Lando Norris secured his second consecutive victory during the Dutch GP at Zandvoort. The Brit has had a significantly improved McLaren since the previous race weekend in Hungary and also dominated the main race in the Netherlands. Competitor Mercedes is clear about this: the papayas have the most competitive car on the grid. Norris himself states that he wants to improve one crucial aspect before he can ‘win all races in 2026’.
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During the official FIA press conference, Norris was asked about his chances at the upcoming race in Monza. The Italian GP is already scheduled for the first weekend of October. “I don’t want to think about that right now,” he responded with a laugh. “I’m going to enjoy this victory first and then we have a few days off. I am confident because we clearly have a strong car. But it’s not like last year, when we were reasonably good in all areas,” he added.
‘No one can match us at high speed’
“We are very strong at high speed; that is also the area where we have improved the car the most,” Norris explained. “No one can match us at high speed, and that’s a good thing.” At Zandvoort, the 26-year-old Brit saw that he had a ‘huge’ advantage in the fast corners, but that Mercedes could close the gap again at low speed. “That’s why I don’t dare to say out loud that I can easily fight for the title,” he said. “I know I just won two races in a row and secured two pole positions in a row, but at this moment I don’t have the car I need to fight for the championship.”
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After his world title in 2025, Norris knows exactly what he does need to win the championship again. “That’s quite a bold statement, but I know what I have in me and I know exactly what I need from the car,” he declared firmly. “And I know on which circuits we will struggle more in the near future. So I’m just doing my utmost to make sure we as a team don’t slack off, that we don’t become complacent in any way, and that we work harder than ever before. Even harder than in the past two years when we won championships. If we can improve those low speeds, I am confident that I can win every race this season,” Norris concluded determinedly.
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