Lando Norris hit again at “short-sighted” claims McLaren have a bonus over the remainder of the sector going into the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
McLaren had the quickest automobile within the second half of final yr as they gained the constructors’ title for the primary time since 1998 and so they have been seemingly robust in pre-season testing final month.
Norris’ race simulation on the second day of F1 testing in Bahrain raised eyebrows as he was round one second faster than Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli in direction of the ultimate a part of the long term.
Mercedes’ George Russell stated McLaren will begin the season “by far the strongest” and his crew boss Toto Wolff acknowledged the Woking-based crew “clearly” have the quickest automobile.
“I know there’s a lot of expectation and that’s what everyone says. My one race run I did just made everyone believe this quite heavily,” stated Norris, who was runner-up to Max Verstappen within the Drivers’ Championship final yr.
“It was a very good race run, but it surely was additionally in essentially the most good situations. Oscar did a race run the subsequent day that was rather a lot slower, not as a result of he drove worse, however just because the situations on the ultimate day have been significantly slower.
“I’m quite surprised so many people are so short-sighted, especially people you wouldn’t expect to be, making so many conclusions before we even started the season. But, everyone just wants to play that game of looking like the underdog and playing it down.”
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Lando Norris performed down McLaren’s dominance saying they’re in an identical ballpark as the remainder of the grid
Norris: You can be shocked by Ferrari tempo
If McLaren are quickest, testing advised it’s exhausting to separate Ferrari, Pink Bull and Mercedes in behind.
Whereas Norris took eight pole positions final yr, the joint-most with Verstappen, it was McLaren’s robust race tempo which made the distinction on Sundays.
Norris half-joked the discuss McLaren being title favourites is “great publicity” for the crew and informed folks to keep watch over Ferrari in Melbourne.
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Sky Sports activities F1’s Martin Brundle and Naomi Schiff present perception into the ten driver pairings from this season’s F1 line-up
“If I go out this weekend and do a bad job, who cares what people have said in the past. I don’t believe it,” he added.
“I feel like we’re in a similar playing field to the top of the three teams. I still think it’s us top four [teams]. There are many things that other people didn’t see.
“Different folks regarded extraordinarily robust, together with Pink Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari. I understand how a lot gas and stuff Ferrari had for lots of the testing. You would be shocked at how fast they are going to be this weekend.
“People can talk what they want. I think for us we’ve kept to ourselves. We kept focused. We want to be quick, we expect to be up there fighting but I definitely don’t think by the margin that everyone is saying.”
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Max Verstappen shared an trustworthy admission of Pink Bull’s efficiency post-testing, saying they aren’t the quickest
Reigning world champion Verstappen reiterated on Thursday’s media day in Melbourne that Pink Bull have “work to do”.
“I know that we are not the quickest at the moment, but again it’s a very long season,” he stated.
“If you would have asked that question here last year then at the end of the season again it looked completely different, so a lot of things can always change quite quickly in Formula 1.”
Norris and Piastri ‘free to race’
Earlier this week, McLaren introduced Oscar Piastri had signed a brand new multi-year contract extension that may imply they’ve their drivers tied down till at the least the tip of 2027.
Piastri and Norris have largely labored collectively nicely on the observe, though there have been flashpoints final yr.
On the Hungarian Grand Prix, Norris was informed repeatedly to let Piastri by way of in the course of the latter phases of the race after he undercut his team-mate within the pit stops. Ultimately, Norris let Piastri by way of with three laps to go so the Australian gained his maiden F1 race.
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Hearken to Oscar Piastri’s hilarious response when requested who has extra probability of beating England this yr within the Ashes or together with his team-mate Norris
Six weeks later in Monza, Piastri overtook Norris on the opening lap of the Italian Grand Prix when the pair have been in first and second. In doing so, Norris additionally misplaced out to Charles Leclerc and the Ferrari driver went on to take victory.
After that incident, McLaren declared Norris would get precedence for the rest of the season because of his place within the Drivers’ Championship. Nevertheless, on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Norris slowed down Sergio Perez to assist Piastri and the latter gained the race. Norris additionally allowed Piastri to win the Qatar Dash simply earlier than they reached the chequered flag.
Piastri could have the house crowd on his facet this weekend and Norris confirmed they’re “free to race”.
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Piastri is hoping for ‘extra success’ after signing a brand new multi-year contract extension with McLaren forward of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix
“There’s no Papaya Rules. We’re happy to go against each other and compete. Of course, we have to know that we’re going to be against each other a lot this season and I hope we are,” he stated.
“Our strength last season was helping one another and always giving each other a good amount of room, racing fair. That was our strength last season and we need to maintain that. That’s one of our biggest things as a team and our biggest goal.
“It is at all times going to be robust as a result of we wish to beat each other. That is inevitable in the long run of the day. However on the minute there’s strains that we won’t cross as team-mates.
“Let’s keep both cars on track and don’t let any debris fly. Apart from that, we’re happy to race, we’re excited to race against one another and push each other to the limit.”
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Technique analyst and former Aston Martin Head of Technique Bernie Collins breaks down your finest possibilities of successful the opening race of the F1 calendar, the Australian Grand Prix
Sky Sports activities F1’s stay Australian GP schedule
Thursday March 13
- 9.45pm: F3 Follow
- 10.55pm: F2 Follow
Friday March 14
- 1am: Australian GP Follow One (session begins at 1.30am)*
- 2.55am: F3 Qualifying*
- 3.40am: Crew Principals’ Press Convention
- 4.45am: Australian GP Follow Two (session begins at 5am)*
- 6.25am: F2 Qualifying*
- 7.15am: The F1 Present*
Saturday March 15
- 12.10am: F3 Dash*
- 1.10am: Australian GP Follow Three (session begins at 1.30am)*
- 3.10am: F2 Dash*
- 4.15am: Australian GP Qualifying build-up*
- 5am: AUSTRALIAN GP QUALIFYING*
- 7am: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book*
7.30am: Australian GP Qualifying Replay* (9am on Sky Showcase) - 9.55pm: F3 Characteristic Race*
Sunday March 16
- 12.25am: F2 Characteristic Race*
- 2.30am: Australian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
- 4am: THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX*
- 6am: Australian GP response: Chequered Flag*
- 7am: Ted’s Pocket book*
- 7.55am: Australian GP race replay
- 10am: Australian GP highlights (additionally on Sky Showcase)
- 7pm: Villeneuve Pironi – Racing’s Untold Tragedy
*Additionally on Sky Sports activities Predominant Occasion
Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2025 Formulation 1 season stay on Sky Sports activities F1, beginning with the Australian GP on March 14-16. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
