Norris: You get rid of people who are not performing

James Key joined McLaren four years ago, but failed to deliver the Formula 1 machinery the team needed to advance up the pecking order, and while 2022 offered a chance for the team to make a step forward with the new technical regulations coming into effect, but their MCL36 was not up to the standard, and their second shot at the new regulations, the MCL60, seems to be another woeful car to exit from Woking.

As such, changes have been made, and a major restructure was done to McLaren's technical department, with James Key shown the door, while Peter Prodromou became the Technical Director of aerodynamics, as David Sanchez joins the team from Ferrari as a Technical Director of Car Concept and Performance.

McLaren have made these changes among others hoping to re-start their trip to recovery, a trip Zak Brown supposedly started back in 2018 that should have borne fruit by now, instead it will take more time for the once-great team to succeed with this major reset.

Lando Norris was asked about the changes at Woking; he said: "I’m thankful I’m not in that position, it’s a very tough job to be in.

"But yeah, I guess everyone has to make a decision at some point. Zak [Brown, McLaren CEO] has bosses too," he pointed out.

"It’s a business at the end of the day, what’s best for the business and not just what looks the nicest. Sometimes you have to be a bit more cold-hearted.

"It happens in every team, it happens at McLaren, but it happens at every team up and down the grid," the Briton maintained.

"You always want better people and you try to get rid of the people who are maybe not performing to the level that you need," Norris insisted. "Especially in F1, when it’s so tough and so tight. You don’t want any weaknesses in any shape or form."

The 23-year-old that started his F1 career with McLaren back in 2019 is glad he only has to drive the car withour worrying about making any hard decisions.

"Thankfully I just drive the cars and I drive the result of everything that happens above. But it’s clear that changes needed to be made, and they were," he concluded.

Norris may not have to worry about taking hard decisions, but the decision he made to extend his contract with McLaren up to the end of the 2025 F1 season, must be one that is causing the one-time polesitter some sleepless nights...