Norris rejects ‘short-sighted’ hype around McLaren’s alleged pace

Lando Norris has firmly pushed back against the narrative that McLaren heads into F1’s season opener this weekend in Melbourne with a clear edge over its rivals.

The British driver, speaking to the media on Thursday at Albert Park, labeled suggestions of McLaren’s superior pace as “short-sighted” and dismissed the pre-season hype surrounding Team Papaya’s new MCL39.

Norris’ comments come after a standout race simulation during Bahrain testing fueled speculation that McLaren could dominate the new campaign, but the 25-year-old is adamant that the picture is far less clear-cut than it seems.

McLaren ended the 2024 season as the most consistent all-round package, and Norris’ impressive pre-season performance only heightened expectations.

Yet, both he and team principal Andrea Stella have worked to temper the optimism, pointing to the unique circumstances of testing and the strength of their competitors.

With the first race weekend of the year looming, Norris made it clear he’s not buying into the favoritism talk – and he’s surprised others are.

Testing Misconceptions and ‘Short-Sighted’ Judgments

Norris traced the hype back to a single race run in Bahrain that caught the paddock’s attention. While it showcased McLaren’s potential, he argued it was far from a definitive indicator of the team’s standing.

Speaking to the media, he broke down why the excitement might be misplaced.

“I know there’s a lot of expectation and it’s what everyone says,” Norris said.

“It was really, it was just my one race run I did that made everyone believe this [advantage] quite heavily. It was a good race run, but it was also in the most perfect conditions.

“Oscar [Piastri] did a race run the next day that was a lot slower. Not because he drove worse but simply because the conditions on the final day were considerably slower.

“So I’m quite surprised so many people are so short-sighted, especially people you wouldn’t expect to be, making so many conclusions before you even start the season.”

Norris took a swipe at the tendency of rivals and pundits to jump to conclusions.

“Everyone just wants to play that game of looking like the underdog and playing it down. We just focus on ourselves and it’s nice that so many people are thinking about us and talking about us. Great publicity for us so I thank all of them.”

Brushing Off Expectations

Despite the weight of expectations, Norris remains unfazed, insisting the “favourites” narrative –whether justified or not – won’t dictate his approach to the weekend.

He emphasized that performance on track, not pre-season predictions, will define McLaren’s season.

“It makes no difference if I go out this weekend and do a bad job,” he said. “Who cares what people have said in the past. So I don’t believe it [the hype].”

His focus, he insisted, is on execution rather than external noise. McLaren’s strong 2024 campaign and promising testing form have set a high bar, but Norris is keeping his eyes on the bigger picture, refusing to let early speculation shape his mindset.

A Tight Fight at the Top

As he rejected the idea that McLaren stands alone at the front, Norris predicted a close battle among the usual suspects: Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes.

He believes the pecking order remains tight, with unseen strengths yet to emerge from his rivals.

“I feel like we’re in a similar playing field to the top of the three teams,” he said. “I still think it’s a top four.

“But there are many things that other people didn’t see. Where other people looked extremely strong. Including Red Bull, including Mercedes, including Ferrari.”

He singled out Ferrari as a potential wildcard, hinting that their testing performance may have been understated.

“I know how much fuel and stuff Ferrari had for a lot of the testing. You’d be surprised at how quick they’re going to be this weekend.”

Closing out his thoughts, Norris reiterated McLaren’s quiet confidence.

“People can talk what they want. I think for us we’ve kept to ourselves. We kept focused and we want to be quick. We expect to be up there fighting.”

With McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes all in the mix, the 2025 season opener promises to be a fiercely contested affair. For Norris and McLaren, it’s not about living up to the hype; it’s about proving their worth, one lap at a time.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook