Lando Norris Confident: McLaren Can Take On Red Bull’s Dominance in Formula One

Lando Norris of McLaren expressed hope that reigning Formula One champions Red Bull and their star driver Max Verstappen could be challenged this season, though he acknowledged consistently outperforming them would be a different story. Last season, Red Bull’s dominance was nearly absolute, capturing 21 out of 22 races, with only Carlos Sainz of Ferrari breaking their winning streak. Verstappen himself set a new record with 19 victories.

Norris, who secured second place six times and third place once, alongside his teammate Oscar Piastri—who also finished second in Qatar and won the sprint race there—felt McLaren concluded the season on a strong note after a less than stellar start. When queried about their prospects against Red Bull after testing the new MCL38 car at Silverstone, both McLaren drivers felt Red Bull could be overtaken. Norris highlighted moments from the previous season when McLaren was close to or succeeded in beating Red Bull, emphasizing the real challenge lies in outpacing them across an entire season.

Piastri shared Norris’s optimism, emphasizing the importance of continuing their development pace. He also noted that the competition isn’t limited to Red Bull, with Mercedes and Ferrari posing significant threats in the latter half of the previous season.

Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, anticipates Red Bull will maintain some advantage at the season’s start in Bahrain on March 2, as they could focus on their new car early in the previous season.

Both Norris and Piastri reported positive initial impressions of the new MCL38, despite the day’s wet conditions and the tires not being ideal. Norris mentioned feeling comfortable and encountering no surprises with the car, while Piastri described the test day as “smooth sailing.”