Despite a much tougher season than last year, Lando Norris believes he has still improved since his world title in 2025.
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Current world champion, Lando Norris is experiencing a very different 2026 season from the one that led him to the top of Formula 1. After eleven Grands Prix, the Briton is only in fifth place in the championship with 128 points, 91 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli.
A paradoxical situation since the McLaren driver considers himself to be currently performing at a higher level than at the same time last year. The problem is that the MCL40’s performance has only rarely allowed him to demonstrate this.
However, the situation changed in Hungary. Norris secured his first win of the season there after starting from pole position, dominating Max Verstappen by more than fifteen seconds at the finish.
Norris believes he is better than in 2025
This victory reinforced a conviction that Norris says he has had for several months. Despite less impressive results, he considers that he has personally reached a new level.
“Honestly, even if it hurts me a bit to say it because it doesn’t mean you automatically win, I feel like I’m doing a better job this year than last year, and that’s been the case for some time”, Norris confides.
A statement that is necessarily special since twelve months earlier, the Briton had already scored 201 points after eleven rounds. He was then fully engaged in a title fight that he would eventually win with only two points ahead of Max Verstappen.
This season, the situation is radically different. McLaren has experienced more difficulties with its new project and the MCL40 has often found itself behind Mercedes and Ferrari in terms of pure performance.
“I’ve been saying it for a while. It just doesn’t mean you win races”, Norris emphasizes.
An impressive demonstration in Hungary
Reliability issues have not helped the world champion either. Two retirements, in Canada and Monaco, as well as a no-start in China, have heavily penalized his points total.
When he had a car capable of playing a leading role, Norris believes he demonstrated the extent of his progress. His performance at the Hungaroring is, in his eyes, one of the best examples.
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“Today, I would probably say it was one of my best performances in terms of exploiting the car’s potential and being able to be so close to the limit every lap”, he explains.
Norris was even pushing hard enough for McLaren to ask him to slightly reduce his pace while he was controlling the race.
“I was so close to the limit that the team had to ask me to slow down a bit.”
A domination that allowed him to return to victory for the first time since his world title.
Fundamental work that is starting to pay off
Norris does not consider his Hungarian performance as an isolated feat. Since the beginning of the season, the Briton says he has been working on many details to become an even more complete driver.
“When we had the car to do it, I think my words saying that my performances were among the best were precisely confirmed: I was able to go for a very convincing win and take pole with a good car.”
The world champion attributes this progress to work done both on and off the circuits.
“So I’m doing a better job, and it’s because I work in many different areas, some far from the circuits with my team and others directly on site. I’m just trying to improve in as many areas as possible.”
“Many small differences end up adding up, and you see the result.”
With the significant upgrades introduced by McLaren in Hungary and a first win now secured, Norris especially hopes to be able to regularly have a car capable of turning his personal progress into results.
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