Daily News 19

Tag: Lando Norris

  • Why McLaren Must Pass Its Monza Test Before Pursuing an F1 Title Challenge

    Why McLaren Must Pass Its Monza Test Before Pursuing an F1 Title Challenge

    McLaren Faces Crucial Monza Test After Consecutive F1 Victories

    After a difficult start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, McLaren appears to have returned to the front of the grid. The Woking-based team struggled with its understanding of the Mercedes power unit in Australia and suffered a double DNS in China, but consecutive victories in Budapest and Zandvoort have changed the outlook.

    Lando Norris has cut his deficit to championship leader Kimi Antonelli to 83 points, reigniting McLaren’s hopes of defending his drivers’ title. However, team principal Andrea Stella is refusing to draw premature conclusions about a potential championship fight.

    Monza will test McLaren’s recent progress

    Stella wants McLaren to focus on one race at a time rather than look too far ahead.

    “Beyond any way of saying, the real approach we have is just one race at a time. There’s not much more you can influence than just maximising what’s next available,” Stella said when asked by Motorsport.com how much confidence this gives McLaren for the second half of the season.

    “The next race will be in Monza, and if we think about the demands of Zandvoort and Hungary, and then think about the demands of Monza, we are in a completely different regime.”

    That difference makes the Italian Grand Prix an important internal benchmark for McLaren. The Hungaroring and Zandvoort are both high-downforce circuits, while Monza is a high-speed track dominated by long straights and chicanes.

    McLaren was able to exploit the strengths of the MCL40 in Hungary and the Netherlands, particularly through medium-speed corners. However, Norris described the car’s slow-speed performance on Saturday as “nowhere near good enough”.

    Monza will therefore demand a different set of qualities from the McLaren. Stella considers the circuit one of the team’s most important tests yet because it will reveal whether its recent gains can translate to a low-downforce layout.

    Energy management remains a key concern

    Unlike Zandvoort and Budapest, Monza is an “energy-starved” circuit, placing greater emphasis on energy management and the team’s understanding of the Mercedes power unit.

    McLaren was significantly behind the Mercedes works team in that area at the start of the season. The team has made substantial progress since then, including through the long-awaited simulation tools it received for Spa. Monza will provide a clearer indication of how valuable those improvements are at a circuit where power-unit understanding is especially important.

    Stella wants those questions answered before McLaren begins discussing a title challenge.

    “So I think if we can confirm our improvements in Monza, then I would say that the answer to your question is yes, then we can look with some optimism at the remainder of the season.

    “But first of all, we need to go to Monza and see that our car can express a good performance in the long straights.”

    Monza will also test McLaren’s low-downforce configuration, which has not been one of the MCL40’s strongest areas. Stella stressed that the challenge is not limited to understanding the Mercedes power unit.

    “We know that drag is not necessarily a point of strength of our car,” he said. “And, for instance, there’s a lot of braking as well, which is not necessarily a point of strength of our car either.”

    Stella remains cautious on Norris’ title hopes

    For now, Stella is limiting his conclusions to specific circuit characteristics rather than discussing a title defence with Norris. McLaren must first prove that its recent form is not restricted to high-downforce tracks.

    “There’s a lot of things that we need to confirm as we head on to the next race”, Stella insisted. “But so far, I think we can confirm is that when we are at high-downforce circuits, with this sort of layout, then we can fight for victories.”

  • George Russell Describes “tough” Battle to Keep Lewis Hamilton Off the Dutch GP Podium

    George Russell Describes “tough” Battle to Keep Lewis Hamilton Off the Dutch GP Podium

    George Russell has revealed the defensive tactics he used to hold off a late challenge from Lewis Hamilton for the final podium place at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.

    The Mercedes driver started the Zandvoort race from second on the grid, but was overtaken by team-mate Kimi Antonelli on the opening lap. Russell moved back ahead after the pit stops, although Antonelli was running an alternative strategy with a tyre advantage.

    Mercedes subsequently instructed Russell to move aside in the closing stages, allowing the championship leader to reclaim second place. That left Russell defending from Hamilton, who was charging through the field while leading both Ferrari drivers late in the race.

    “It was tough,” Russell said after the race when asked how he kept the seven-time champion at bay.

    “I think Kimi’s and my race was kind of the opposite. I had a tough medium stint, he had a very strong medium stint, then I had a strong hard stint, he was struggling. But that VSC gave Lewis the free pitstop, and obviously Kimi pitted as well.

