Lando Norris gained momentum in the fight for the Formula 1 title in 2026, after winning the last two races, but Guenther Steiner does not believe the McLaren driver is still a real contender for the championship. For the former Haas boss, the Briton’s reaction came too late.
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The consecutive wins in Hungary and Zandvoort moved Norris up to fourth place in the drivers’ championship, bringing him closer to George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Even so, the McLaren driver is still 83 points behind Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader and winner of only one of the last six races, but consistently present in the points zone.
In an appearance on the Red Flags podcast, Steiner assessed that the current gap makes it very difficult for Norris to mount a comeback in the final stretch of the season. The former Haas boss believes that the Briton’s most competitive moment came when the advantage built by Antonelli was already too large.
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“It’s very far now, in my opinion. It’s too late in the season for him to have come into form,” Steiner said. For him, Mercedes’ situation also reduces Norris’ chances, as the team remains competitive and has internal resources to manage the battle between its two drivers.
Steiner also highlighted Mercedes’ use of team orders as a factor that could make it difficult for Norris to close the gap: “They have a good strategy with team orders. So, to beat them… I don’t think he’s a contender anymore,” he added.
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