Grand Prix

F1 Analyst believes Lando Norris plays down Car Advantage to 'Release Pressure'

Nelson Espinal|
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] March 16, 2025; Melbourne, AUSTRALIA; Lando Norris celebrates next to Max Verstappen and George Russell after winning the F1 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Tracey Nearmy/Reuters via Imagn Images
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] March 16, 2025; Melbourne, AUSTRALIA; Lando Norris celebrates next to Max Verstappen and George Russell after winning the F1 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Tracey Nearmy/Reuters via Imagn Images | Tracey Nearmy/Reuters via Imagn Images

Heading into most race weekends, McLaren driver Lando Norris typically tempers expectations for the car at the start of the weekend, stating that it is not significantly faster than the rest of the grid.

The comments represent an attempt by Norris to change the narrative surrounding the car, but the race results indicate that McLaren consistently competes for victory and has kept at least one car in the top 10.

More News: Ferrari Team Principal Calls for More "Consistent" Performances from the Team

Sky Sports analyst Jamie Chadwick believes it is all an attempt to "release pressure."

“He’s doing it to release pressure from himself,” she said.

“When everyone is saying ‘you have got the fastest car, you should be winning every race’ it’s probably not the best feeling as a driver."

“If I was him, I’d harness that, and think: ‘Maybe I do have the fastest car, maybe it does mean I should out-perform expectation every weekend.'"

“From my point of view, I think it’s closer."

“I think if Oscar Piastri started from pole, and led from the first lap, it would have been an easier race for him."

“But the way that Lando downplays the car is him just not letting on that, actually, they should be dominating more.”

More News: Ferrari Team Principal Defends Lewis Hamilton in Explosive Response

The MCL39 has not won races by large margins compared to the rest of the field, and the qualifying margins have also been slim, which supports Norris's belief that the field is very tight and no one car is far above the rest.

The McLaren has won four of the first five races, securing pole position in only three of those races.

McLaren is 77 points ahead and has two drivers leading the drivers' title race, results that suggest a dominant car; however, achieving these results has not come easily.

Lando Norris has even left points on the table by qualifying lower than he should due to mistakes or a lack of preparation for the car, which has him in the lead of the Drivers' Championship and provides a larger margin for McLaren as well.

More News: Leclerc: "We Maximized Absolutely Everything" Despite Ferrari Qualifying Weakness

Max Verstappen and Red Bull have pushed the team early on, while Mercedes' George Russell has been an outside challenger for pole position.

Regardless of how much better the car is from the field, Norris needs to deliver more from the car, as it is clearly good enough to have him regularly landing on the podium.

“I don’t think the pace is the problem. It’s the execution, and getting everything right throughout a whole weekend," Chadwick said.

For more F1 news, head over to F1 on SI.

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Nelson Espinal
NELSON ESPINAL

Nelson Espinal lives and breathes sports. Avidly following of everything ranging from motorsports to Mixed Martial Arts to tennis, he is connected with most of the sports world at all times. His dream of writing about sports started at 16 years of age, writing for a Lakers fans blog, and his passions for sports writing has grown since. He has his Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and a minor in writing literature from the University of California, San Diego.

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