Norris thinks McLarens rivals are catching up in race trim

Lando Norris believes McLaren still has the fastest overall car across all circuits but that the Spanish Grand Prix showed its competitors are catching up.

Oscar Piastri and Norris locked out the front row in Barcelona and then the Australian led home a one-two as McLaren secured its seventh win in nine races. The one-two finish was the team’s third of the year, but Norris says the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari are closer in race pace than at the start of the season, after Max Verstappen won at Imola and was a threat in Spain, while Charles Leclerc picked up podiums in the past two races.

“The team are doing a very good job,” Norris said. “We have a lot of good competition. There was a lot of complaints about our car, and they introduced this TD [technical directive, regarding front wing flexibility] and changed nothing. The team have done a very good job to just give us a good all-round car and the best car on the grid. So, we’re very proud to be able to go and drive those cars every weekend.

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“It’s credit to the team that we have to give day in and day out. But there’s still places where we’re vulnerable, especially in qualifying as it gets very close. Obviously [Spain] was the biggest margin of the year, but I think people seem to quickly forget how close the other qualifying sessions have been. They’ve been split by hundredths and thousandths, and there hasn’t been smooth sailing for us in every single one.

“So, I think that will be the case in future. But it’s clear we just have the best car on average, and we still seem stronger in the race although it’s clear that the others are catching up. Our gaps in the race were probably a lot bigger in the beginning of the year than they are now. We just need to keep our heads down and keep working hard.”

Norris lost out to Verstappen at the start in Barcelona but quickly repassed the Red Bull driver, and says he feels he had the performance to match Piastri but not enough of an advantage to overhaul his teammate.

“I think we knew our pace was going to be strong, so I didn’t need to do anything too risky into Turn 1," he said. "But I don’t think I lost out in the race. I think Oscar drove a very good race and had a good day [in qualifying]. I had the pace to go with him, but not enough to try and catch up and put him under threat.”