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Norris warns McLaren lacks car to fight for F1 title despite Zandvoort win
Lando Norris insists McLaren lacks the machinery to mount a sustained championship challenge despite securing back-to-back victories at Zandvoort.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-08-23T19:23:43.000Z - 3 min read
Lando Norris has downplayed his championship prospects despite delivering a commanding victory at the Dutch Grand Prix. The McLaren driver triumphed at Zandvoort to claim his second consecutive win of the season, following a dominant performance in Hungary before the summer break. That streak has propelled him to fourth in the standings, sitting 83 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Yet despite clawing back ground, Norris remains adamant that his current equipment is not versatile enough to mount a consistent title bid.
The core of Norris's hesitation lies in the stark performance disparities of the MCL36. While recent upgrades have transformed the car into a benchmark in high-speed sections, significant weaknesses remain. Norris pointed out that while no rival can match their speed through high-speed sweeps, the team suffers heavily in slow-speed corners where Mercedes holds a substantial advantage. He noted that the car is difficult to drive and lacks the all-round consistency needed to fight at every venue.
Those limitations point directly to upcoming hurdles on the calendar. Both Monza and Baku feature long straights and a heavy concentration of slow-speed turns, layouts that expose the high drag of the McLaren package while offering very few high-speed corners to offset the deficit. Team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged the upcoming test, stating that confirming their competitiveness in Italy would dictate whether they can look toward the remainder of the campaign with optimism.
Antonelli finds himself navigating a different side of the development race. The Mercedes leader admitted after finishing second to Norris that his squad no longer fields the class of the field, suggesting the Silver Arrows might now possess only the third-best car on the grid. Mercedes has not introduced a major car update since May in Canada, leaving them vulnerable as rivals surge forward. Antonelli faces an additional hurdle at Monza, where he is set to take a grid penalty for exceeding his engine allowance following early-season reliability issues.
Within the McLaren garage, however, observers see a driver operating at the peak of his abilities. Stella praised Norris for working at a world champion level, highlighting an evolution in how the Briton understands race situations and collaborates with engineers to solve overnight setup issues. Norris himself believes he has refined both his on-track execution and his off-track approach compared to previous seasons, even if the car itself remains a handful to extract lap time from.
With the championship race tightening significantly, Norris is refusing to look past the immediate weekend. While acknowledging the strength of their recent momentum, he maintained that the team still has plenty of areas to improve if they are to turn an outside chance into a serious title threat.