Lando Norris has expressed confidence in his driving this season, stating that he feels he is performing better than at the same point last year, despite McLaren’s ongoing struggles in the 2026 Formula 1 campaign.
Last year, Norris overcame several setbacks, including costly qualifying errors and a collision with teammate Oscar Piastri, to clinch his first F1 World Championship by outpacing Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Entering 2026, Norris aimed to defend his title under new regulations. However, McLaren had a difficult start to the season, securing their first victory only just before the summer break at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Currently, Norris is fifth in the Drivers' Championship, 91 points adrift of leader Kimi Antonelli.
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In a recent McLaren mid-season Q&A, Norris reflected on his season so far. He conveyed satisfaction with his personal performance and acknowledged improvement compared to the previous year, while also recognising the need for a more competitive car.
“I think in terms of my driving, and my own performance as a driver, honestly, I’m very happy,” Norris commented. “I feel like I have been doing a good job of maximising the car’s potential. I feel like I’ve driven better in this half of the season than I probably did to this point last year, but sadly I’m not leading the championship.
“Of course, I want a better car that can offer more opportunities and results matching the level of driving I’m achieving, but that’s Formula 1.”
Norris also spoke candidly about the team’s struggles. “As a team, and with the car, we’re certainly not quite where we want to be or where we were last season. We’ve had some good results, but we know we’re not where we should be. We’re disappointed with our own performance, but we’re working hard to improve.
“We’re starting to see the benefits of that hard work – our win in Hungary came due to strong upgrades to the car – but we must keep pushing and developing if we want to continue fighting for wins.”
Looking ahead, Norris remains cautious yet optimistic. With 11 races completed, he holds 128 points in the Drivers' Championship, while McLaren sits third in the Teams' Championship with 220 points, trailing the leaders Mercedes.
“One lesson I’ve learned is to have no expectations of the future and to focus on the present,” Norris added. “That mindset helped us return to the top in Hungary by working hard individually and as a team.
“Of course, I’m optimistic about winning more races, but competition is strong and there are still several races where the car’s performance isn’t up to the required standard.
“However, I trust the team. I believed we could win a race, and it happened sooner than expected. I’m confident we can improve in the areas that need work.”