Lando Norris stated that McLaren needs to have “patience” while seeking to regain the performance necessary to become a constant threat at the front of Formula 1 again. The current category champion team started the 2026 season behind Mercedes and only managed to react in the 11th race of the year, when they won the Hungarian GP after presenting a major update to the car.
Read more F1: Mercedes foresees more intense championship after season return
The team hopes the improvements will help the car be competitive on different circuits, with the next test of the package scheduled for the Dutch GP in Zandvoort next month. Despite the progress, Norris believes it will be difficult to recover the gap created by Mercedes at the start of the season:
“It’s difficult because we will never have an advantage over them like they had over us,” said the 2025 champion. “Maybe we can reach the level they are at, but then recovering whatever it is, 100 points from where I am now, will be quite difficult.”
The driver also highlighted his personal evolution during the year and said he is satisfied with his performance, although he wants more results. “I’m more the type who stays in the present and looks to the future. Honestly, I feel like I have driven better in this half of the season than I probably did in the same period last year, to some extent.”
Read more F1: Hamilton rules out that new generation of cars fits better with his driving style
“Unfortunately, I’m not leading the championship by a bigger margin. Of course, I want a better car, and I would like a car that gave me more opportunities and brought me results matching the performance I feel I’m extracting from it. But that’s F1. Regarding the work I’m doing, I’m very, very happy. Of course, I would like to have more rewards for it.”
Currently, McLaren is in third place in the constructors’ championship, while Norris is fifth in the drivers’ title fight. Even so, the Brit believes the team can achieve good results in the second half of the season: “But I still believe we can have good results this season. We need to be patient, which is never easy in the world of F1, but I still believe we can have good races,” he added.
Read more NASCAR Brazil: Osman is 4th and Zonta ends practice marked by red flag
