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Formula 1 rookie Lando Norris has spoke of big changes he can see in how the McLaren team has approached the development of this season's car as opposed to other years. Norris makes the step up to race driver with the Woking team, making his debut in 2019 after spending last year as its reserve.
McLaren is keen to forge a path back up to the sharp end of the grid, as the once dominant team is suffering from an almost five-year podium drought. Its last podium came at the hands of Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix.
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Despite false hopes that they had improved in 2018 with a switch to Renault from Honda and a fifth place finish in Melbourne last year, they could only manage sixth overall in the constructors' standings.
"There's been quite a big change in the team and how they are approaching things, such as the work and development for next year," Norris told Autosport. "I think they are focusing on making 100 percent sure they know things that are going to be for the good, and not kind of like in 2018 and maybe end up not so good."
Norris, the 2017 Euro Formula 3 champion, joins the F1 grid after finishing second in the FIA Formula 2 championship in 2018 after a tight battle with fellow British rival and 2019 Williams debutant George Russell, hopes to beat teammate Carlos Sainz, who joins from Renault in 2019.
"My ideal aim is to beat Carlos at every race, and every qualifying session." Norris said. "That is an unrealistic goal to set at the moment but I will do the best job that I can and complete as much preparation as I can to be ready for it."
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Major Tom
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It will be interesting to see how Norris goes because its always been hard to gauge how good a driver Sainz is.