Lando Norris Claps Back at George Russell’s Remarks on McLaren’s Advantage

Lando Norris, the reigning champion, has responded to George Russell’s comments suggesting that McLaren could shift its focus to the 2026 car due to its current leading position. The remarks were made after a strong performance by in the Australian Grand Prix, where Norris clinched the first victory of the 2025 season.

McLaren’s Performance in Australia

In the Australian Grand Prix, McLaren looked set for a strong 1-2 finish before Oscar Piastri temporarily got stuck in the grass during the wet weather. Despite this setback, Piastri still managed to secure a points finish, while Norris celebrated his season opener victory. Joining them on the podium were Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes driver George Russell, who finished the race in second and third, respectively.

During the post-race press conference, Norris addressed whether his performance in Melbourne made him the favourite for the season. He stated, “Let’s see. Max was three-tenths off yesterday. Last year, we were much further off and ended up with the best car by the end of the season. We were over half a second off at the beginning of last year behind Red Bull and ended up with the quickest car.”

He continued, “I know George made some comments earlier this weekend that we can just turn our focus to 2026. If that’s their mentality, wonderful, but that’s not the mentality to have. Sorry, mate.” Norris emphasized that while McLaren is currently in a strong position, there is still much work to be done on this year’s car. He warned against complacency, stating, “In Formula 1, if you start thinking things are good and groovy, that’s when you get caught.”

Norris also pointed out that if the season had started in Bahrain, he doesn’t believe McLaren would have won, and the question about favourites for the season wouldn’t be relevant yet. He urged patience, stating, “Let’s allow a few more races to take place before making any obvious statements.”

Russell’s Initial Comments

Russell’s initial comments were made earlier in the weekend when he claimed that McLaren could turn its focus to the 2026 regulation changes due to its current advantage. He stated, “It’s what we expected to be honest, we’ve seen how strong they are. They’re at such an advantage because they can stop development now and go fully [focus] on ‘26 and it’s difficult to overcome that gap.”

As the circus heads to Shanghai, McLaren and Mercedes sit first and second in the constructors’ standings with the same points, 27. Red Bull follows in third with 18 points.