Fifth at the Australian Grand Prix, Lando Norris recognizes that McLaren remains behind its rivals and that the work to close the gap will be long and gradual.
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Lando Norris crossed the finish line of the Australian Grand Prix in fifth place, but his expression in Melbourne betrayed his disappointment. According to the Briton, McLaren finished exactly where the car deserved to be, with a notable performance deficit compared to its direct rivals.
“We finished where we deserved. I think it was quite clear that the Red Bull was faster. Max started last and he almost managed to beat us. And we’re not even talking about Mercedes and Ferrari, they are far ahead of us for now” declared Norris, referring to Max Verstappen’s spectacular comeback from 20th place to contact with the McLarens.
Difficult start to the race
The McLaren driver pointed to a complicated start for his team, marked by problems with the car and insufficient pace.
“It wasn’t the best race in terms of pace. We had difficulties with some things on the car at the start. We made some adjustments during the race and that clearly improved things” he explains.
Despite these adjustments, the Briton emphasizes that the road is still long to catch the leaders: “We are clearly far from where we need to be. Today, it’s mainly from the car’s point of view. We have a lot of work to do.”
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Norris insists that the comparison with his teammate Oscar Piastri leaves no ambiguity about McLaren’s situation: “We were driving with exactly the same car, the same parts. And it’s the same observation.”
This analysis shows that the delay is not related to the drivers but to the performance of the car as a whole, confirming the need for major technical improvements.
Progress that will take time
For McLaren, returning to the level of the leaders will not happen in a few weeks. Norris warns that the work to reduce the gap will be long and methodical: “It’s not something that’s going to happen overnight or in one or two weeks. Part of it still comes from understanding the engine, and another simply from a better car.”
According to him, Ferrari currently seems to be the technical benchmark: “Ferrari, from what we can see, has the best car. For us, matching that is impossible at the moment. The more we can learn, the more we will understand, and the better we can become.”
Despite the fifth place, Norris remains lucid: McLaren must now work intensively to reduce the gap and regain the expected competitiveness in 2026.
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