Lando Norris’ Spanish Grand Prix was undoubtedly transformed by terrible Virtual Safety Car timing, but bad luck was not the only factor that hurt the McLaren driver in Madrid. A 6.65-second pit stop compounded the damage and may ultimately have cost the reigning world champion second place to Max Verstappen, highlighting a weakness that is becoming increasingly difficult for McLaren to ignore.
Norris eventually finished third, just 0.738 seconds behind Verstappen, despite his tyre change taking 4.31 seconds longer than the Red Bull driver’s stop. At Formula 1’s current competitive level, that difference represents an enormous amount of lost time – and Madrid was not an isolated incident for McLaren.
Lando Norris has returned to the front since Hungary
Since the Hungarian Grand Prix, Norris has re-established himself as one of the leading figures at the front of the grid, helped by the upgrades McLaren has introduced to the MCL40.
Across the four Grands Prix from Budapest to Madrid, Norris won twice, taking victory in Hungary and again at Zandvoort. He then limited the damage with fourth place at Monza before finishing third at the Madring in a race he had appeared firmly on course to win before the unfortunate timing of the Virtual Safety Car handed Andrea Kimi Antonelli a major strategic advantage.
The turnaround has also been visible in qualifying. Norris has taken three pole positions since Hungary, underlining the significant step he has made over a single lap. His improvement fits with his own assessment of how he has developed into a stronger Formula 1 driver during 2026.
In Madrid, that progress was particularly clear. Norris produced a superb qualifying lap to beat Antonelli to pole and then controlled the opening phase of the race, gradually building a comfortable advantage before Lance Stroll’s retirement triggered the decisive VSC.
McLaren pit stop makes Norris’ Madrid setback even worse
The timing of the neutralisation was extraordinarily unfortunate. Norris had just passed the pit entry when the VSC was deployed, while Antonelli and Verstappen were still able to stop at the end of the same lap and benefit from the reduced-speed conditions.
By the time Norris returned to the pit lane on the following lap, green-flag racing had resumed. That alone had already effectively removed him from the lead battle, with the Madrid VSC sequence raising wider questions about Formula 1’s rules.
McLaren then added another setback. Norris’ tyre change took 6.65 seconds, dramatically slower than a normal competitive Formula 1 pit stop.
The lengthy service sent Norris back onto the circuit in fifth place. He later recovered and moved back into podium contention, ultimately closing onto Verstappen in the final laps but finding no realistic way past on the notoriously difficult Madring layout.
He crossed the line only 0.738 seconds behind the Red Bull. Given that Verstappen’s stop was 4.31 seconds quicker, McLaren’s delay almost certainly removed a significant opportunity for Norris to rejoin ahead of the Dutchman or at least place himself in a much stronger position to finish second.
Norris’ slow stops are becoming a pattern for McLaren
The Madrid mistake would be easier to dismiss if it were an isolated incident. Recent numbers suggest otherwise.
Across Norris’ last six Grands Prix, the average pit-stop time on his McLaren has risen to 3.88 seconds. For comparison, Mercedes has averaged approximately 2.56 seconds over the same period.
Only three of Norris’ 10 stops during that sequence have been completed in under three seconds. For a driver regularly fighting for wins and podiums, repeatedly surrendering tenths – or sometimes several seconds – in the pit lane can make the difference between gaining and losing track position.
The issue becomes even more important on circuits where overtaking is difficult. Madrid provided the clearest example: once Norris emerged behind Verstappen, superior pace was not enough to recover the position.
The Madring’s racing limitations have already prompted plans to modify three corners ahead of the 2027 Spanish Grand Prix.
McLaren falls behind rival top teams in pit-stop rankings
The wider team statistics are also concerning. McLaren currently sits only sixth in the seasonal pit-stop rankings, making it the weakest performer among Formula 1’s four leading teams in this area.
That represents a notable regression from 2025. Last season, Andrea Stella’s team finished second in the pit-stop standings behind Ferrari and regularly demonstrated that it could execute tyre changes at the level required in championship fights.
McLaren even recorded the two quickest individual pit stops of the entire 2025 season, including a 1.91-second stop for Oscar Piastri at Monza. The contrast with the delays affecting Norris in recent races is therefore particularly striking.
The problem also comes at a time when the MCL40 itself is becoming increasingly competitive. Norris has already demonstrated that McLaren can win when the car operates in its preferred window, while the team is continuing to pursue Mercedes with further upgrades planned for Baku.
McLaren needs cleaner execution to convert MCL40 pace into wins
Norris’ recent performances suggest the fundamental speed is there. Two victories in four races, three poles and a dominant opening stint in Madrid show that he can consistently challenge Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari when the circumstances allow it.
But maximising that pace requires every part of the operation to function at the same level.
The VSC timing that cost Norris the Madrid victory was outside McLaren’s control. A 6.65-second tyre change was not.
That distinction matters as Formula 1 heads into the closing stages of the season. Norris is no longer realistically fighting Antonelli for the championship lead, but both he and Oscar Piastri still have opportunities to add further victories if the MCL40 remains competitive.
For that to happen consistently, McLaren will have to reverse its recent pit-stop trend. The team’s outright performance has moved forward since Hungary, but execution in the pit lane has moved in the opposite direction. In a field where races can be decided by tenths of a second, Madrid demonstrated just how costly that weakness can become.
Leave a Reply