Lando Norris was hit again in the “short -sighted” claims McLaren have an advantage over the rest of the field going to the Australian Grand Prix open season.
McLaren had the fastest car in the second half of last year after they won the constructor title for the first time since 1998 and they were in strong pre-season testing last month.
The Norris competition on the second day of F1 testing in Bahrain raised his eyebrows as he was about a second faster than Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli towards the last part of the long run.
Mercedes’s George Russell said McLaren will start the “so far stronger” season and his Toto Wolff team boss stated that the Woking -based team “clearly” has the fastest car.
“I know there is a lot of waiting and that is what everyone says. A race of mine that I just made everyone believe this enough,” said Norris, who was the Max Verstappen competitor in the Driver Championship last year.
“It was a good race, but it was also in the most perfect conditions. Oscar made a race the next day that was much slower, not because he left worse, but simply because the conditions on the last day were significantly slower.
“I am very surprised that many people are so watched, especially the people you wouldn’t expect to be, making so many conclusions before we start the season. But, everyone just wants to play that game looking like submission and playing it down.”
Norris: You will be surprised by the rhythm of Ferrari
If McLaren are faster, the test suggested that it is difficult to share Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes after.
While Norris took eight pole positions last year, more common to Verstappen, was McLaren’s strong rhythm that made the Sunday change.
Norris half judged the speech to McLaren being the favorite of the title is “Great Publicity” for the team and told people to keep a look at Ferrari in Melbourne.
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Martin Brundle and Naomi Schiff of Sky Sports F1 offer knowledge of 10 driver pairs by this season’s F1 lineup
“If I go out this weekend and do a bad job, who cares about what people have said in the past. I don’t believe it,” he added.
“I feel like we are in a similar playing field at the top of the three teams. I still think is the four (teams) of the US. There are many things that other people did not see.
“Other people looked extremely strong, including Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari. I know how much fuel and stuff Ferrari had for many tests. You will be surprised how soon they will be this weekend.
“People can talk what they want. I think of us who have kept with us. We’ve kept focused. We want to be fast, we expect to be there fighting, but I definitely don’t think with the difference everyone is saying.”
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Max Verstappen shared an honest acceptance of Red Bull’s performance after testing, saying they are not faster
The reign of the world champion Versstappen repeated on Thursday’s media day in Melbourne that Red Bull have “work to do”.
“I know we’re not faster at the moment, but again it’s a very long season,” he said.
“If you had asked that question here last year, then at the end of the season again it looked completely different, so many things can always change quite quickly in Formula 1”
Norris and the piastri ‘free to race’
Earlier this week, McLaren announced Oscar Piastri had signed a new multi-year contract extension which means they have tied their drivers until at least 2027.
Piastri and Norris worked mainly together on the right track, though they had flash points last year.
At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Norris was repeatedly told to leave the piastrin during the last stages of the race after he underlined his teammate in the pit stops. Eventually, Norris Le Piastri spend with three laps to go so that Australian wins his F1 girls race.
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Listen to Oscar Piastri’s ridiculous response when asked who is more likely to defeat England this year in Ashes or with his teammate Norris
Six weeks later in Monza, Piastri crossed Norris in the opening of the Italian Grand Prix when the pair were first and second. In doing so, Norris also lost before Charles Leclerc and Driver Ferrari continued to win.
After the incident, McLaren stated that Norris would take precedence over the remainder of the season due to his position in the driver championship. However, in Azerbaijan’s Grand Prix, Norris slowed Sergio Perez to help Piastri and the latter won the race. Norris also allowed Piastri to win the Qatar sprint shortly before they arrived at the controlled flag.
The piastri will have the local crowd on his side this weekend and Norris confirmed that they are “free to compete”.
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The piastri is hoping for ‘more success’ after signing a new extension of the multi-year contract with McLaren before the big Australian season opens
“There are no Papaja rules. We are happy to go against each other and compete. Of course, we need to know we will be against each other this season and I hope we are,” he said.
“Our strength last season was helping each other and we always gave each other a good amount of room, Racing Fair. This was our strength last season and we have to save it. This is one of our biggest things as a team and our biggest goal.
“It will always be difficult because we want to beat each other. This is inevitable at the end of the day. But in the minute there are lines that we can’t spend like teammates.
“Let’s keep both cars on the right track and not let no waste fly. In addition, we are happy to compete, we are excited to compete against one another and push each other to the border.”
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Strategy analyst and former strategy chief Aston Martin Bernie Collins breaks down your best chances to win the F1 calendar opening race, Grand Prix Australian
Direct GP Australian program of Sky Sports F1
Thursday March 13
- 9.45 Afternoon: Practice F3
- 10.55 Afternoon: Practice F2
Friday March 14
- 1:00: Australian GP practice one (session starts at 1.30am)*
- 2.55AM: F3 Qualification*
- 3.40 morning: Team Directors Press Conference
- 4.45 Morning: Australian Practice GP Two (session starts at 5am)*
- 6.25AM: F2 Qualification*
- 7.15am: F1* display
Saturday March 15
- 12.10am: F3 Sprint*
- 1.10AM: Australian practice GP three (session starts at 1.30am)*
- 3.10 morning: F2 Sprint*
- 4.15AM: Australian GP GP Remembrance **
- 5 Morning: Australian Qualification GP*
- 7 Morning: TED Qualifying Notebook*
7.30AM: Replay Australian GP Qualifying* (9 morning on Sky Showcase) - 9.55 Afternoon: F3 Characteristics Race*
Sunday March 16
- 12.25AM: F2 Characteristics Race*
- 2.30AM: Australian GP Construction: Grand Prix Sunday*
- 4 morning: Australian Grand Prix*
- 6 Breakfast: Australian reaction GP: Controlled Flag*
- 7 Morning: TED Notebook*
- 7.55 Morning: Australian Review GP Gara
- 10:00: Main Points of Australian GP (Also on Sky Showcase)
- 7 Afternoon: Villeneuve Pironi – Untold’s Racing Tragedy
*Also in the main event of Sky Sports
Look at all 24 weekends from Formula 1 season 1 2025 Sky Sports F1Starting with the Australian doctor on March 14-16. Stream Sky Sports with now – without contract, cancel at any time
