Norris: McLaren’s Winning Formula is Their Star Duo

Lando Norris believes McLaren’s success stems from having the strongest driver pairing, a crucial advantage that sets them apart on track.

McLaren F1 is currently a target for its competitors, and Lando Norris believes that the team’s strength lies in having the best driver duo on the grid.

Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, Norris expressed confidence in McLaren’s position, stating that they are the only team with “two strong drivers right now.” McLaren has quickly proven itself as the team to beat, having dominated the first two races in Australia and China. Norris won at Albert Park, while his teammate Oscar Piastri triumphed in Shanghai.

Thanks to their performances, McLaren has built a solid lead, sitting 21 points ahead of Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship, while Norris holds a slight edge over Max Verstappen, George Russell, and Piastri in the Drivers’ standings— all within 10 points.

Norris: McLaren’s Strength is its Dynamic Duo

Norris believes McLaren’s advantage lies in the strength of their driver lineup. “I’m confident that we are performing well at every circuit right now. We have a target on our backs. But recently, people have said that they don’t think we’re that far ahead, or that we’re unbeatable. It depends on the day!”

“Max might talk about his car… but his last stint in China was very strong. Still not as good as ours, but the competition was much tougher.”

“Fred Vasseur has been more honest and said he thinks Ferrari should be competing with us and should be stronger. They beat us in the sprint and qualified ahead of us, so we don’t have a massive advantage over them.”

“We like to say it because we’re the only team right now with two strong drivers. That’s the big difference. If one of us was a lot less competitive or weaker… we’d be beaten more often, like with Ferrari and Red Bull. Max is at the top, but the other driver is much further behind. I believe having two strong drivers really makes a difference.”

Norris acknowledged that McLaren might not always have the fastest car, whether in sprints, qualifying, or races. However, he emphasized that the team’s strength lies in the synergy between him and Piastri, which pushes them to perform better. “In some cases, I don’t think we have the fastest car, but the fact that we have two strong drivers pushing each other makes a bigger difference than people realize.”

Norris: McLaren Duo Outperforms Rivals

When asked whether he thought McLaren’s driver duo was stronger than Red Bull’s or Ferrari’s, Norris explained that the experience gap with Ferrari plays a role in their current performance. He pointed out that Lewis Hamilton’s switch from Mercedes to Ferrari this winter means he is still adjusting to both the team and the car.

“For Lewis, it’s all about experience… not just F1 experience because we lack that compared to him, but experience with the team. He’s new to Ferrari, the team, and the car. He openly admits that he’s still learning how to use the steering wheel and its complexities. So, will he be able to fully unlock the car compared to what Oscar and I can do? Not immediately.”

“That doesn’t mean I think I’m better than Lewis or Charles, because I’m not, and I’ll always be the first to admit that. I would never put myself in the ‘best of all time’ category.”

However, Norris believes that he and Piastri push each other harder than any other F1 driver duo. “Our way of working as a team is better than any other team. The way we push each other and get the best out of one another as two drivers— I believe we are better than any other team. That’s our advantage.”

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