Norris, Gasly ready to tackle classic tracks in 2022 cars

Mark Scott
Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly on press conference duties. February Barcelona 2022

McLaren driver Lando Norris and AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly on press conference duties. February Barcelona 2022

Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly cannot wait to tackle some classic high-speed tracks in the new 2022 cars.

On the face of it, the new regulations look restrictive and limited, but during our first proper look at the new cars in Barcelona we saw plenty of variety as the teams showed us their initial interpretations of the new rules.

But the overall aim is to help make the entire field competitive with each other both on and off the track, as well as make it easier for the drivers to race wheel to wheel with each other without solely relying on the use of DRS to make a pass.

Having properly driven the 2022 car for the first time, Norris was positive in his early assessment.

“I look forward to the high-speed circuits which we’ll be going to,” Norris said in a drivers’ press conference at the unofficial Barcelona test.

“That’s obviously the type of corners where you tend not to be able to follow so much over the last few years.

“You should be able to follow much closer on those types of tracks and it should prove to be good racing and exciting for everyone to watch.

“We’ll see. That’s something that will come over the year, with developments again. But I look forward to the racing this year.”

Gasly was sat alongside Norris at the press conference and agreed with the McLaren driver.

“I must say they are fun,” said Gasly of the 2022 machines. “As Lando said, the car seems to work really well in the high-speed and that’s where we get usually the most excited.

“So really looking forward to Silverstone, Suzuka, all these [type of] tracks.

“So, if we are able to be a lot closer to each other in racing that could make a lot of adrenaline, which is always what we are looking for. So, excited for that.”

Norris feels 2022 cars are ‘more sluggish’

Lando Norris believes that the 2022 cars feel sluggish compared to the 2021 cars.