For the first time in over a decade, McLaren were heavy favourites heading into this season. They certainly met expectations in the opening rounds, with Norris and Piastri enjoying a comfortable advantage on race day – both in Australia and China.
However, Lando Norris believes the Woking squad’s advantage is not solely due to the MCL39.
Instead, he argues that his partnership with Oscar Piastri is the main reason for McLaren’s advantage.
Norris insists that drivers make the difference
It is customary in Formula 1 that those with the fastest car downplay the strength of their machinery.
To varying degrees, drivers will point to the competitiveness of their rivals – even when they enjoy an advantage over the rest of the field.
This is only logical, since admitting you have the best car puts you in a position to be criticised when you don’t take advantage.
Lando Norris experienced this first-hand in 2024, when Verstappen claimed the title despite Red Bull’s deficit to McLaren.
When speaking to the media in Japan, Norris dismissed suggestions that McLaren are significantly faster than everyone else.:
“We’ve seen over the last week and a half, other people saying they don’t think we’re that far away,” he told The Race.
“So as much as Max might say stuff, his last stint in China was very strong.
“Still not as good as us, but it was a lot more competitive.
“I was Fred Vasseur said that he thinks Ferrari should be competing against us, and a lot more up there.
“In fact, they beat us in the Sprint, and they qualified ahead of us [in the Sprint].
“So [we’re] not that far ahead of them.”
How big is McLaren’s advantage?
Of course, the analysis offered by Norris emits a series of key details.
Whilst Verstappen enjoyed a strong final stint in China, that does not override the edge McLaren have enjoyed in virtually every other session.
It was only a few weeks ago in Australia that both MCL39’s created more than a pit-stop advantage over the field.
Red Bull are still dependent on Verstappen’s heroics to challenge at the front, and Ferrari’s SF-25 has proven very erratic.
Even in the ideal operating window, the Italian machine hasn’t shown the same peaks in performance as the MCL39.
Hamilton’s victory in the China Sprint was largely the consequence of McLaren underachieving due to limited practice – rather than Ferrari having an actual pace advantage.
Regardless, Norris maintains that McLaren’s line-up is the main difference-maker:
“People love to be saying that,” Norris continued.
“[But it’s] because we literally are the only team that has two good drivers at the minute.
“That’s the big difference.
“If one of us was doing a lot worse, or one of us was not as strong, we would be [getting worse results]…
“The [China] Sprint, Oscar was second or third – and I was already eighth.
“But you’d have that a lot more often, like you do with Ferrari, or like you do with Red Bull.
“Max is up there, and you have the other driver a lot further back.”
A good problem to have
To be clear, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella and CEO Zak Brown deserve credit for assembling such a strong duo.
Norris and Piastri give the papaya team a rare combination of speed and youth in their line-up.
Still, it would be a stretch to say they are a significantly stronger duo than that of Ferrari, Mercedes or Red Bull.
Certainly, when Hamilton, Antonelli and Tsunoda get up to speed, is seems unlikely that McLaren can be attributed as having the best line-up.
Regardless, from Norris’ perspective, the MCL39’s advantage is being overstated.
As the year develops, the true extent of the British squad’s advantage will become clearer.
