Lando Norris doesn’t understand why the MCL39 is seen as a much better vehicle than the competitors’ cars, including Max Verstappen‘s RB21. ‘People keep saying we’re the best and the fastest,’ sighs the McLaren driver. According to Norris, this is only because McLaren shows its true speed in the free practice sessions, unlike the competition.
With four victories in five races so far, the McLaren appears to be the strongest vehicle on the current grid. Lando Norris kicked off this season with his victory in Melbourne, while Oscar Piastri claimed his third win of the year in Saudi Arabia. However, in Jeddah, it was the first time this season that a driver who did not start from pole position won. Max Verstappen had narrowly beaten Piastri to secure pole a day earlier.
Norris, therefore, believes that the McLaren vehicle is not as dominant as claimed. According to the driver, it is no surprise that both Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc could get close to the McLarens in Jeddah. “I don’t understand why people find that so surprising,” Norris tells Sky F1. “They are just as fast as we are in most sessions and during the race. Just because we are faster in training, people keep saying this nonsense. We don’t believe we are that far ahead, as was shown.”
Not Dominant
According to the Brit, experts need to adjust the image that McLaren would have a dominant car on every circuit. “I think Max was even the fastest (in Jeddah), if he hadn’t had that five-second time penalty,” the driver continues. “People keep saying that McLaren is the best, but that’s only because we show more pace in the free practice sessions. As a result, we have nothing more to hide in the qualifications. But that’s just how we do it. Otherwise, we would be even further behind.”
