McLaren's Title Ambitions Still Intact - Norris

Lando Norris remains optimistic about McLaren's chances of defending their world titles when the F1 season resumes at the Miami Grand Prix, despite a slow start to the season. The reigning champion has not recorded a podium finish in the first three races, but teammate Oscar Piastri's second-place finish in Japan has given the team a boost. With almost five weeks to work on their cars, Norris believes there is still time to turn the situation around. "I think we can have a good season, even if we're not where we want to be right now," Norris said. "We still want to push hard for the championship; this isn't a case of giving up and focusing on next year." Norris trails Mercedes' early championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 47 points, but he is confident that the team can learn from past experiences and improve their position by the end of the season. Ensuring the reliability of their car and Mercedes power unit is a key area of focus for the team. Norris emphasized the importance of time in the car and getting laps on the board to learn how to get the most out of the car. The team is using the gap between Japan and Miami to work on their understanding of the car and to fill the gap in their knowledge. Piastri also expressed confidence in the team's ability to get back into regular victory contention over the remaining 19 races. "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," Piastri said. The Australian driver has complete trust in the team's ability to turn things around and is excited to see what they can achieve.