A car that’s quick but difficult to drive: this has become a familiar refrain up and down the grid in the final season of Formula 1’s current ground-effect ruleset.
Lando Norris struggled with graining in the sprint race in China, labouring to eighth place after dropping three positions on the opening lap, and then had a messy qualifying en route to fourth on the grid. By contrast, team-mate Oscar Piastri picked the right moment in the sprint to relieve Max Verstappen’s Red Bull of second place, then qualified his MCL39 on pole position for Sunday’s grand prix.
