Lando Norris: It's My Driving, Not McLaren's Car, Making the Difference

Lando Norris has rejected Mercedes drivers' claims that McLaren has F1's best car, insisting his own driving is the difference.

The reigning champion has won the last two races from pole with an upgraded MCL40, but Mercedes won six of the first 10 rounds before Ferrari and McLaren closed the gap.

Why it matters:

With three teams trading wins, driver performance is becoming decisive. Norris's comments reveal his confidence as he sits 86 points behind title leader Antonelli.

The details:

• Antonelli called Mercedes "clearly" behind McLaren after finishing second at Zandvoort; Russell agreed.
• Norris: "They're not going to say themselves, are they? They're the team to beat even if they just got beaten today."
• Driver over car: Norris said without overtaking Antonelli, he wouldn't have won. "For once I'd give myself credit."
• Teammate gap: Norris leads Piastri by 55 points and 13-4 in qualifying.
• Sprint proof: Russell dominated the Zandvoort sprint from pole while Norris barely held off Antonelli – McLaren isn't clearly the benchmark.

Norris believes his consistency creates the illusion of a dominant car. "We have a similar car to Mercedes, but they have a better all-round performer. If I make one mistake in qualifying, I'm not winning."

What's next:

Norris is in the form of his life, but time is running out to catch Antonelli. If he keeps this up, he could force a tighter title fight – or cement his status as F1's current best driver.