Lando Norris remains convinced that McLaren can still mount a serious challenge for the World Championship once the Formula One calendar picks up again after the Miami Grand Prix. Even though Mercedes and Ferrari have enjoyed a stronger start to the new era of the sport, Norris believes the British driver’s team has the resources and determination to turn the tide. The reigning champion has not yet stood on the podium in the opening three rounds of his title defence, a contrast to teammate Oscar Piastri, who secured a second‑place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Piastri’s result could even have been a victory if the safety car had not intervened during a promising run by McLaren, just before the sport’s mandatory April hiatus. Now, with the break providing almost five weeks for all teams to return to their factories and work on the cars, Norris feels the window for improvement is wide open.
"I think we can have a good season, even if we’re not where we want to be right now," he said, acknowledging that the team trails early championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes by 47 points. "Even though we haven’t started the year the way we hoped, we still intend to fight hard for the title. This isn’t about giving up and looking ahead to next year – that mindset rarely works." He pointed to several historic examples where teams have overcome a sluggish start to finish the season strongly, citing McLaren’s own progress in 2023 and 2024 as proof that the organisation has grown more capable over time.
"We’ve been there, done it, learned from it and I trust that this team knows how to do it again. There’s a lot of hard work ahead, but we’re ready for it," Norris added.
Norris, who finished fifth in both Australia and Japan, highlighted that solving the reliability problems that have plagued both the chassis and the Mercedes power unit will be a priority. "We’re not in a terrible position, but we definitely need to get back into win‑contending form, and then keep pushing to make sure the car can fight for victory every weekend," he explained. He also stressed the importance of track time for development. "Early on we realised that time in the car and getting laps on the board is crucial for learning how to extract the maximum from the package, especially the power unit.
Tiny margins make a huge difference. Combine that with the fact we missed the Chinese Grand Prix and didn’t get enough practice time in Japan, and it’s clear where we’re lacking." The hiatus between Japan and Miami, Norris said, will be used to close that knowledge gap.
The team is pouring effort into simulator work and has already scheduled a tyre‑testing session at the Nürburgring. While the test focuses on next year’s tyre compounds, any seat time is valuable. "Even if the test is about tyres for 2027, being back behind the wheel never hurts," he noted. Piastri echoed the optimism, asserting that the constructors’ champions have the potential to become regular race‑win contenders over the remaining 19 events.
"We have a lot of work to do to be back at the front consistently, but narrowing the gap to Mercedes and out‑developing the field is within our control," the Australian driver said. He added, "This team has shown it can turn things around, and we’re starting from a stronger position than we have in previous years, such as 2024. I have complete confidence that the team will do everything it can to get us there, and I’m genuinely excited to see what we can achieve." The Formula 1 calendar resumes on May 1‑3 with the Miami Grand Prix, which also marks the second Sprint weekend of the season.
The event will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, and fans can stream the coverage via NOW without a contract, cancelling at any time. As the summer heat approaches, McLaren will be working around the clock, analysing data, refining aerodynamics, and fine‑tuning the power unit to squeeze out every ounce of performance. Norris’s message to the paddock is clear: the team may be behind early, but they are far from finished, and the fight for the championship is very much alive.