Lando Norris has made it clear that he is not dismissing the possibility of mounting a serious challenge for the World Championship, and he believes the bulk of the pressure now rests on the shoulders of current points leader Kimi Antonelli. After securing McLaren’s inaugural Grand Prix victory of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Norris finds himself sitting in fifth place in the Drivers’ standings, a full 91 points adrift of Antonelli with eleven races still to run. The situation echoes the dramatic finale of the previous campaign, when Max Verstappen entered the final ten rounds trailing the leader by 104 points and ultimately fell short by just two points, allowing Norris to clinch the title.
"The pressure is definitely on him [Antonelli]," Norris told Sky Sports F1. "There’s no pressure on me – I feel very confident." Norris also commented on the performance of the Mercedes team, noting that they have been more error‑prone than McLaren this season.
"They have made more mistakes as a team and we have made fewer. We have been strong, but I still expect Mercedes to win races and I expect us to win even more.
From now on we have to be perfect for the rest of the year," he said. He added that the car still requires development.
"We were the fastest in Hungary from qualifying through the race, but not every circuit will be that straightforward. We need to work hard to make the car this good everywhere. If we can achieve that, the question becomes whether we can sustain it over the whole season." McLaren introduced a substantial aerodynamic upgrade for the Hungarian round, including a new floor that has injected a noticeable pace advantage, allowing the team to compete at the front more consistently. Team principal Andrea Stella reminded everyone that the 2026 season is essentially a continuous race of upgrades.
"The good news is that McLaren is back in the upgrade race and fighting for the lead," Stella said. "I expect the best car at the end of the season will have added tenths of a second each race – perhaps as much as half a second – over the next eleven events.
So there is a lot of work ahead for everyone, not just McLaren." During the Hungarian Grand Prix, Norris was overtaken by his teammate Oscar Piastri on the opening lap and found himself stuck behind him despite having a clear speed advantage. He eventually turned the situation to his benefit during the second round of pit stops by staying out longer and executing an overcut on the Australian. Prior to that, Norris had indicated on the radio that he felt "miles faster" and wanted to pit first. "I just want to win the race," he said in the post‑race press conference.
"We have team rules that prevent us from harming each other’s race by being overly aggressive, but I certainly had a much better pace and a better chance of winning." Norris explained his strategic thinking: "When I was stuck behind Oscar, Max was three or four seconds behind, still a threat. Ahead there was no threat, and we had a high probability of winning as a team. I wanted to box and undercut because my pace was so strong that I could have opened up an entire pit‑stop window on him and then boxed again if needed.
It was a fine line between pitting too early and compromising both of our races. In the end, the decision was made in the best interests of the team." The British driver has generally enjoyed the upper hand over Piastri in recent outings, and many observers feel he is performing at a level comparable to his championship‑winning season last year. He admitted he is still trying to understand why his pace advantage was so pronounced in Hungary, but hopes the feeling will persist after the summer hiatus.
"The cars are identical, and I’ve been feeling very strong lately. I’ve worked on many areas since last year," Norris said. "I feel far more confident in extracting performance, and I’ve collaborated closely with my engineers to get to grips with this car, which is certainly not easy to master at the limit on a consistent basis." He attributed his progress to hard work from both himself and his engineering team.
"Why am I faster? Simple – hard work. Hard work from my engineers and from me to improve my driving and my understanding of the car. That’s the answer," he concluded.
Looking ahead, the Formula 1 calendar resumes after the summer break with a sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21‑23, with every session broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Fans can stream the coverage via NOW, with no long‑term contract required and the option to cancel at any time.