Lando Norris Warns McLaren Remains Vulnerable in F1 2025 Title Race
Even though McLaren has a strong lead in the Constructors' Championship standings, Lando Norris believes the team still remains susceptible to challenges from its competitors.
Norris ranks second in the Drivers' championship, trailing his teammate Oscar Piastri by 10 points. The duo has claimed victory in seven out of the nine races held this season in F1 2025.
Lando Norris cautions McLaren that 'our rivals are closing in'
McLaren leads the team rankings with a substantial 197-point gap ahead of their closest competitor. Ferrari follows closely behind with 165 points, trailed by Mercedes who has accumulated 159 points. In third place lies Red Bull, which boasts 144 points, largely due to Max Verstappen’s impressive tally of 137 points.
The Dutch driver is the closest competitor to Norris and Piastri in the championship rankings, having secured victories at the Japanese Grand Prix and the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – the only races won this season outside of McLaren (apart from Lewis Hamilton’s win in the Chinese Sprint event).
Even though his team leads both championship standings and has a superior car compared to others, Norris stays cautious about possible threats.
"There are still areas where we're susceptible, particularly during qualification when things get extremely tight," Norris cautioned.
Clearly in Spain we had the largest gap of the season, but I believe folks tend to swiftly overlook just how tightly contested the other qualifying sessions were; they've all come down to mere hundredths and thousandths of seconds, and we haven't breezed through each and every one.
"I believe this will also apply to future instances," he noted.
But it's evident that we have the superior car overall, and we still appear more robust during the competition. However, it's plain to see that our rivals are closing in.
Our disparities in the race are likely much more pronounced at the start of the year compared to where we stand now.
I believe our rivals are closing in. All we can do is stay focused and continue putting in the effort.
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In Spain, Piastri led home a one-two finish for McLaren, marking their third such achievement this season. A McLaren driver has secured a spot on the podium in every race so far in F1 2025 – with both drivers achieving this feat on seven out of the nine races held.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya result came against an undercurrent of whispered allegations against the MCL39.
The FIA implemented a fresh Technical Directive in Spain as they aimed to tighten restrictions on adjustable wings, leading some observers to claim that McLaren had been one of the chief practitioners of this technique.
This wasn't evident in the race sequence, as McLaren kept their spot at the summit of the rankings.
Along with claims that the Woking team has been bending flexi-wing regulations, they have also faced accusations regarding an innovative rear brake system and reportedly filling their tires with water.
The team has always adhered to the rules and has never faced accusations of non-compliance, with Zak Brown telling that his opponents are attempting to "hunt for ghosts."
"They can continue their search; all they will find are the individuals involved and the excellent race car developed by McLaren. They have done an outstanding job," Brown stated.
There isn’t actually a hidden solution tucked away inside the racing car, but if various teams believe there is one and prefer to dedicate their efforts searching for this mythical fix rather than enhancing their own vehicle, then from our perspective, spending all that time seeking something non-existent instead of working on their cars is perfectly fine.
It's fantastic that people enjoy dedicating their time to search for a spirit.
Norris echoed his team principal's view, honoring the crew back at headquarters who crafted the MCL39.
"The team is performing exceptionally well. We face strong opposition," he stated.
“We received numerous complaints regarding our car, but after introducing the TD, things remained unchanged.”
The team has performed exceptionally well by providing us with a solid all-round vehicle, making it the finest on the track.
We're extremely pleased to have the opportunity to race these cars each weekend, which is a testament to the hardworking team that supports us day after day.
Read next: The McLaren team principal, Zak Brown, highlights equal opportunities for drivers in the championship pursuit.
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