Norris puts faith in McLaren as second-half title fight begins

Lando Norris believes McLaren has the ingredients to remain in the fight with Mercedes and Ferrari as the 2026 Formula 1 season resumes at the Dutch Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver arrives in Zandvoort on the back of a victory in Hungary, a result that strengthened both his own belief and the team’s confidence after a difficult start to the campaign. McLaren endured a double non-start at the second round in China, but its competitiveness has improved markedly in recent races.

Norris said the new floor introduced at the Hungaroring represented a clear step forward, although McLaren is still working to determine whether its gains will transfer across every circuit, surface and corner type.

“We still want to believe we can be very competitive here,” Norris said during Thursday’s media day.

He rejected the idea that McLaren should automatically expect to win again in the Netherlands, pointing to colder conditions and different wind characteristics at Zandvoort. The circuit shares some traits with Budapest, he said, but the team must wait for track action before judging how well the MCL40’s latest package performs.

Despite acknowledging that McLaren remains less consistent than it was at times last season, Norris said the performance delivered in Hungary was potentially the team’s strongest Sunday showing in the previous year. He also expressed confidence in the circuit, which he has enjoyed and where McLaren has performed well in the past.

‘McLaren is the team I’m with’

Asked what had given him the greatest confidence that McLaren could battle at the front through the rest of the season, Norris gave a direct answer: the team itself.

“McLaren is the team I'm with. That's the biggest factor,” he said.

Norris highlighted the quality of McLaren’s personnel, its achievements over recent years and the leadership within the organization. He said the team was in the mindset required to take on the leading constructors and drivers in a championship fight.

His own form is another source of optimism. Norris said that if he drives as well as he did in Budapest—and as he has for much of the season—he is confident in his ability to help McLaren compete at the front.