Formula 1: McLaren launch 2022 car

Lando Norris says he "can't accept doing nothing" to promote diversity after Formula 1's decision to remove the pre-race anti-racism ceremony.

Sebastian Vettel said on Thursday he had been "surprised" by the decision.

And Norris said: "I'm sure they haven't done it for nothing but I support Sebastian - it's worth doing things."

Norris - talking at the launch of McLaren's new F1 car at their factory in Woking, Surrey - said the drivers would discuss before the start of the season next month how best to use the platform they have.

In the last two seasons, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has taken the knee in support of anti-racism, alongside what ended up being a minority of the other drivers, while Vettel has worn T-shirts bearing slogans in support of various causes, including LGBTQ+ issues and the environment.

Norris added: "It will be something we definitely speak about beforehand to make sure we're prepared and we're making the most of whatever opportunities we have.

"What we do as a group, it doesn't have to be simply that [a pre-race ceremony].

"There are other ways to stand up, to raise awareness for issues and different matters. We will speak about it with F1 and the drivers to make sure we make the most of our opportunities with F1."

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Reaction to Abu Dhabi

Both Norris and team-mate Daniel Ricciardo have been involved in talks with governing body the FIA as part of the ongoing inquiry into the controversial end to last year's championship.

Race director Michael Masi failed to follow the rules correctly in at least two different ways in a late safety-car period and the decisions led director to the destiny of the championship shifting from Hamilton to Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Norris and Ricciardo both said they had "confidence" the FIA would make the right decisions in finding a way to prevent such problems arising again.

"Things are going in a good direction and they are realising areas where they can improve and make less mistakes," Norris said.

"The obvious thing we all want is consistency and when something is inconsistent like that weekend is when people get annoyed and frustrated."

Ricciardo added: "There has been so much emphasis on it. They don't want to put themselves in a position like that again.

"Maybe the stars align that it does happen again, but there has been that much around it that something will get addressed or changed or at least look to find a way to make a situation like that a little better."

Masi's position is in doubt as a result of the events of Abu Dhabi and insiders say that the most likely solution is that he will be replaced as race director by Portuguese Eduardo Freitas, previously the World Endurance Championship race director.

Masi is tipped to be given a new role with the FIA, with some sources saying he is likely to be made safety delegate.

Norris said: "I support Michael and a lot of other things we did were great the last seasons we were working with him. It's just ironing out the small things that can have big impact."

The FIA is due to report on the findings of its inquiry at a meeting of the F1 Commission on Monday.

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl emphasised that Abu Dhabi was just the most high profile of a series of controversial decisions by officials in 2021.

"It is clear that what happened in Abu Dhabi was very controversial and was not good for the sport," Seidl said.

"If you look at the entire season, a lot of controversial things happened that were overall not good for the sport.

"We need to invest time and energy to understand what happened in the season and see how we can help by making the regulations less complex (and) by giving more support to the race director and to the stewards to avoid the mistakes happening.

"It is still a human sport and that we shouldn't forget. And we need to accept mistakes can happen on the team aside on the on the FIA side.

"And it's important we create an environment where if mistakes happen you raise your hand and admit them. That is as important as trying to avoid similar controversies in the first place."

McLaren will also enter the Extreme E championship in 2022

What about the car?

McLaren are the second team after Aston Martin to unveil their definitive 2022 car - there is scepticism throughout F1 as to whether Red Bull's launch on Wednesday featured their genuine car.

Chief executive officer Zak Brown said the team's aim was to move closer to the front of the field after finishing fourth last year but admitted that McLaren do not yet have the facilities in place to match the front-runners.

"We have the people we need but we are still catching up on some of the technology infrastructure we're behind on, the wind tunnel under construction and things like the simulator," Brown said.

"We have everything here or on order or being built. We still have little way to go so we haver to caution against all things are equal."

Technical director James Key said: "We can be proud of presenting a real car. It is the car we will be taking to Barcelona [for the first pre-season test on 23-25 February]. We have hidden a couple of things. There are some sensitive areas."

Among the notable features of the car is that McLaren have adopted pull-rod front suspension - where the rocker arm pulls the spring from below rather than pushing from above.

This has theoretical aerodynamic advantages over the more conventional push-rod suspension but comes with drawbacks.

"The whole front suspension layout is aerodynamics," Key said. "It is the only thing you have to play with between the front wing and the entry to the floor. And depending on how you want the [air]flow to enter the floor will define the front suspension.

"It seemed a good solution to try some benefits, mechanically challenging but we knew the pit falls from the previous years [we had run it in the 2010s]."

F1 has introduced new rules this year in an attempt to make the racing closer and these create an entirely new philosophy of car, with a greater proportion of overall downforce created by the underfloor.

McLaren's car differs from the Aston Martin unveiled on Thursday in having narrow upper rear bodywork, whereas the Aston had wider upper bodywork with a cutaway underneath it.

Key said both are "different solutions to the same problem" of ensuring the best airflow over key aerodynamic parts at the rear of the car.