Norris preparing hard for F1 debut

Lando Norris says he is hard at work preparing for his F1 debut.

The 19-year-old Formula 2 runner-up is making his debut for McLaren this year, as the once-great F1 team rebuilds after an uncompetitive last few years.

Norris told the Dutch publication Formule 1 that the workload as he prepares to debut is often "overwhelming".

"Yes, there are so many different situations where you have to process a lot of different information," he said.

"That is a step up for me. In F2 the driver is limited in what he can adjust.

"So I’ve been busy studying that kind of thing this winter. I hope that I know what to do in Australia, but I am confident. The team has helped me a lot," said Norris.

He thinks McLaren has taken a step forward compared to 2018, which will be remembered as Fernando Alonso’s last in formula one.

"The atmosphere has really improved," said the Briton.

"When I look at the motivation of the whole group, things are going in the right direction. Problems we had are gradually being ironed out.

"It can always be better but it also takes time to get everyone on the same page."

As for the car, Norris says the 2019 machine is "going pretty well".

"Obviously there are aspects we are still struggling with, as it is a really different car than last year," he said.