Lando Norris has denied George Russell’s claim that McLaren’s advantage is so vast that it can afford to turn attention to the new rules coming to Formula 1 in 2026.
The widespread consensus that McLaren possesses the benchmark package in the MCL39 came true in Australia as Norris converted pole position into the race win.
Norris retaining more than three-tenths over the closest non-McLaren car – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen – in qualifying led Russell to indicate the gap is insurmountable.
The Mercedes driver vowed that McLaren could allocate all resources to the impending regulation overhaul and still win both championships in the current campaign.
However, Norris has discarded his compatriot’s assertion as he highlighted how Red Bull began 2024 with an even bigger margin and didn’t win the Constructors’ title.
The Briton has voiced that McLaren’s desire to minimise the chance it experiences an identical decline will ensure that the team guards against complacency in 2025.
Asked whether McLaren can be regarded as the outstanding favourite this season, Norris responded to media including Motorsport Week: “Let’s see.
“Max was three-tenths off yesterday. Last year, we were much further off and ended up with the best car by the end of the season.
“We were over half a second off at the beginning of last year behind Red Bull and ended up with the quickest car.
“I know George made some comments earlier this weekend that they can just turn our focus to 2026. If that’s their mentality, wonderful, but that’s not the mentality to have.
“We know we still have a lot of work to do on this year’s car. If you relax in this position, you fail.
“In Formula 1, if you start thinking things are good and groovy, that’s when you get caught.”
Norris insists McLaren will ‘struggle’ in 2025
Norris has cautioned that it would be premature to state that McLaren is now uncatchable, despite the team’s dominant showing through all conditions in Albert Park.
The now five-time F1 race winner believes the perception surrounding McLaren’s potential would not have been the same had the campaign begun in Bahrain instead.
“I do think we’re favourites because the team has done an amazing job, and the car is flying,” he acknowledged. “But we will have races where we struggle.
“If we started the season in Bahrain, I don’t think we would have won, and you wouldn’t be asking me this question.
“Let’s allow a few more races to take place before making any obvious statements.”
McLaren line-up boosts team’s chances
Meanwhile, Norris reckons he and Oscar Piastri being more well-matched than other team-mate pairings helps both drivers to maximise the package at their disposal.
“We are the team to beat, mainly because we have two drivers up there pushing each other,” he continued. “That helps.
“Do I think me and Oscar pushing each other in qualifying yesterday allowed us to get one and a half, one-tenth more than the two drivers here because their team-mates aren’t as equipped or experienced? Yes, so add that into the equation as well. It’s not just about the car.
“The team has done an amazing job, and I thank them for everything they’re doing. But we know we can make it better, and that’s our aim.”
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