Lando Norris made it clear that he is still open to mounting a serious challenge for the championship, insisting that the weight of expectation now sits squarely on the shoulders of current leader Kimi Antonelli. The British driver celebrated McLaren's inaugural Grand Prix victory of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, a win that highlighted both his skill and the team's recent progress. After the race, Norris found himself fifth in the Drivers' Championship, trailing Antonelli by 91 points with eleven races left on the calendar. The situation bears a striking resemblance to the 2023 title fight, when Max Verstappen entered the final ten events a full 104 points behind the leader and ultimately fell short by just two points, handing the crown to Norris.
Reflecting on that precedent, Norris told Sky Sports F1, "The pressure is on him [Antonelli] for sure. There's no pressure on me. I've been feeling very confident." He believes that Antonelli now faces the mental strain of defending his lead, while McLaren can operate with a freer mindset.
Norris also praised McLaren's recent technical upgrades, noting that the team introduced a substantial package for the Hungarian round, including a brand‑new floor that has injected a noticeable pace advantage. "We were certainly the quickest in Hungary from qualifying to the race," he said, adding that the performance was not a one‑off. "Not every race is going to be this simple, and we need to work hard to make the car this good everywhere.
If we can, maybe that's a genuine question." Team principal Andrea Stella echoed the sentiment, reminding everyone that the 2026 season has become a relentless race of upgrades. "The good news is that McLaren is now back in this race of upgrades, while fighting for the lead," Stella explained. He warned that the car that ultimately finishes the season on top will likely have added tenths of a second per lap in the remaining eleven events – perhaps as much as half a second – and that every team, not just McLaren, still has a mountain of work ahead.
During the Hungarian Grand Prix, Norris experienced a brief setback when he was held up by his teammate Oscar Piastri on the opening lap. Despite having a clear pace advantage, the two McLarens found themselves in a tactical dance. Norris eventually turned the situation to his benefit by extending his stint during the second round of pit stops, effectively overcutting Piastri. Earlier, he had signalled on the team radio that he felt "miles faster" and wanted to pit first.
In the post‑race press conference, he emphasized the importance of teamwork: "I just want to win the race. There are certain rules we have as a team, and we can't harm each other's race by being overly aggressive.
But I want to win, and I certainly had much better pace than him." He described the strategic calculus that led to the undercut, noting that Max Verstappen was trailing by three or four seconds at the time, still a potential threat, while the cars ahead posed no immediate danger. "I wanted to box and undercut because my pace would have been so good, I could have pulled away a whole pit‑stop window," Norris said.
"We were on the fine line between boxing too early and harming both of our races. In the end, it was in the best interests of the team." Norris' recent form suggests he may be returning to the level that saw him claim the world title last year. He has consistently out‑paced Piastri in the latter part of the season, and many observers believe the British driver is performing at a championship‑winning standard again.
When asked why his advantage was so pronounced in Hungary, Norris admitted he does not have a single technical answer, but attributes it to a combination of hard work and a deeper understanding of the car. "The cars are identical, and I've just been feeling very strong lately. I've worked on many areas from last year," he explained.
"I feel much more confident now in how to extract performance, and I've worked a lot with my engineers to understand this car because it's certainly not an easy car to understand and figure out how to drive on the limit consistently." He credited both his own dedication and the effort of his engineering team for the progress: "Why? Just hard work. Hard work from my engineers and from myself to improve me as a driver and improve my driving.
That is the answer." Looking ahead, the Formula 1 calendar resumes after the summer hiatus with a sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, scheduled for 21‑23 August. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, and fans can stream the coverage via NOW with no long‑term contract required.
Norris will aim to capitalize on the momentum generated in Hungary, hoping that the upgrades introduced this season will continue to close the gap to Antonelli and keep McLaren in contention for race wins and, ultimately, the championship title.