Lando Norris believes he can win every remaining race of the 2026 Formula 1 season if McLaren succeeds in improving the MCL40’s performance through slow corners. After taking his second consecutive victory at Zandvoort, the reigning world champion has revived his title hopes, although he still faces a substantial 83-point deficit to championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
The Dutch Grand Prix confirmed the excellent form of both Norris and McLaren following their victory in Hungary. The reigning champion insists he is approaching the situation one race at a time, but he also sees a clear route towards making the championship fight far more interesting if the team can eliminate one of the MCL40’s remaining weaknesses.
Lando Norris plots F1 title comeback after Zandvoort victory
“I think about one race at a time,” Lando Norris said immediately after taking the chequered flag when asked about his chances of successfully defending his world championship.
Yet Norris is clearly still thinking about what might be possible over the remainder of the season. His experience of the 2025 championship has given him greater awareness of his own capabilities, while Max Verstappen’s remarkable comeback last year provides an obvious example of how quickly a large points deficit can be reduced.
Max Verstappen recovered 104 points over nine race weekends during that campaign, giving Norris a recent reminder that even a sizeable gap does not necessarily end a title challenge.
The current Formula 1 driver standings leave Norris 83 points behind Kimi Antonelli, meaning the McLaren driver still requires a sustained run of major results to put genuine pressure on the Mercedes championship leader.
Norris identifies slow corners as McLaren’s key weakness
Norris believes the decisive factor will be whether McLaren can improve the car in low-speed corners.
“At the moment I don’t have the car I need to fight for the championship,” the world champion said. “I know that’s a big statement, but after last year I know the level at which I can drive and I know what I need from the car.”
His assessment of what McLaren needs was even more direct.
“If we can improve in the slow corners, I’m confident I can win every race this season. Otherwise, it becomes much more difficult to believe.”
The issue is particularly significant because the recent improvements to the MCL40 have already strengthened areas where the car performs well. McLaren arrived at Zandvoort with further rear-end developments for the MCL40, continuing the technical push that began with the package introduced in Hungary.
McLaren upgrade has restored front-running pace
The Hungary package has helped McLaren return to regular victory contention, with the MCL40 showing particularly strong performance through high-speed corners. The complete version of that development package is scheduled to make its debut at Baku.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has also acknowledged that the upgrades were designed specifically to address weaknesses that had limited the car earlier in the season.
The improvement has already transformed McLaren’s competitive position. After struggling to match Mercedes consistently during the first half of the campaign, the team has now won successive races and again looks capable of challenging at the front.
That resurgence has also increased the importance of the McLaren development programme over the remaining rounds. If the engineers can add stronger low-speed performance without compromising the MCL40’s existing strengths, Norris believes the car could provide everything he needs to sustain a serious championship comeback.
Mercedes development pace could give McLaren an opportunity
There is another reason for Norris and McLaren to remain hopeful. Mercedes is expected to introduce its next update only at Sepang and, according to Toto Wolff, does not have the financial room to maintain the same development rate as McLaren and Ferrari.
That could give McLaren an opportunity to continue closing the performance gap during the remaining races, particularly if its planned upgrades deliver the required improvement in slow corners.
The challenge remains enormous. An 83-point deficit to Kimi Antonelli cannot be erased simply through two consecutive victories, and Norris knows he does not yet have the car he considers necessary to fight consistently for the championship.
But after Hungary and Zandvoort, McLaren has momentum. Norris has rediscovered winning form, the MCL40 has become increasingly competitive and the reigning champion has identified exactly what he believes is still missing.
If McLaren can solve that final slow-corner weakness, Norris is convinced the ceiling is considerably higher than simply fighting for occasional victories. In his view, every remaining Grand Prix could become winnable.
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