    “From there on in, I knew I was going to be under threat, but I was managing enough in the high-speed corners to allow me to be fast in sector three and defending into Turn 1. So, I was pleased with that performance.”

    George Russell finished third behind Kimi Antonelli. Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images

    Russell expects Mercedes challenge at Monza

    Russell acknowledged that Mercedes had endured a “challenging couple of weekends” after McLaren won in Hungary and then triumphed again at Zandvoort following the summer break.

    Mercedes remains ahead in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, but McLaren has continued to improve through successive upgrades. Ferrari is also expected to introduce a new engine at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, meaning Mercedes cannot afford to become complacent.

    “I think these coming two or three race weekends will be a challenge for us both [Antonelli and him], purely because we’re out of sync with the upgrades,” Russell added.

    “I think we will be slightly more competitive [at Monza]. However, I believe Ferrari have an engine upgrade incoming, and the truth is we just don’t know. But I do believe that these high-degradation circuits [like Zandvoort] really suit McLaren very well, and especially Lando. He’s always been a bit of a specialist in those conditions. We also saw it last year. Monza may be slightly different, but I think they are the team to beat right now.”

    Russell is currently second in the drivers’ standings, level with Hamilton on 183 points. Both Mercedes drivers are 59 points behind championship leader Antonelli.

  • Calum Nicholas Says Red Bull Lacked the Pace for Max Verstappen’s Dutch GP Podium Fight

    Calum Nicholas Says Red Bull Lacked the Pace for Max Verstappen’s Dutch GP Podium Fight

    Former Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas believes Max Verstappen would not have challenged for a podium at the Dutch Grand Prix even if he had avoided his opening-lap crash, arguing that Red Bull lacked the pace to compete with the frontrunners.

    Verstappen crashes on the opening lap at Zandvoort

    The final Formula 1 race at Zandvoort began dramatically. Although the rain had stopped before the start, damp patches remained on the circuit. Verstappen ran onto a wet section while negotiating the final banked corner and suffered a heavy crash into the wall.

    The incident ended the home hero’s race, while Red Bull team-mate Liam Lawson went on to finish seventh and score six points for the Milton Keynes-based team. Lawson was standing in for the injured Isack Hadjar.

    Speaking on Red Bull’s official Talking Bull podcast, Nicholas said Verstappen would probably have finished in a similar position to Lawson had he completed the race.

    “One of the things that we’ve perhaps struggled with a little this year is when we’re in gusty, windy conditions, the car just seems a little bit unhappier,” Nicholas explained.

    “It creates a little bit more work for the drivers and we’ve got to work out what it is that’s at the bottom of all that. But I don’t think it’s a disaster.

    “Liam probably had a boring, lonely race. Big gap ahead of him, big gap behind him. But that was just the pace of the car. Even if Max had completed this race and not had the incident on lap one, I think that’s pretty much where he would have ended up as well, in that space between the frontrunners and those behind us. I really don’t think that there was a lot more to offer this week.”

    McLaren’s Lando Norris won the Dutch Grand Prix, with Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell completing the podium.

  • George Russell: “Specialist” Lando Norris Always Strong at Tracks Like Zandvoort

    George Russell: “Specialist” Lando Norris Always Strong at Tracks Like Zandvoort

    Russell: Norris a Specialist at High-Degradation Circuits After Zandvoort Win

    George Russell believes Lando Norris’s back-to-back victories in Hungary and the Netherlands are no surprise, citing the McLaren driver’s historical strength at tracks defined by long corners and high tyre degradation.

    Norris secured pole and victory at both the Hungaroring and Zandvoort either side of the summer break, a surge coinciding with a significant McLaren upgrade package. However, Russell pointed out that Norris has consistently excelled at circuits sharing these specific characteristics.

    “I don’t think it’s a major surprise for us, seeing how competitive Lando was this weekend, considering he won in Budapest,”

    Russell said after finishing third in the Dutch Grand Prix.

    “It’s a very similar circuit with the long corners, high tyre degradation, with the two-stop strategy, so there’s a lot of similarities between the two circuits. I think this may continue for the coming two or three races until we start to bring more to the car, and fingers crossed our competitors don’t.”

