Lando Norris made it clear that he is not closing the door on a genuine championship resurgence, insisting that the onus now rests squarely on the shoulders of the current points leader, Kimi Antonelli. After securing McLaren’s inaugural Grand Prix victory of the season at the Hungarian round, Norris sits in fifth place in the Drivers’ standings, trailing Antonelli by 91 points with eleven races still to contest. The situation echoes the dramatic finale of the previous campaign, when Max Verstappen found himself 104 points behind the leader with ten events left and ultimately fell short by a narrow two‑point margin, allowing Norris to claim the title.
"The pressure is definitely on him [Antonelli]," Norris told Sky Sports F1. "I don’t feel any pressure myself – I’m feeling very confident." Norris also weighed in on the broader competitive landscape, noting that Mercedes have been prone to more errors this season, while McLaren has been comparatively consistent.
"They have made more mistakes as a team and we have made fewer, and we have come out strong. I still expect them to win races, but I also expect us to win more races. From here on we need to be flawless for the rest of the year," he said.
He added that the car still has room for development. "We were certainly the quickest in Hungary from qualifying through to the race. Not every circuit will be that straightforward, so we have to keep working hard to make the car as good everywhere. If we can achieve that, maybe we have a real shot at the championship," Norris explained.
McLaren introduced a substantial upgrade package for the Hungarian Grand Prix, featuring a completely new floor that delivered a noticeable boost in straight‑line speed and overall grip. The improvement has allowed the team to fight at the front of the pack more regularly, a stark contrast to the early part of the season when they were often a step behind the frontrunners. Team principal Andrea Stella emphasized that the 2026 season will be defined by a relentless march of upgrades. "As it has always been this year, it’s a race of parts.
The good news is McLaren is back in that race, contesting for podiums and wins," he said. "Looking ahead, the car that finishes the season on top will have added tenths of a second each race – potentially up to half a second over the next eleven events.
That means a huge amount of work for everyone, not just McLaren." During the Hungarian race, Norris found himself behind his teammate Oscar Piastri after the opening lap, despite having evident pace advantage. He eventually turned the situation to his benefit during the second round of pit stops by staying out longer than Piastri and executing an overcut that propelled him ahead.
Earlier in the stint, Norris had communicated over the team radio that he was "miles faster" and had originally intended to pit first. When asked about his desire to win, Norris stressed the importance of team harmony. "I just want to win the race.
We have rules within the team and we can’t jeopardise each other's results by being overly aggressive," he explained in the post‑race press conference. "But I certainly had a much better pace than Oscar, and we had a far better chance of taking the win." He described the tactical thinking behind his pit strategy: "When I was stuck behind Oscar, Max was three or four seconds back, still a threat.
Ahead there was no real threat, so we were in a strong position 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. The challenge was to avoid pitting too early and compromising both of our races.
In the end, the decision was made in the best interest of the team, even if it meant I had to hold back a little." Norris has generally enjoyed the upper hand over Piastri in recent outings, and many analysts believe the British driver 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 remains optimistic that the feeling will persist after the summer hiatus. "The cars are identical, and I’ve just been feeling very strong lately. I’ve worked on many areas since last season," Norris said.
"I feel much more confident now in extracting performance, and I’ve spent a lot of time with my engineers to get to the bottom of this car because it’s certainly not an easy machine to master and push to its limits consistently." When pressed about the source of his recent form, Norris pointed to hard work from both himself and his engineering team. "It’s simple – hard work. Hard work from my engineers and from me to improve as a driver and to improve my driving.
That’s the answer," he concluded. The Formula 1 calendar will pick up again 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 and the ability to cancel at any time.