McLaren Racing Components One driver Lando Norris celebrated his second consecutive victory on the Dutch Grand Prix, outperforming each Mercedes drivers who’ve been dominant for the reason that begin of the 2026 season. Nonetheless, Norris owed the victory to his racing prowess slightly than the MCL40 F1 automotive, which he remarked was “nonetheless horrible to drive.” The 2025 F1 champion stated that whereas the automotive was wonderful in sure sectors, it’s nonetheless not a title contender.
Norris admitted that the automotive carried out excellently on the high-speed sections of Circuit Zandvoort, beating Mercedes’ W17 with flying colours. On the chequered flag, he held a lead of simply over 11.5 seconds over Kimi Antonelli.
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Regardless of McLaren’s current beneficial properties in efficiency, Norris advised through the post-race press convention that the 2026 automotive is harder to drive when requested whether or not he was acting at the next degree than earlier than. Drivers have additionally needed to change their strategy to racing this season due to the close to 53/47 energy cut up between the internal-combustion engine and battery, which has made managing the automotive extra demanding. Explaining that he was nonetheless studying find out how to get probably the most out of the automotive and that the work performed away from the monitor performed a key position in his Dutch GP victory, he advised the media:
“I do assume it is a trickier automotive to drive this yr in some methods. And I believe you’ll be able to see that as a result of the gaps between teammates are sometimes greater this yr, I’d say, than it was final yr. However I do imagine so. I do imagine I can perceive conditions higher, to grasp the automotive in a greater manner.
“It is nonetheless simply horrible to drive, however I am doing a greater job at simply understanding this, relaying this to my crew, figuring stuff out. So, it is not simply I am driving higher on monitor. I am actually eliminating my weaknesses on monitor, and I haven’t got so many, but it surely’s additionally how I work off the monitor. And for me, yesterday to at present is an ideal instance of the work we put in in a single day remodeled our race and gave me the chance to win. So, the work we put in away from the monitor is actually an enormous a part of that.”
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McLaren Struggling in Gradual-Pace Corners
When requested how assured he was heading to Monza in September, Norris admitted that the MCL40 just isn’t as sturdy as his championship-winning automotive from final yr, which means McLaren nonetheless has plenty of work left to do. He stated:
“Now we have a powerful automotive in sure areas. It isn’t like final yr the place we had been fairly good in all places. We’re very, very sturdy in excessive pace, and that is the place we have improved the automotive probably the most, is high-speed efficiency. Nobody matches us in excessive pace, and that is a very good factor.
“My tempo benefit to Mercedes in Flip 7, 8 was loopy, however their benefit that they should us in gradual pace can be loopy. And subsequently, I haven’t got the arrogance to say, ‘Yeah, I can simply struggle for a championship for the remainder of the season.'”
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Norris Is aware of There Will Be Some Wrestle Forward
Norris made it clear that the MCL40 just isn’t a championship-winning automotive simply but. He added:
“I do know I’ve simply received two races in a row and had two poles in a row, however on the minute I haven’t got the automotive I have to struggle for a championship. And I do know that is fairly an enormous remark, however I believe final yr I understood what is required from a automotive and what was wanted for myself.
“And I do know the extent that I’m now and what I do know I can carry out at, and I do know simply what I want from the automotive. And I do know what tracks now we have arising the place we’ll actually wrestle extra, and I do not need to wrestle extra.
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“So I am simply doing my half to ensure, as a crew, we do not loosen up, we do not get complacent in any manner, and we work greater than we have ever performed earlier than, much more than the final two years after we’ve received championships. I want the fellows and women to work and focus higher than ever earlier than to enhance on these areas. If we are able to enhance on these gradual speeds, I am assured that I can win each race this season. If we do not, then it is far more troublesome to imagine so.”
Lando Norris
ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS – AUGUST 21: Lando Norris of Nice Britain driving the (1) McLaren MCL40 Mercedes on monitor throughout apply forward of the F1 Grand Prix of Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on August 21, 2026 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Picture by Clive Rose/Getty Photos)
