BREAKING: Lando Norris Clarifies McLaren’s True Strength Amid…read more
Norris Refutes Red Bull “Miracle” Claims, Says Driver Skill Key to McLaren’s Success
Lando Norris has dismissed claims that Red Bull are achieving miracles with an inferior car, insisting it’s impossible to accurately compare machinery and crediting McLaren’s driver lineup for their recent performance surge.
Despite Max Verstappen beating Norris to pole position in Miami—his third of the 2025 season Norris downplayed assumptions that McLaren currently holds the strongest car, suggesting instead that the perceived advantage may lie in driver execution.
“It’s impossible to really know what car he’s got compared to ours,” Norris explained. “Our advantage might be having two quick drivers, or a car that lets drivers push more. But we can’t truly measure the gap between cars.”
The comments follow Red Bull’s praise of Verstappen’s qualifying effort, with team principal Christian Horner calling it a “stunning performance.” However, McLaren boss Andrea Stella rejected the idea that Red Bull are overachieving, labeling it a carefully crafted “narrative” designed to maintain competitive pressure.
“They’re masters at building fast cars and equally skilled at shaping the story,” said Stella. “This whole idea of ‘miracles’ is just another way to keep the pressure off themselves. We prefer to focus on facts, data, and areas we need to improve.”
While McLaren’s MCL39 has come under scrutiny—particularly after Oscar Piastri’s commanding Miami win and a subsequent FIA inspection of the car’s brake system its legality was confirmed.
Even Piastri admitted the pace was a surprise. “I did a lot right, and the car was clearly strong, but the performance today even surprised us,” he said.
Piastri now leads the championship by 16 points over Norris, with Verstappen 32 points off the lead. McLaren holds a significant advantage in the Constructors’ standings, 105 points ahead of Mercedes, with Red Bull trailing further behind.
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