Norris warns McLaren lacks car consistency for F1 title fight

The British driver delivered a stellar performance to claim victory at the final Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, marking his second win of the season following his triumph in Hungary last month. This remarkable win rekindles memories of Max Verstappen's epic championship comeback against Norris last year, where Oscar Piastri held a 34-point lead over the Briton and 104 over Verstappen before the Dutch driver clinched the title by just two points in Abu Dhabi.

Norris' brilliant drive in Zandvoort leaves him 83 points adrift of championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, whom he and McLaren overtook on track after losing the lead at a chaotic race start. Meanwhile, Antonelli's team-mate George Russell sits tied on points with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, 59 points behind the Italian driver.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Although McLaren has made major strides with car upgrades leading to dominant wins in Hungary and the Netherlands, Norris believes the car still possesses too many flaws to mount the consistent pressure Verstappen exerted last season. Norris noted that while his pace advantage over Mercedes through turns seven and eight was massive, their rivals hold an equally significant advantage in slow-speed sections.

This concern stems from the realization that McLaren's low-speed handling will hinder them at the upcoming race in Monza and two races later in Azerbaijan. Both circuits feature long straights that expose McLaren's higher aerodynamic drag compared to Mercedes, alongside very few high-speed corners to offset their slow-corner deficits. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella stated that confirming their improvements in Monza would allow them to look forward with optimism for the remainder of the campaign.