McLaren was incredibly fast! Their F1 car had great potential, but again, things didn’t align for a top result in Mexico. We weren’t wrong in saying yesterday that McLaren is its own worst enemy. The second race in the triple-header went to Ferrari, with Sainz taking the win. The Spaniard delivered an exceptional weekend, securing pole with a unique approach in Sector 2 and holding off Verstappen to reclaim the lead after two laps. Everything went perfectly, but McLaren’s missteps didn’t go unnoticed.
It’s not that we enjoy critiquing the historic British team. But it’s frustrating to see a team with the capability to contend for both titles waste opportunities. While Lando’s 47-point gap to Max is hard to close, the Constructors’ standings are now under serious threat as Ferrari closes in. To be at this stage in the season with such a car highlights just how much McLaren has squandered over the past five months. This is obvious to everyone, and it can’t be ignored.
After challenging years, fighting at the front again feels good, of course. But it’s not enough to say, “Oh well, we’ve done well already; maybe next year will be better.” In F1, opportunities for victory must be seized because they may not come again anytime soon. Ferrari knows this well, not having won a championship since 2008 despite abundant resources—a shocking fact for such an iconic team. We don’t mean to be harsh with McLaren, but another Grand Prix that the team could have won has now slipped away.
It started with qualifying, a rather disappointing session. Oscar Piastri lost his cool and made an amateur mistake in Q1. He didn’t make the cut because he was pushing too hard, even though he only needed to beat four other cars. His impressive comeback to P8 is hardly an achievement when he’s driving a car as capable as the MCL38 and still finishing behind Kevin Magnussen’s Haas—this is a loss for both Oscar Piastri and the team.
McLaren Misses Out on Valuable Points in Mexico
Even Norris underperformed. Starting third behind Verstappen on Saturday effectively took him out of the running for a win. We know Verstappen is tough and aggressive in close combat, and with a fourth title within reach, he’s fighting fiercely to keep it. Knowing the MCL38 is faster over race distance, McLaren’s qualifying goal should have been clear: stay ahead of the three-time world champion. Missing this sets up scenarios like the one we saw in Mexico.
Instead of focusing on the Ferraris in his quest to close in on Max and support McLaren’s Constructors’ title run, Lando Norris was busy dodging Verstappen in a battle that cost him 32 laps stuck behind the Red Bull. With Ferrari’s SF-24s running unchallenged, the British driver effectively lost his shot at victory. In the second half of the race, he was the fastest driver on track and didn’t face the same temperature management issues as Ferrari. While we can only speculate, had he not been held back by Max Verstappen, it’s likely that Lando Norris could have overtaken both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
F1, McLaren: The Psychological Hold of Verstappen Over Norris
“I respect Max Verstappen as a driver,” Lando Norris said post-race while joking with his Ferrari friend, Carlos Sainz. He’d have every reason to be frustrated with Verstappen, who not only disrupted his race but also exerts a psychological hold when they’re close on track. Lando Norris is passive because he has everything to lose, which is understandable, but he needs to assert himself more. Commenting that Verstappen’s driving isn’t clean is pointless if he then tolerates it as the races dwindle and Max approaches his goal.
Being satisfied because Max “got what he deserved” doesn’t change the outcome. Losing a chance to win is aggravating. Of course, it’s important to keep a cool head and avoid falling into the traps of a strong, cunning rival. But there should be a limit, especially when something truly significant is at stake, and opportunities may not come again. Moreover, Lando Norris’ mantra of “head down, do our best” has become tiring, as it hasn’t led to progress.
Over the past five months, Lando Norris has made minimal gains on Max Verstappen, even with the MCL38 outperforming the RB20 on every track. Harsh? Maybe, but within this critique lies the hard truth that needs to be addressed. If there are high expectations for Norris, it’s because we know that if the MCL38 were in the hands of someone like Narain Karthikeyan, this article wouldn’t even exist.
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