Lando Norris believes McLaren are still not at the level to fight for a world championship in 2027 despite his dominant win at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Norris converted pole position into victory for the third time this season as McLaren's upgrades, including new wings and floor components, gave them immediate performance in mixed conditions. However, Norris feels he benefitted from mistakes by Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, which exacerbated his 15-second margin over Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
McLaren fell behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull following the European leg of the season, and Norris called for more from the team to mount a title challenge in 2027. He was unable to put up a serious championship defence this year. "As much as we're happy we've managed to bring things and take a step forward," Norris said, "we're not as happy as we could be because we also know we're not good enough." McLaren team principal Andrea Stella praised Norris, saying he drove brilliantly and was at the top of his game when operating at his best. Norris admits his Brazil performance was among his best victories since joining F1 in 2019. "We're not at the level we need to be," Norris added, "We're not confident in the package we have just yet.
We're getting there slowly.".
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing