Russell: Norris's high-degradation mastery makes McLaren the team to beat

George Russell says Lando Norris's back-to-back wins in Hungary and the Netherlands were no surprise, as the McLaren driver has always excelled on high-degradation circuits with long corners. The reigning world champion took pole and victory at both tracks, aided by a significant McLaren upgrade.

Why it matters:

Norris's dominance has made McLaren the team to beat, with Russell admitting Mercedes is playing catch-up. The next few races could shape the title fight as upgrades arrive and circuits change character.

The Details:

• Russell, third at Zandvoort, noted the similarities between Budapest and the Dutch track: long corners, high tyre degradation, and a two-stop strategy.
• "He's always been a bit of a specialist in those conditions," Russell said. "We also saw it last year."
• He expects this trend to continue for the next two or three races "until we start to bring more to the car, and fingers crossed our competitors don't."
• Monza is different: long straights, heavy braking, and low-speed chicanes. Russell believes Mercedes will be "slightly more competitive" there, citing strong showings at Shanghai, Montreal, and Silverstone.

What's next:

Monza will also push F1's engine battery and energy harvesting issues to their limit. Kimi Antonelli will take a back-of-the-grid penalty at his home race after a full Mercedes power unit change. Russell also noted Ferrari has an engine upgrade incoming, adding "the truth is we just don't know." His verdict: "They are the team to beat right now."