Lando Norris believes that McLaren can regain ground on rival teams in the 2026 Formula 1 season, thanks to the team’s development capability. The Briton stated that the time during the August break was especially important for internal work.
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The confidence of the current F1 champion increased after the victory at the Hungarian GP, a result that, according to him, showed an evolution of the car. McLaren started the season far from Mercedes in the fight for the constructors’ championship, but Norris understands that this gap has been closing.
“Honestly, the breaks are more important for the team than for me. Drivers usually have more time off than the team in terms of days off and things like that, so we are the lucky ones,” Norris said.
The Briton emphasized that the team mainly needs time to keep progressing: “I believe that, as a team, we want time. Time is still what we need most currently. And I think we proved that in recent months with our progression,” he said.
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Norris was also cautious when assessing McLaren’s chances at the Dutch GP. Although he considered the progress seen in Hungary positive, he pointed out that it is still necessary to understand whether the new floor used in Budapest brought performance broadly or if its gains were specific to that circuit.
“I’m not a guy who gets too excited. So, I’m not going to come here thinking we should just win the race again,” he added. At the same time, Norris emphasized that the goals remain high and that the team wants to believe in a competitive performance in Zandvoort.
The British driver also reinforced his confidence in McLaren’s long-term potential: “I am confident that we can continue evolving and surpass our competitors in development and results in the long term,” Norris concluded.
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