Lando Norris believes McLaren are “not at the level to fight for a world championship” despite his dominant win in mixed conditions at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris converted pole position into victory for the third time this season as McLaren’s upgrades in Brazil, including new wings and floor components, gave them immediate performance.
But, Norris feels he benefitted from mistakes, including Kimi Antonelli who spun when leading the race, and George Russell who spun in the pit lane, which exacerbated his 15-second winning margin over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
“The upgrades we brought this weekend were great. They worked as they should have done, so if we didn’t bring them, we’d be further behind. Simple as that. But it’s still not enough,” he said.
“They’re not enough to say you’re suddenly always the quickest. I think on a day like Sunday, it’s not all about that. It’s about good strategy, good pit stops, driving well and not making mistakes.
“I certainly had a car that I could fight for a win with, and that’s very important. Those things would help. It’s hard to quantify how much it’s helped, but upgrades always do, and they worked well. So, the team has done a very good job.”
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Lando Norris wins the Sao Paulo GP ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar
Norris’ triumph was McLaren’s first since August’s Dutch Grand Prix, although they were unfortunate to now win September’s Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid following an untimely Virtual Safety Car.
McLaren fell behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull following the European run of races in the pecking order and Norris called for more from the team to mount a title challenge in 2027 as 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, and come away with a pole and a win, we’re not as happy as we could be because we also know we’re not good enough,” he said.
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Highlights from the 2026 Sao Paulo Grand Prix
“We’re not at the level we need to be. We’re not confident in the package we have just yet. We’re getting there slowly. We want to do it quicker, but that’s difficult.
“We know we still have work to do, and we’re not at the level we need to be to fight for a world championship just yet. So, I’m proud of the team for the work they’re doing, but we all know that we still have work to do.”
Stella: Norris one of the best drivers in F1 when at his best
Norris admits his performance in Brazil on Sunday was “up there” among his best victories in F1 since joining the sport in 2019.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says Norris drove “brilliantly” and was “at the top of his game”.
“When Lando operates at his best, he’s definitely one of the best drivers on the grid,” he added.
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Lando Norris says his team did a very good job getting on the right tyre at the right time during his Sao Paulo GP win
“We have seen that in these conditions, like in qualifying, it’s not the first time that when you have mixed variable conditions, he kind of is one of the fastest in finding the limit.
“And you have seen this in the race as well, when the track was in the middle between dry and wet. It was when he was probably gaining most throughout the races on anybody else.
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New angles of Lando Norris shattering his champagne bottle on the podium after winning the Sao Paulo Grand Prix
“He’s very sensitive in understanding how much grip is available and very, I would say, even complete as a driver, despite he still [has] many years ahead of him, from a technical point of view, in terms of understanding how to deploy his tools to use the grip that is available, or to adapt to the balance of the car, because you’re never going to have a really perfect car.
“You’re never going to have the perfect conditions, so adaptability is actually probably the most important feature that you may want to possess as a driver. When there’s a need to understand what’s best, how to operate, he’s definitely a master.”
Formula 1 next hits The Strip for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, live on Sky Sports F1 from November 20-22. Stream Sky Sports with NOW
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