Lando Norris has defended McLaren’s development during the 2026 Formula 1 season, saying the team has had a good year after starting well behind its rivals. He and Oscar Piastri head into the Mexico City Grand Prix aiming to keep McLaren third in the constructors’ standings.
McLaren endured a slow start under the new regulations, including a double Did Not Start for Norris and Piastri in China. The team improved as the season progressed, with Norris winning consecutive races in Hungary and the Netherlands. A third victory in Madrid slipped away after a badly timed Virtual Safety Car.
Recent races have been more difficult, with McLaren’s car proving hard to handle and rival teams making greater gains through upgrades. Norris said the car had been difficult to drive throughout the season, but pointed to the team’s progress from being around a second to a second and a half off the pace early on.
He said McLaren’s wins and its recovery made for a strong season, while acknowledging that the team holds itself to high standards and wants to win whenever possible. Norris added that McLaren had made up ground more successfully than most teams on the grid.
McLaren are level on points with Red Bull for third place, with Max Verstappen’s two recent victories helping the rival team’s challenge. Piastri said staying ahead would be difficult, as Red Bull have been more consistently competitive, but noted that McLaren still has performance upgrades planned for the car.
Piastri also pointed to reliability as a factor that could affect the standings and said McLaren would continue fighting, even as its focus begins to turn towards 2027.
Sources: Formula 1.