Lando Norris: 'Feel silly' not to be confident about McLaren's future

Lando Norris says it would “feel silly” not to be confident about McLaren's future after a dominant Miami weekend that saw him win the sprint and finish second in the grand prix, with Oscar Piastri completing the double podium. Yet the Briton is tempering expectations, warning that one track does not make a season.

Why it matters:

McLaren's sudden leap in performance — from three DNFs in the opening two rounds to a front-running car in Miami — hints at genuine progress. But Norris's cautious optimism underscores the reality of Formula 1: a single strong weekend, especially on a circuit that suits the car, can be misleading. The team's ability to sustain this form will define whether it can truly challenge the midfield frontrunners.

The details:

• Norris took victory in the Miami sprint race and then finished second in the main event, with Piastri third — McLaren's first double podium since 2023.
• He acknowledged that Miami's layout plays to the MCL38's strengths, while Mercedes — their closest competitor — struggled there and historically excels at upcoming tracks like Canada.
• “In Formula 1 it's too easy to judge things over one race,” Norris said. “You need to see how you are over a number of races and different styles of track: street circuits, hot tracks, cold tracks, tight and twisty, fast circuits.”
• Despite the renewed confidence, Norris urged the team to keep pushing upgrades: “I also want to make sure they keep pushing and keep trying to improve things, because we still need that.”

What's next:

McLaren has upgrades planned, but the true test will come at circuits where Mercedes and Red Bull have historically dominated. Norris's measured outlook suggests the team is focused on long-term consistency rather than celebrating a one-off result. If the Miami pace translates to other tracks, McLaren could become a regular podium threat.