McLaren's Title Hopes Still Alive, Says Norris

Lando Norris remains optimistic about McLaren's chances of defending their world titles, despite a slow start to the season. The reigning champion believes the team can "push hard" to close the gap with Mercedes and Ferrari. Norris trails early championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 47 points, but is confident that the team can turn their season around. "I think we can have a good season, even if we're not where we want to be right now," he said. "We still want to push hard for the championship, this isn't a case of giving up and focusing on next year." Norris cited examples of previous seasons where the team had overcome similar challenges to finish strong. The team has been working to address reliability issues and develop their car, with a focus on getting more time on the track and learning how to get the most out of the car and its power unit. Team-mate Oscar Piastri also expressed confidence in the team's ability to get back into regular victory contention. "We have a lot of work to do to be back at the front consistently, but closing the gap to Mercedes and out-developing the field is something that's within our control," he said. The team is using the break between the Japanese and Miami Grands Prix to work on their car and prepare for the rest of the season.