One of McLaren's top drivers once gave a bizarre and funny response when asked how he was so fast even after the FIA made several regulation changes. The driver was none other than James Hunt, one of the most glamorous F1 drivers in history.
Back in 1976, former F1 driver Stirling Moss interviewed Hunt, asking how he was so quick despite so many regulation changes. The McLaren driver gave a blunt and hilarious answer, hinting at how daring and capable he is to squeeze performance out of the car.
After both of them chuckled, Hunt asked whether it could be printed or not. He said:
"Big b***...Can't they print that? But it's true!"
There was a brief pause in the interview, after which Moss once again posed the question to James Hunt, expecting a proper answer from him. This time, of course, the Briton explained how McLaren successfully predicted the effects of the regulations changes and were on top of things from the get-go. He said:
"Well, I think McLaren knew what they were doing, you know, they know their car very well. And they were able to interpret the effect of the changes of moving the wing and the airbox change would have on the car and anticipated. Because we did a little bit of testing but probably less than almost anybody else, and the car went very well straight away."
James Hunt was famous for being straightforward and speaking his mind. Though he was not liked by everyone, his raw pace and talent always overshadowed whatever he did off the track.
Lando Norris pinpoints one of the major issues faced by McLaren in 2023
Lando Norris recently revealed one of the major issues in the MCL60 that McLaren is working hard to resolve, which has to do with DRS efficiency.
The MCL60 happens to be one of the draggiest cars on the grid. Hence, it struggles even when the DRS is open. Speaking to Motorsport.com after the 2023 F1 Australian GP, Norris explained:
"I was able to race against them and overtake them, which was probably one of the biggest challenges we faced because our top speed is so bad. But I overtook Hulkenberg and had a good race with him. So it was sometimes positive. I think it helps us not to have DRS. We were shocked to see how bad we were with DRS and how draggy the car is when we open the DRS."
He continued:
"We are catching up a few miles per hour but other cars are gaining ten to fifteen miles per hour. For us, it’s a different story. Saturday is our big weakness at the moment, especially if you have four DRS zones, that is not in our favor."
McLaren has taken a huge step backward in 2023 when it comes to performance. Lando Norris himself admits that the MCL60's top speed is nowhere compared to its competitors.