Lando Norris left Barcelona last Sunday with something McLaren desperately wanted: a reason to believe.
The British driver’s podium at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was not the result he had predicted before the race weekend. It arrived unexpectedly, helped by Kimi Antonelli’s late retirement, but it also carried a deeper significance for Norris and his team.
After a difficult period without seeing the chequered flag and with questions lingering over team papaya’s ability to fight at the very front, third place provided a timely boost. Yet beneath the optimism was a clear understanding that the team is still chasing the benchmark set by its rivals.
Norris’ confidence in McLaren’s package grew during a race in which he stayed much closer to Mercedes than expected. While Lewis Hamilton controlled proceedings on a three-stop strategy, Norris kept himself within striking distance of George Russell, forcing Mercedes to remain alert to his strategy calls.
The gap at the finish – just four seconds to Russell – offered encouragement that McLaren’s progress is real.
“I just wasn’t expecting to be… It wasn’t like I was fighting the Mercedes, but I was always there,” Russell told reporters.
“I wasn’t far behind at all, and I probably wasn’t expecting to be quite that close for the whole race, especially because after the first stint, I think I was already like 12 seconds behind George.
“So, the fact we kind of pulled things around and we seemed to be stopping on good laps and things like that, I think shows good signs.
“So, I was pretty happy with the race. I think it was clear how much more I had to push comparing to them in the first parts of [each stint] – the first third and second third of a stint – because it was clear how much more I deg’d off after in the final third of a stint. But the fact I was there so close shows some good positives for us as a team.
“A better day than I was expecting. I certainly wasn’t expecting to be on the podium, so it’s just nice to be back here, nice to finish a race. I’ve not seen a checkered flag for a while, so it’s good to be here and just nice to reward the team once again.”
A podium with a warning attached
For McLaren, Barcelona represented progress – but not a breakthrough. Norris was encouraged by the result, yet he also acknowledged that Hamilton’s dominant victory highlighted the size of the challenge still ahead.
Ferrari’s upgrades had improved its performance, while Mercedes demonstrated a level of pace McLaren has yet to consistently match.
The podium celebration therefore came with a reminder: closing the final gap may be the hardest step.
“[Heading to Austria] with a lot to improve," he said. "We're happy to be back on the podium, we're happy to score points. We're happy to finish the race.
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“But it shows the car is just not close to where we want it to be. We're improving it, but Ferrari also brought a lot of upgrades here and improved even more. And Lewis was dominant out there. I think he would have won the race no matter what, honestly.
“We want to improve. We're not at the level of Mercedes or Ferrari yet. And we have to keep our heads down and keep pushing.”
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Norris was also able to appreciate the significance of sharing the podium with two fellow British drivers. Standing alongside Hamilton and Russell created a memorable moment – but it did not distract him from McLaren’s unfinished work.
“So, I'm very happy for him. Nice to see him on the podium,” he added.
“I'm happy that it was the first all-Brit podium since 1968, so I was told. So just a cool podium to be up there with both George and Lewis. And of course, mainly Lewis because he's just a good guy to be up there with, and a cool experience.”
For Norris, Barcelona was a valuable reminder of both sides of Formula 1 development. The podium proved McLaren is closer than before, but Hamilton’s commanding victory showed there is still a mountain between encouraging progress and genuine championship-contending pace.
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