Lando Norris has recognized the substantial advantage Mercedes and George Russell hold early in the season, highlighting the challenge ahead for McLaren. Russell, continuing his impressive form from the Australian Grand Prix, clinched a commanding pole position for Saturday’s sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.
The British driver outpaced his teammate Kimi Räikkönen by 0.289 seconds in a one-sided qualifying session, with Mercedes securing the entire front row. Norris qualified third, trailing by 0.621 seconds behind Russell — a significant gap compared to last year’s standings.
Reflecting on last season, Norris addressed Russell’s earlier claim that his McLaren was fast enough to win every race. While McLaren won 14 of 24 rounds and Norris ultimately claimed his first world championship, he stresses that races were always closely fought. “We certainly didn’t get close to winning every race,” Norris said, noting Russell’s dominant lap times this season, which extended well beyond the usual competitive range.
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Mercedes, by contrast, have clearly closed the gap and now hold a commanding lead due to their hard work and technical mastery of the new regulations. Norris admits, “They have a big advantage over everyone," but respects their effort and expects Mercedes to dominate in the short term. “You would expect Mercedes to dominate for a while. We will do our best to change that,” he affirmed.
Russell’s confidence ahead of the new season is palpable, and he shows no signs of feeling the pressure as the early favorite for the championship. Norris acknowledged this enthusiasm from Russell and the formidable challenge it represents.
When asked if the new regulations dampen his hopes of defending his title, Norris remained pragmatic. “No, that’s life. Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t,” he said. He emphasized McLaren’s focus on development and determination to close the performance gap throughout the season. “It is still early days. I have never ruled myself out of the title race.”
Last year, Lewis Hamilton took the sprint race win at the Chinese Grand Prix in a rare bright spot during Ferrari’s challenging season. This year, Hamilton will start fourth, positioned between McLaren’s Norris and Oscar Piastri, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in sixth — over a second behind the leaders.
Max Verstappen’s frustration with the new regulations was evident after he qualified eighth, a full 1.7 seconds behind the pole. “This is undriveable,” Verstappen admitted as he returned to the pits, underscoring the severity of the challenges facing Red Bull.