McLaren had the fastest car in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, with Lando Norris winning the race. However, multiple safety cars and rain gave Max Verstappen a late chance to challenge for victory.
George Russell, who finished third for Mercedes, said McLaren was so fast that they could already start focusing on next season’s car instead of improving this year’s model.
During the post-race press conference, Norris was asked if his strong performance made him the favorite for the world championship.
He responded: “Let’s wait and see. Max was only three-tenths of a second behind in qualifying. Last year, we were much slower at the start but ended up with the best car by the end of the season. At the beginning of last year, we were over half a second behind Red Bull, but we caught up.”
Norris also disagreed with Russell’s suggestion that McLaren should shift focus to 2026.
“If that’s their way of thinking, fine—but that’s not how we see it. We still have a lot of work to do on this year’s car. If you relax and think everything is fine, you will fall behind. In Formula 1, the moment you believe you’re safe, you get caught.”
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