grand prix winner.

“I’m heading to Imola as a race winner, which feels good. It was amazing to walk into the [McLaren Technology Centre] (MTC) with the trophy and for everyone at the factory to take time out of their day and celebrate together,” said Norris in the team’s media preview. “We’ve been through a lot together over the past six years, and now we want nothing more than to have more moments like this. “

However, it has not all been playtime for the McLaren driver, as Norris put in his fair share of work in the simulator at MTC to get ready for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

“While at the MTC, I was also back in the sim to prepare with my engineers for this double header. We’re now back to getting our heads down, fully focused on the next race and how we can make further improvements,” added Norris. “It’s been two years since we raced at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, but we’re ready to head back. It’s one of my favourite races and I can’t wait to go racing around this iconic track in front of the awesome fans again.”

Teammate Oscar Piastri, who finished outside the points after sustaining damage during a collision with Carlos Sainz Jr., still feels that his weekend in Miami was one of his strongest in F1.

“Imola up next! I didn’t get the final result I wanted in Miami, but it was one of my strongest weekends so far,” described Piastri. “It was great to celebrate with the team last week, but we’re all hungry for more, which shows just how far we’ve come.”

The second year driver is ready to make his F1 racing debut at Imola.

“This is my first Grand Prix in Imola. Sadly, we were unable to race there last year, but we are so excited to be back in front of the fans and we’ll hopefully be able to put on a good show for them,” added Piastri. “I’ve been back with the team in engineering and sim sessions, and I feel very prepared. Hopefully, we’ll bring back some good points for the team.”

Team Principal Andrea Stella outlined how the success in Miami has sparked a desire at McLaren to reach for even greater heights.

“After a wonderful result in Miami, the team have come together in Woking to celebrate the hard work and dedication that has got us to this point. This doesn’t mean our mission is over,” stated Stella. “This result has served to reinvigorate our goal to be consistently achieving wins and podiums, and we double down on our efforts.

“The team have now reset as we turn our attention to the first European race of the year. Imola is one of the fastest circuits on the calendar and should offer some good opportunities for us to continue adding to our Championship points.”

McLaren will get their first crack at Imola during Friday’s two practice sessions, ahead of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.