Lando Norris remains cautiously optimistic as McLaren prepares to introduce significant upgrades for the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix. The reigning World Champion hopes these improvements will help narrow the gap to the front-runners and boost the team’s overall pace.
Norris has faced a challenging first half of the 2026 season, marked by reliability problems culminating in a 10-place grid penalty at Spa-Francorchamps due to power unit component changes. Despite this setback, he delivered a standout performance, qualifying third fastest and finishing seventh, convinced that without the penalty, a podium finish was within reach.
This weekend at the Hungaroring, a high-downforce circuit where McLaren achieved 1-2 finishes in the past two seasons, the team looks to capitalize on their updated floor and aerodynamic enhancements. While not expecting a repeat of those dominant results, McLaren sees the upgrade as a potential game-changer.
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“This upgrade is probably the biggest of the year by quite a long way, so we’re hoping it will bring us a significant step forward,” Norris told the Formula One website. “There have been a few parts this year that haven’t worked quite as expected, so I’m trying to stay patient and not get too ahead of myself.”
Norris detailed his expectations: “I’m looking for more grip and a faster car. We’ll wait and see, but I hope the upgrade allows us to extract more pace and helps reduce some of the current issues.”
Despite some setbacks, Norris is confident McLaren can still be competitive. “We’ve been quick in several races, including Spa and Miami, where our pace was strong even compared to the frontrunners. Our main challenge remains qualifying — we’re not close to shaving off four-tenths or half a second there. Improvements are needed on both sides, but I hope this upgrade gives us that extra jump.”