McLaren's upgrades have translated into wins, but Lando Norris says the package still rules out a sustained championship bid. After claiming the final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, his second consecutive victory following Hungary, Norris told reporters he does not "have the car I need to fight for a championship." The result underlines how the team has improved, while also exposing limits that matter more across the rest of the calendar.
The Zandvoort triumph, built around an off-set strategy and strong second-stint pace on the hard tyres, helped Norris recover after a chaotic start and pass Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli on track. The win narrowed relative gaps but left Norris 83 points adrift of Antonelli in the standings. Antonelli's team-mate George Russell sits level with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, both 59 points behind the Mercedes driver.
Norris pointed to a stark split between strengths and weaknesses. "We're very, very strong in high speed, and that's the place we've improved the car the most, is high-speed performance. No one matches us in high speed," he said, while adding bluntly that "their advantage that they have to us in slow speed is also crazy." That imbalance, he warned, will be difficult to overcome at venues dominated by long straights and few high-speed corners.
Those circuits arrive quickly. Norris singled out Monza and the Azerbaijan race as tracks that will punish McLaren's high-drag profile and limited low-speed grip. Team principal Andrea Stella admitted the upgrades are a step forward but set a clear bar, saying, "If we can confirm our improvements in Monza, then we can look with some optimism at the remainder of the season."
The recent run marks a strong second-half swing for Norris after a hard start to 2025 and echoes last season's late charge that saw Max Verstappen overturn large deficits. After this race last year, Oscar Piastri held a 34-point lead over Norris and a 104-point lead over Verstappen, yet Verstappen finished the year just two points behind Norris en route to the title in Abu Dhabi. Norris acknowledges that history but remains cautious: "One race at a time," he said, and he has stopped short of projecting a full-season fight until McLaren proves the upgrades on tracks that do not favor high-speed performance alone.
For now the consequence is clear, McLaren can win races while its package still leaves the team and Norris vulnerable on circuits that do not reward the car's recent strengths. The immediate test arrives in Monza, where performance there will determine whether optimism can become a credible title plan.