    Monza Presents Different Challenge

    The next round at Monza offers a contrasting layout. While it features a few long corners, the Italian circuit is predominantly characterised by long straights, heavy braking zones, and low-speed chicanes. Russell expects Mercedes to be more competitive there, referencing the team’s strong performances at Shanghai, Montreal, and Silverstone earlier this season.

    However, he acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding Ferrari’s rumoured engine upgrade and the unique demands Monza places on power units.

    “I think we will be slightly more competitive there,”

    Russell said of Monza.

    “However, I believe Ferrari have an engine upgrade incoming, and the truth is we just don’t know.”

    Despite the circuit change, Russell maintains McLaren remains the benchmark, particularly in high-degradation conditions where Norris excels.

    “But I do believe that these high-degradation circuits really suit McLaren very well, and especially Lando. He’s always been a bit of a specialist in those conditions. We also saw it last year.”

    “Monza may be slightly different, but I think they are the team to beat right now.”

    Antonelli Faces Grid Penalty at Home Race

    Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli is set to start from the back of the grid at his home round in Monza. The penalty stems from a full Mercedes power unit change that exceeds his seasonal allocation.

  • Lando Norris: I’m eliminating my F1 weaknesses, and I don’t have so many

    Lando Norris: I’m eliminating my F1 weaknesses, and I don’t have so many

    Reigning Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris believes he is delivering a more complete performance in 2025 than during his title-winning season, citing improvements in both racecraft and off-track engineering collaboration. The McLaren driver backed up that claim with back-to-back victories at the Hungarian Grand Prix and the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, securing pole position and the win in both rounds.

    Title Defence Gains Momentum After Slow Regulatory Start

    Despite the recent surge, Norris sits fourth in the drivers’ championship, trailing leader Kimi Antonelli by 83 points. McLaren’s difficult adaptation to the new technical regulations had initially dampened title expectations, but the twin victories have injected fresh life into the British driver’s campaign.

    Norris: “I’m Doing a Better Job at Understanding This Car”

    Speaking after his Zandvoort triumph, Norris explained that the 2025 machinery presents a stiffer challenge, yet his ability to manage it has evolved.

    “I was driving at a high level the second half of last year. It’s tough to say [if I’m driving at my highest level], but I do think it’s a trickier car to drive this year in some ways,” Norris said. “I think you can see that because the gaps between team-mates are often bigger this year, I would say, than it was last year. But I do believe so.
    “I do believe I’m able to understand situations better, to understand the car in a better way. It’s still just horrible to drive, but I’m doing a better job at just understanding this, relaying this to my team, figuring stuff out.
    “So, it’s not just I’m driving better on track. I’m certainly eliminating my weaknesses on track, and I don’t have so many, but it’s also how I work off the track. And for me, yesterday to today is a perfect example of [how] the work we put in overnight transformed our race and gave me the opportunity to win.
    “So, the work we put in away from the track is certainly a huge part of that.”

    Overnight Engineering Turnaround Key to Zandvoort Victory

    Norris highlighted the specific gains made between Saturday’s sprint race—where he finished third—and Sunday’s grand prix. A disappointing sprint showing prompted an intensive debrief with his engineering crew.

    “Pretty high just from a point of very well fought in many ways. More than that is the turnaround from yesterday to today.
    “I was pretty disappointed yesterday. It kind of took a little bit of the fire out of me, seeing how much we struggled in the sprint. I know it’s just a sprint, but every point matters and we just really didn’t have the pace. I didn’t have that something that gave me life inside the car.
    “Last night we worked very, very hard. I spent a lot of time with my engineers to kind of understand what we could do better today, how to push more, save the tyres more, how to do everything in a better way than I’ve done and better than everyone else. And I certainly believe I did that today.
    “So apart from the start, it was a little bit of a mix of races because the beginning in the first stint was pretty bad and kind of reminded me of yesterday. But we put the hard tyres on and things came alive and the race really started to come back to me.”

    McLaren’s Development Trajectory Points Upward

    The Zandvoort weekend underscored a critical strength for McLaren: the capacity to diagnose and solve performance deficits rapidly. Norris credited the overnight session for unlocking race-winning pace, particularly after switching to the hard compound tyre, which transformed the car’s behaviour and allowed him to dictate the second half of the grand prix.

    With the regulation reset still in its early phase, the Woking squad’s ability to extract performance through driver-engineer synergy could prove decisive as the championship progresses.

    Lando Norris, McLaren. Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images